As the first year of our new ownership comes to an end I would like to give a personal vote of thanks to all Supporters, SMiSA members, Club Sponsors, Fans Council, Management, Staff, directors & players for all their efforts over the year.
Looking Back
There were tough periods for everyone last season but we stuck together and I believe we are a lot stronger for the experience.
We all started last season full of hope but it became obvious very early on that we were well off the pace and had major work to do to the infrastructure of the club. We made some dramatic changes and the last 6 months were an amazing roller-coaster ride culminating in a 7th place finish in the Championship and an IRN-BRU cup final appearance.
Whilst no one at the club considers a 7th placed finish as being a success the progress we have made both on and off the park has filled everyone with enthusiasm and drive and I believe we are justified in looking forward to this season with a high level of optimism.
We still have some work to do behind the scenes but I would like to think that we have demonstrated already that our positive attitude can and will get things sorted whenever issues arise.
Season Ticket Holders
Season ticket holders are the lifeblood of the club.
Their financial commitment at this time of year allows us to budget for the coming season with confidence and has given us the ability to sign and retain most of the players who played such a big part in our revival last term.
Towards the end of last season we were discounting match tickets and even giving away many free tickets to local groups to try and help build the momentum that eventually led us to safety.
We never received a single complaint from those season ticket holders who could obviously appreciate what we were trying to do. These are the guys & girls who support us through thick and thin and we will continue to try and give them additional value for that support whenever possible. Your support will NEVER be taken for granted.
Dundee Free For Season Ticket Holders
We have now been able to make our pre-season friendly with Dundee on Tuesday July 4th a free bonus for our Season Ticket holders as a small reward for your support.
Open Day Sunday July 9th
The Open Day this Sunday is a great chance for all the family to come down and meet the new players and see the squad being put through their paces. With season ticket holders now gaining free entry to the Dundee game I’m happy to say that the Open Day will now be open to all with no restrictions.
Please do try and bring along friends or family members who don’t ordinarily attend. We’d love to take the opportunity to impress and gain new supporters!
Fan Loyalty
While we rely on season ticket holders we do of course appreciate that some people simply cannot afford that outlay but still turn up every week.
We are looking at a program for monitoring our Stadia Cards that will allow us to gauge how many games people have been to and include regular attendees in certain future events.
Ralston Update
The academy has seen a major refurbishment over the last year with the formation of a new kit room, analysis room and an office for the physio and sports science departments.
We have also had major refurb works to do to the canteen, kitchen and both players and coaches changing rooms.
The work to these areas is now complete.
We have had to do a temporary repair to the gym that will see us through the coming season but we will need to rip up and renew that floor next close season.
We have completed 50% of the refurb to the grass playing area and the works to the second half will commence once the first half has taken root.
Stadium Update
With the construction of the new disabled platform I’m delighted to say that we have now regained our gold stadium status for this season.
We have started a maintenance program of re-painting all existing painted areas of the stadium. This regular maintenance is essential for the long term stability of the stadium.
We have also extended the black stripes that were painted by the Fans Council at the back of the west stand last year to the north and south stands.
As I have always said the stadium we received as part of the Tesco deal was a solid start but we needed to turn it into a home. I would like to think we have started down that path and all these small improvements will help enhance the look of our home ground.
Supporters Club
As the support grew last season so did the atmosphere and attendance in the SMFC 1877 Supporters Club.
We are looking to increase the capacity of the club with a few simple building modifications from the current 230 maximum. If you are interested in becoming a member there are still some spaces available so please email our Supporters Club Director, Alan Wardrop, at supportsmfc@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested.
For more information visit www.SMFC1877club.com or visit the Supporters Club Facebook page.
We will continue to operate the "Buddie Bus" on Saturday match days to transport club members into Paisley after games and are looking for sponsors to allow us to continue to run it for free. Get in touch if you would like to help out!
Welcome to Skyview Capital & Joma
We now have new shirt sponsors in Skyview Capital all the way from LA! I would like to thank Jim Hall and his fellow directors for their support. This sponsorship has allowed us to have the confidence to take all our kit sales in house. We have expanded the club shop and I am sure you will all be delighted with the range of Joma's product.
Hopefully you are all looking forward to next season as much as I am and I’m sure the team Jack and James have built will once again be worthy of the fantastic support you give them.
COYS!
