On behalf of myself and my fellow Directors, I thank you for your fantastic support through what has been a season of change on and off the pitch.
It is hard to believe that the SMiSA Stadium was without fans at the start of the season. Everyone at the Club is grateful that you got behind the team during a time of so much uncertainty, resulting in record season ticket sales – including over 1,000 on the opening day - in the faith that you would get back into the stadium to support the team. Thankfully, that day came relatively early in the season, and it has been a joy to witness busy stands once again.
Overall, we enjoyed a number of successes on the field including reaching a Scottish Cup Quarter-Final and amassing one of our highest points totals in recent years. That said I hope this will be merely a platform to achieve even greater success next season.
Some important information is outlined below regarding season ticket renewals, including some great new offers:
#OurTickets - Season Tickets will be on sale from Monday 23rd May and we are providing a three week loyalty period for current season ticket holders to allow you to retain your seat at early bird pricing. Letters and emails will be with you by Monday 23rd May with instructions on how to renew your tickets. The fastest and easiest way will be online but there will also be support from the ticket office for those that require it.
#OurFans - To ensure as many fans as possible can continue to come to our matches, and to encourage the next generation of supporters, we are delighted to share some new season ticket offers that will offer support with attendance throughout the season.
#OurFamily - Our family ticket now includes two adults and three children under the age of 17, as opposed to under the age of 13, offering excellent value for money for a family day out. This ticket works out around £30 per family per game which is a massive saving on walk-up prices, costing up to £95 per visit.
#OurBuddies - Further, we have introduced a concession category for anyone who is unemployed. This will be the same price as all other concession tickets and save you over £150 depending on where you sit. We hope that this will help those affected to afford to continue to come along and support your team. We will also be introducing a scheme to allow you to support your fellow Buddies by buying tickets for them to come to games. More details will follow on this soon.
#OurSupport - We encourage the purchase of season tickets if you regularly attend matches because the savings made on walk-up prices are significant. However, we know season tickets are a big financial commitment and we continue to offer interest free payment plans available for those who may wish to spread the cost of a season ticket. The ticket office will be able to provide you with further information about these offers.
#OurClub - To simplify and streamline our season ticket offering for the 2022-2023 season, we have undertaken a collaborative review across the organisation. Like you, I want us to remain competitive on the pitch and give the manager the best resources we possibly can in our quest for a top six position. After freezing pricing for the past three seasons, we have decided to increase prices to help meet the rising costs that are affecting all businesses and individuals. Rest assured this decision was not made lightly and we have endeavoured to reduce the impact as much as possible. However, we continue to offer great value for money in comparison with other Premiership clubs.
#OurStMirren - A topic of discussion that we know many fans are passionate about is the retention of our three home stands for all fixtures. I established a Working Group to consider our options and present a paper so the Board could make an informed decision on the best way to proceed for the coming season. They delivered a well thought out report and I want place on record my thanks to the fans involved in the process for their dedication and commitment to considering all of the angles. Essentially, we have a list of potential approaches with various pros and cons.
We now want to engage with our supporters for their input on how best to proceed via a survey during the close season before making a decision on how to move forward. I hope you will see this as a real example of fan ownership and community engagement in action.
We will be sending the survey to current Season Ticket holders, SMiSA members and fans who have previously registered for tickets by the end of May and look forward to collaborating with you on the best outcome for the club and the fans. Once we receive your feedback, we will consider it carefully and announce our final decision before the start of the season.
Once again, I want to say thank you for your loyalty and support to our club in these unprecedented times and look forward to the future. #OurStMirren
