As we approach the final weeks of the regular season I thought it appropriate  to give you all another update from the board.

ON THE PITCH

The form shown by the team since our squad restructure in January has been remarkable. It’s a testament to Jack, James and the players that they have managed to turn in a series of results that now leaves our destiny in our own hands with just two games remaining.

It’s been a roller coaster season like no other, and there is still much work to do over the last two matches but there is a positive energy about the whole club right now that has been a joy to be part of these last few months and I have the utmost faith that this will continue to be the case right to the end of the campaign.

It’s really satisfying to me that we have earned these positive results by playing entertaining football. Seventeen goals scored in our last six league matches has been typical of the brand of football Jack and James have fostered at our club. It’s been really enjoyable seeing a St.Mirren team play with a bit of swagger again and long may it continue!

It’s a cliché but the supporters have truly been that 12th man this season. You have stuck with the team and the management through that difficult transitional period and the backing you’ve given through what has seemed like an endless series of “must win” games has been truly fantastic.

The players, the management & the board of directors truly appreciate your loyalty and support and we know we can count on you again for the remaining games of the season. 

NEW SPONSORS

In my last update I mentioned forthcoming news on a new major sponsorship and kit deal.

I am delighted to welcome Skyview Capital and Joma to the St.Mirren family.

It goes without saying that such major deals are vital to the ongoing finances of our club and give us a solid foundation on which to go forward. We are fortunate to have these organisations on board and look forward to working with them over the coming seasons.

PLAYING KITS & CLUB SHOP

As part of the new deal it will be fantastic to once again see replica shirts and other merchandise being sold directly by the club from our own shop and via our own website.

We will shortly be expanding the stadium shop to cope with what we hope will be a great increase in customer numbers coming in throughout the week and not just on match days.

I can’t give away too much on the new kits at this time but, like me, I’m sure you will be glad to know we will be back in our traditional stripes again next season on both the back and front!

We expect the kit to go on sale in early June, with pre-orders being accepted here on STMIRREN.COM in our e-store. Look out for more details on the website and on our social media channels in the coming weeks.

SMISA UPDATE

The SMiSA AGM takes place this Saturday in the UWS Library on Storie Street (1230 start and open to all SMiSA members – Register your attendance here)

I’d like to thank all SMiSA members for their help during the course of the season. There were a number of financial challenges that we inherited and the loan we were given to allow us to fix the undersoil heating was greatly appreciated as that cost came at a very difficult time for us. It took longer than anticipated but I’m pleased to advise that the USH system is now functional again although it will still need some further work to make it more robust in time for next winter.

The construction of the disabled platform and the contribution to the playing budget during our time of need in January were positive examples of the club and SMiSA working together to achieve a common goal – that being the continued progress of the club both on and off the pitch.

The deal between SMiSA and myself and the selling consortium was complex and one which was constructed with meticulous detail by all of those involved. The SMiSA committee worked really hard to ensure the agreement represented a good deal for both the fans and the club.

That attention to detail has delivered a completely secure and robust plan and one which remains well on track to achieving it’s published aims in the timescales originally quoted.

I am very happy that we are heading in the right direction towards full fan ownership and the relationship between SMiSA and the board is very healthy, with David Nicol performing the role of conduit between both organisations perfectly.

I will be on hand at the AGM to answer any questions any members might have.

INFRASTRUCTURE WORK

In addition to the club shop expansion which I’ve already touched on we have just started phase 3 of the renovation work at the academy buildings at Ralston.

This will take in the necessary repairs to the coaches changing room and will also involve the relocation of the kit room to allow for an office for the medical and football analysis staff. We have also created a separate video analysis area.

There have been some issues with drainage on the grass training area which will need to be addressed in the close season.

IN SUMMARY

Thank you for your continued support both emotionally and financially this season. It’s been greatly appreciated and hopefully the next 10 days will see that support rewarded with a positive outcome on the pitch allowing us to move forward into next season with justified optimism.

See you Saturday.

#COYS #ThisLove

The St Mirren Under-20 side are back in action tomorrow evening when they head to Glasgow to face their counterparts from Partick Thistle.

The SPFL Development League encounter between the young Buddies and Jags on Friday 28th April will take place at Firhill Stadium and it will kick-off at 6:00pm.

The referee for the fixture will be Stephen Brown.

For more news on the SPFL Development League please click HERE.

Jack Ross has praised St Mirren supporters and said the players are thankful for the support they receive week-in, week-out.

The Buddies' final home match of the 2016/17 season takes place on Saturday as his side welcome fellow relegation fighters Raith Rovers.

A win over John Hughes' side would guarantee that St Mirren can't finish bottom and Ross believes that the Saints faithful will understand how important a match it is. 

I think the supporters all recognise the significance of it," he told stmirren.com. "Hopefully they'll understand there will be patience required in some aspects of the game as well. However, we want to approach the game in the manner that we have done recently. We want to start with a performance that excites them and get them behind us because that's our responsibility to do that. 

"The players have been enormously grateful for it. I stress all the time about feeding off the crowd. We talk about it before games, home and away. Feed off their energy, feed off how they are backing you and when you do that you give back something to them that excites them. We've got that mix right recently. We've got to keep doing it time after time.

"It's my responsibility to make sure there's a team that goes out there that reflects that passion for the club. There's a group here that are doing that and the fans have recognised that. I have no doubt that they will come out in numbers and those that are there on Saturday will be very vocal in their support of the club. If that mix is right we'll be very tough to stop."

The manager also took the time to praise his players for the way they have dealt with demands of trying to keep the club in the Ladbrokes Championship and confessed it's important for them to keep focusing on the positives heading into the final two matches.

How they have mixed together as a group and bounced off each other has been terrific. They have also been very good at picking up the responsibility of trying to keep us in the league.

"Not everyone can deal with that pressure. They've had to deal with that for a long time now so the mix has had to be right and it has been.

"We've shown them league tables from February and March. As recently as March we were still cut adrift at the bottom of the table. They have to be reminded of that to accentuate the positives. We keep hammering home the positives because there has been plenty of them.

"If we can retain our Championship status there is a huge number of the squad that want to stay here because they have loved the last few minutes. They are a good squad together and I want to try and keep the bulk of that together."

Be there on Saturday to show your support for one of the biggest matches of the season. Tickets are on sale at the St Mirren Ticket Office, online and over the phone at 0141-840-6130. 

1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem each year, which could be at least two players in every football team.

It is reckoned that every year approximately 275,000 people in Scotland at least considered killing themselves.  These are shocking figures.

St Mirren is proud to promote the fact that there is help out there:

Thistle Foundation - Live Well Stay Well is for people who feel they could be coping a bit better, feeling they want more control in their life, feeling down or anxious, going through a difficult life situation or with long term health problems.

The first step is to get in touch; the service is flexible and works at your own pace.  You can have one contact or several – whether you prefer face to face, phone, text or email, it’s your choice.   Please get in touch for Free, anonymous and confidential support.

Contacts:

Leanne Connolly on 07342 035670

Lorraine Holliday on 07867 179028 or 0141 886 3375

Crisis support – If you live in Renfrewshire contact RAMH FIRST Crisis on 0141 848 9090 or (freephone from landlines) 0500 829 093.

Available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, Monday-Friday 9am-8pm and Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm.

Alternatively or if you live outside Renfrewshire and need immediate help contact:

Breathing Space Call 0800 83 85 87

Weekdays: Monday – Thursday 6pm to 2am

Weekend: Friday 6pm-Monday 6am

Samaritans Call 116 123

NHS 24 Call 111

Pro Life Fitness Centre will be offering FREE access to the public on 8th to 14th of May in support of Mental Health Awareness Week.  We all know that being physically active is good for our bodies.  But our physical health and mental health are closely linked – so physical activity can be very beneficial for our mental health and wellbeing too.

Location: 98 New Sneddon St, Paisley PA3 2BD

All dome activity has been cancelled for Wednesday 26 April due to unforeseen circumstances.

We hope to have the dome back to being fully operational tomorrow. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Josh Todd says that St Mirren fans need to “keep doing what they’re doing” in order to help the team avoid the drop with just two games left to play.

Todd, who joined the club in January, admitted that he has been pleasantly surprised by the fans and thinks they’ve had a part to play in St Mirren’s recent run of form.

Speaking to stmirren.com, the 22 year-old said: “The fans have been massive.

They’re a great set of fans, they’re lively, and they are behind the team 100%.

"They just need to keep doing what they’re doing. They’re doing a great job.

“If you get a good attack going they’re on your side. Without thinking about it, it gives you the belief that you can score a goal, that you can win a game. They’ve been fantastic.”

The midfielder scored his first goal for the club in Saturday’s defeat away to Dundee United. However, he confessed that he can't really recall what it was like to get off the mark for the Buddies.

I saw the fans going up and down and it kind of sent me on a whirlwind, I can’t remember much of it.

“On a personal level it was great but for the team it means we’ve got to keep fighting over the next few weeks.”

Todd believes that the frustrating loss at Tannadice was just a hiccup and that the team are in good spirits, putting it down to a happy changing room that’s keeping them confident of getting the results they need.

We’ve looked at the form table over the last 10 or so games and we are up there at the top. It’s one hiccup, but as a whole we’re just going to keep pushing forward and keep confident.

“The team is flying round the training room, we are really happy every day. We just need to try and get as many points as we can and stay up.

“In the changing room we have fun but when it gets to a certain time it’s heads down, taking care of the game, like we’ve been doing so far.

“You can tell by the results that it’s a very together changing room. We’re all in this together and we know where we are and what we’ve got to do."

With Saturday's match against Raith Rovers being St Mirren's last home match of the season, we will be hosting a minute's applause prior to kick-off on to remember all the St Mirren supporters that have sadly passed away throughout season 2016/17. 

If you would like the name of someone who has passed away this season to be included on the big screen during the applause or on the website then please email info@stmirren.com by Thursday afternoon.

Our thoughts to all the families who have lost loved ones throughout the season. 

Supporters of St Mirren have provided 990 meals to people in need in Renfrewshire following the ‘Easter Foodbank Collection’ that was organised by the St Mirren Fans Council at the Dumbarton game earlier this month.

In the generous bid to help feed those less fortunate in the Renfrewshire area, both sets of fans donated an incredible 416kg of food, after the foodbank put together a list of items that is was particularly short on.

In response to the overwhelming effort from the fans, the Renfrewshire Foodbank wrote a letter to St Mirren supporters thanking them for the collection as the number of people needing help from the local foodbank continues to increase.

Elizabeth Alexander, Project Manager of the Renfrewshire Foodbank said: "Please thank the supporters for the wonderful collection they did for Renfrewshire Foodbank. This donation was really most helpful as the number of people needing our help continues to increase. Thank you so much once again for your help."

The successful food collection has not been the first to have been organised by fans of the club and due to its success and the success of previous food collections before it, it won’t be the last thanks to the kind hearted Buddies that help to support the initiative.

The deadline has passed and the bids are all in for the two sides in this Sunday’s (30 April) ‘Saint for a Day 2017′ event at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.

Chairman Gordon Scott and Director Alan Wardrop will be taking to the field for the away team alongside special guest players David Van Zanten and Lee Mair. The away side will be managed by St Mirren assistant manager James Fowler, whilst Jack Ross takes charge of the home side.

The lucky auction winners are as follows:

Home Team

Manager: Jack Ross
Assistant Manager: Gordon McLelland

1. John Fleming
2. Paul Gilligan
3. Jamie McCurdy
4. Jason Murphy
5. Jackson Pullar
6. Martin Reilly
7. Derek Scott
8. Ian Brown
9. Craig Reilly
10. Chris Reilly
11. Ronnie Laing

Home Subs

12. Donald Craig (Sub 1)
13. Kenny Mearns (Sub 2)
14. Steven Morrow (Sub 3)

Away Team

Manager: James Fowler
Assistant Manager: Ian Brown (Snr)

1. Martyn Elliot
2. Craig MacPherson
3. Gordon Scott
4. Scott Dickson
5. David Van Zanten/Lee Mair
6. Kenny Wilson
7. Raymond Balloch
8. David Campbell
9. Nigel Thomson
10. Alan Wardrop
11. David Campbell

Away Sub

12. Craig Archibald 

All players should please note that they have to report in at the stadium by 10:30pm on Sunday and that the game will kick-off at 12pm.

Many thanks to everyone who put in a bid and we hope the lucky winners all have a great day on Sunday. 

Pictures from yesterday's 3-2 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice.

Saints thought they'd grabbed a late draw when Josh Todd scored to make it 2-2 with less than five minutes to go.

But a Blair Spittal goal in the 90th minute ended the Buddies seven match unbeaten run in the league.

Match gallery pictures by John Millar - © millarpictures