St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce new strategic partnerships with William Hill League Two side Dumbarton and Lowland League club Clydebank as part of the new Cooperation System recently launched by the Scottish Football Association.
The Cooperation System was passed by clubs earlier this year following the findings of the Scottish FA’s Transition Report published in 2024 which showed that there hadn’t been enough opportunities for younger players between the age of 16 and 21.
The system allows the club to place a maximum of three players, who are eligible to play for the Scotland National Team and are under the age of 21, on a cooperation list. These players can then move freely between St Mirren and Dumbarton & Clydebank.
Transition Pathway
In line with our club strategy to improve academy player integration, the club aims to provide individual development plans involving coaching and mentoring for players between 16-18, resulting in clear pathways being set out and monitored for our best high potential young players.
Our academy transition model emphasises developing academy players and recruiting strategically to enhance squad depth and value. The integration of academy graduates into the first team will remain a priority, as we focus on nurturing homegrown talent and optimising the financial sustainability of the club.
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson said: "I firmly believe in the loan system to develop our young players and something that hindered that previously was not being able to bring them back at certain stages or leaving yourselves short in numbers.
"With the cooperation agreement, we are able to get them into men's football and develop under other coaches. Hopefully, we can also help the coaches and the clubs they are going to. It will be a great benefit for both parties.
All in all, I believe it's a brilliant way to develop young players in Scotland and doesn't compromise any young players coming back into the first-team."
Academy Director, Allan McManus added: "We’re looking to build a strategy that’s going to help our young players get more experiences towards first-team football.
The earlier we get young players exposed to first-team football, the better opportunities they’ll have to go further in the game.
"We feel that any of our players that will go will be looked after and treated the right way. Hopefully it’s the start of a positive relationship that will last several years and we’re excited that our young ones are going out there.
We’re all excited about the new cooperation agreements and the flexibility within them. I think it really helps the young players, they have the opportunity to be playing and learning. If they are thriving, then the manager can bring them back at any time and utilise them in the squad.
"Part of our strategy as a football club is that we want to engage with our local community and the surrounding areas as well. Longer-term we want to build more of these agreements and we believe it’s going to make a significant difference in the development of our young players."
St Mirren Chief Operating Officer Keith Lasley added: "As per the Scottish FA’s Transition Report, it has been shown, as a country, that we need to try and produce more young footballers for the national team.
From a club point of view, it’s something that we want to do as well. Making sure we transition as many young players from our academy into the first team, and make that pathway as clear and concise as possible, is a key point of our Performance pillar in our club strategy.
"We see these cooperation agreements as a key step forward in allowing us to be more strategic in our planning and think long-term rather than what has been traditionally a short-term, reactive process.
"We look forward to working with both Dumbarton and Clydebank. A big part of our strategy is working locally and we see this as a big development."
View from Dumbarton
Dumbarton boss Stevie Farrell said: "As a management team we have shown that we're not frightened to give young players an opportunity. And that will continue this season.
"I met with Keith Lasley and Allan McManus on several occasions and I think this is the perfect fit for both clubs.
"We have had a close working relationship with St Mirren over recent seasons which has allowed us to bring some talented players to the club, and we are now going one step further by formalising this.
We have brought three talented players to the club this summer under the partnership and I am looking forward to working with St Mirren, giving younger talent, along with our own youth players, the opportunity to take their first steps in the senior game."
Bankies Boss
Clydebank manager Gordon Moffat explained: "It’s really positive news. We’ve had that relationship with St Mirren going back to last season when we brought Owen (Carey) into the club on loan. We’ve built the relationship at our level with Allan McManus and Craig McLeish, and now the clubs are building a relationship at boardroom level through the partnership.
It’s something I think is a real positive for Scottish football more widely. When we realised it could be an option to have that with St Mirren, we were keen and happy they have seen enough in us.
"They trusted us last season with Owen, and we’ve had a few other lads in training with us so it’s really positive.
It does a lot more than just bringing players in, there’s potential for us as coaches to go in and watch some sessions and learn from them so it’s a really good move for both clubs."
Partnership working underway
As part of the cooperation agreement, Carrick McEvoy, Thomas Falconer and Theo McCormick have all joined League Two side Dumbarton, while defender Billy Hutchison will also link up with Clydebank in the Lowland League.
