Cappielow Park, the Dumbarton Football Stadium and the Paisley 2021 Stadium will host Group 4 in the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Elite Round as Scotland bid to qualify for the finals for the fourth season in a row with FREE entry for all.

Scotland will take on Montenegro, Serbia and Switzerland between 17-22 March in an attempt to qualify for this year’s finals in Croatia.

The group is one of eight mini-tournaments being played around Europe with the winners qualifying for this year’s finals in Croatia.

The seven best runners-up will also progress to the final tournament which takes place in May.

This season’s finals take on added significance as they act as a qualifying round for the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be held in India in October.

Scotland will take on Montenegro at Cappielow Park in their opening elite round match on Friday, 17 March, before facing Serbia at the Paisley 2021 Stadium two days later.

They return to Paisley on Wednesday, 22 March where they will finish off their finals bid with a match against Switzerland.

Scotland defeated Malta, Wales and reigning under-17 champions Portugal to qualify for the elite round back in September, earning a place as one of the top seeds and ranked sixth best in Europe based performances over the last three seasons.

Entry to all matches is FREE* (gates open one hour prior to kick-off).

Fixture schedule

Friday, 17 March 2017

Scotland v Montenegro – kick-off 7.30pm

Cappielow Park, Greenock

Serbia v Switzerland – kick-off 7.30pm

Dumbarton Football Stadium, Dumbarton

Sunday, 19 March 2017

Scotland v Serbia – kick-off 3pm

Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley

Switzerland v Montenegro – kick-off 1pm

Cappielow Park, Greenock

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Switzerland v Scotland – kick-off 5pm

Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley

Montenegro v Serbia – kick-off 5pm

Dumbarton Football Stadium, Dumbarton

*One adult per four under-16s

As our first transfer window in control of the club closes I think it is an appropriate time for another Chairman's update.

TRANSFER BUSINESS

I don't think anyone who has watched the team this season would argue that urgent major surgery was required and we feel that we have managed to dramatically improve the balance, standard and depth of the squad in a window where it is notoriously hard to bring in quality players.

Jack, James and Tony have put in some long hours to make sure we examined every option available and got quality and value for money in everything we did and I thank them all for their efforts. 

I would also like to thank the fans for voting to contribute to our remodelling through the contribution of funds through the Smisa discretionary spend.

Jack was given the final say on all transfer decisions both in and out, and whilst we lost some players we would ideally have liked to keep, as always things weren't always as straightforward as they may have seemed on the face of it.

In the summer we received offers for two of our younger players. We had no financial need to sell and felt as a club that it was important to build a team around our young players, so both bids were rejected.

We approached this transfer window with the same mind-set however there were considerations to take into account which were not applicable 6 months previously.

As an example, Jason Naismith was due to be out of contract in the summer, but crucially before his 23rd birthday which is in June. This meant that he would have been free, under SPFL and SFA rules, to join another Scottish Club after his birthday with no development compensation being due to St.Mirren.

We were left then to weigh up a situation where we could get a small fee for Jason now and invest in the squad or hold him to his contract and get nothing in the summer.

We obviously chose to let him go and use the transfer income and his weekly wage to strengthen the squad.

As an aside to this we had actually agreed to take a young full back from another club only to discover a wonderful anomaly which limits the number of development loans between teams in the top development league. In other words we are working at a disadvantage to other teams in our division because of the success of our development team. Other teams which play in the lower development leagues can take any number of development loans from the top league clubs. Go figure!

The loss of the very talented Kyle McAllister was certainly a blow and I know he was a very popular player with the supporters.

Kyle was offered a new contract at the same time as Kyle Magennis but, as was his right, he decided not to re-sign.

Kyle's contract only had another year to run having signed the maximum permitted three year contract on turning 16 in January 2015.

It became clear that Kyle himself wanted to leave once he knew of the interest from Derby County. Facing the option of losing the player for minimal compensation in a years time it was really then about trying to get the best possible deal we could for the football club. We tried hard to gain a loan back clause in his deal but alas none of the potential buyers were willing to compromise on that point. In the end we have secured what we feel was a good price for the player, including a range of add-ons that will trigger additional payments to the club should Kyle progress as we all hope.

We wish Jason and Kyle all the best for the future.

THE DOME 

The Dome has been down now for a few weeks. For me this is unacceptable but once again we are faced with a situation where the company that supplied it originally has gone out of business and there only appears to be one company in Scotland that can repair it!

A template was taken last week to repair the tears and the repair was carried out today so, depending on the damage to the lighting inside, we expect to be up and running again early next week. We will contact all our long term bookings as soon as we have an exact date. We have asked the company for an estimate to strengthen the problem areas so this does not continue to be a yearly event!

THE ACADEMY

The repairs at the academy are on going but the canteen is now back operational and safe and the work to the home changing room is well under way and due for completion shortly. The works to the kitchen and coaches changing areas will probably be put off until the summer as there is no immediate danger to anyone. After some investigation work we have been advised that we can extend the life of the Astro pitch by a couple of years for a relatively small investment so we are awaiting a firm estimate for this so we can make a decision on how we proceed.

IN SUMMARY

We are working hard behind the scenes to put the foundations in place that will allow us to start moving forward again and we are getting there. We have yet to  see the benefits in our results on the park yet but with your continued support I am positive things will turn around soon.

Saturday is a massive game away at Dumbarton and I am sure you will turn out in your numbers and show our new signings what being a part of our club is all about.

Thank you for your continued support.

Gordon Scott

The SPFL today confirmed that the Ladbrokes Premiership winter break will be retained for 2017/18, as it announced key dates for league and Betfred Cup next season.

Top flight clubs will again enjoy a three-week, mid-season break encompassing two full free weekends from January 1 to January 19 (2018), subject to live TV selections.

Season 2017/18 will kick off with the Betfred Cup group stages commencing on the weekend of July 15 and each of the 40 participating clubs at that stage playing four fixtures across five dates (July 15/19/22/26/29). A popular change this season was the return of the Betfred Cup Final to a pre-Christmas slot and this will continue next season with the 2017 final scheduled to be played on Sunday, 26 November.

The big kick-off for 2017/18 Scottish League football across the Ladbrokes Premiership, Championship, League 1 and League 2 will take place on the weekend of Saturday, 5 August, 2017. The final fixtures for the League seasons in Ladbrokes Championship, League 1 and League 2 (fixture round 36) will be on the weekend of Saturday, 28 April, 2018 while the Ladbrokes Premiership's final League matches of season 2017/18 (fixture round 38) will take place on Saturday, 12 May and Sunday 13 May, 2018.

Finally, the Ladbrokes Premiership Play-Off Final first leg is scheduled for Thursday, 17 May, 2018 and the second leg for Sunday, 20 May, 2018 – unless one of the participating teams is also a Scottish Cup finalist, in which case the dates of the Ladbrokes Premiership Play-Off Final will be Tuesday, 15 May and Wednesday, 23 May, in line with this season's contingency plan.

SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster said: “We're very pleased to be able to confirm some of the key dates for next season to allow clubs and supporters to plan ahead. The volume of fixturing slots required for international and European football dates continues to represent a great challenge for leagues across Europe however we have managed to maintain a large degree of consistency for next season in line with the current campaign.

“Following overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding this season's winter break, most notably during a recent meeting with Ladbrokes Premiership club managers and coaches, we've worked to retain this for season 2017/18. We also asked clubs in the Ladbrokes Championship if they would like to see this introduced in their league, however the clear majority of feedback was against this.

“What also proved very popular this season were the improvements made to the Betfred Cup including group stages and an earlier final and those will continue in season 2017/18. The SPFL was supported in delivering these changes and others by member clubs including through our Competitions Working Group and it all demonstrates the ongoing consultation, collaboration and progressive thinking in the Scottish game.”

Betfred Cup

Group Stage (excludes UEFA participants): 15, 19, 22, 26 and 29 July 2017

Round 2 (entry of UEFA participants): 9 August 2017

Quarter-finals: 19 & 20 September 2017

Semi-finals: 21 & 22 October 2017

Final: 26 November 2017

Ladbrokes SPFL 2017/18

Opening fixtures: Weekend of Saturday 5 August 2017

Ladbrokes Premiership Play-Off Final: Leg 1 on 17 May 2018 and Leg 2 on 20 May 2018 (subject to contingency for a club also in the Scottish Cup Final)

Final fixture round for Ladbrokes Championship, League 1 and League 2: 28 April 2018

The ticketing arrangements for The New Saints game in the IRN-BRU Cup next month have been confirmed with tickets now on sale. 

Adult tickets will cost £15 whilst concessions (U18/OAPs and full-time students with valid ID) will cost £8. 

Season ticket holders will have until midnight on Friday 27th January to guarantee their own seat before they go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis.

The club is not anticipating a big travelling support from The New Saints and - with the game being shown live on BBC Alba - have decided to adopt a sensible approach with only the West and Main Stands being opened for the match. We also believe that condensing our fans into two stands will help to generate a better atmosphere and - as shown in the win over Dundee on Saturday - a vocal support can really help drive the team on.

Supporters who have season tickets in the South Stand can purchase a ticket for the West or Main stand now or can wait until Saturday when all seats in these stands will become available. 

Adult season tickets holders will get a £10 discount for hospitality with prices per person costing £70+VAT (drinks inclusive), £50+VAT (pay bar) and just £25+VAT for children.

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce the loan signing of Craig Storie from Aberdeen until the end of the season.

The midfielder - who has been capped at U21 level for Scotland - will officially join the club on January 8 and will go into the squad for the Dunfermline match on the 14th. 

Speaking on the signing, manager Jack Ross said: "We feel like we needed a player in that area of the pitch and Craig is someone who I've admired as a player for quite a while. We've watched him several times and we're delighted to have him on board until the end of the season."

With half the season gone I thought it would be a good time to update everybody on how things are progressing at the club.

On the playing side I am sure you can all see tangible signs of improvement, however, a cursory glance at the league table shows that we need to start turning these performances into wins and points on the board. As I have said before, the squad is currently imbalanced and I know Jack and James have been spending hours watching potential January recruits over the last month with a view to addressing that as soon as possible once the transfer window opens. 

I think we are all aware what we need and rest assured we will do our utmost to bring in the players we need to help improve the team. 

The biggest positive for me in the first half of the season has been the emergence of the group of Academy graduates who have blossomed into first team regulars in recent weeks. These young kids have been encouraged to go out and play attractive football and it's made a huge difference to the overall performance of the team. The style of football we are playing just now excites me and I now look forward to every game knowing we can compete with anyone in the division as was borne out by our display away from home against the league leaders on Christmas Eve.

The value of the Academy can never be under-estimated and the stature, confidence and skill of these players is a glowing testament to the work being done day in day out at Ralston by Allan McManus and his team. 

The last half dozen or so games have had us all on the edge of our seats. It remains my belief that attractive, exciting football is what will get people coming back to football and through the turnstiles on a match day. This is how we want to develop this club going forward, with this ethos built in to every single side right throughout the Academy and into the first team. I think we now have the staff in place to achieve that goal and I am excited about the future ahead. 

As a relatively new board we are trying our best to foster positive thinking around the whole football club. Negativity is self-destructive and whilst we won't get every decision right for everybody remember that we are all supporters too. We all want the best for the club and every decision we make is made with a view to making things better going forward. 

The task of turning around our fortunes on the field is the primary focus right now, but rest assured we are working away on our overall longer term strategy of improving each and every aspect of the club's operations with a view to increasing our turnover, improving the match day experience for our supporters, enhancing the club's infrastructure and working within the local community to further cement the strong links we have to Paisley and the surrounding areas. 

I have been greatly encouraged by the conversations I have had with supporters I've met at matches in and around the town in recent weeks, all of whom have been greatly supportive of what we are trying to achieve. Most understand that we cannot turn everything around overnight. 

The repair work on the Academy buildings is well underway and I can now sleep easy at night knowing that we are not going to lose our first team down a hole in the canteen floor. You may think that is an exaggeration but believe me, it's not!

Due to financial restrictions and the fact that we still need to be able to use the facilities on a daily basis the work required will be carried out in phases over the next few years. Both Jack and I are comfortable with this and it will allow us to tweak the layout slightly as well to create a new room for match analysis. 

I would also like to thank all of you who contribute towards SMiSA. It is amazing the difference it can make and the extra £2 a month you contribute has already allowed us to complete the raised platform for disabled supporters and now give Jack extra funds to bring another player in for the rest of the season. This additional funding is greatly appreciated. 

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention once again the support we are receiving from the stands both home and away. It seems to be getting busier and noisier every week and I have no doubt you will rise to the occasion this week once again. The players all appreciate the positive support and believe me it really does help. Stick with us, be positive and encouraging at all times and hopefully 2017 will be a more memorable year for us all. 

Wishing you and your families a very happy New Year when it comes and all the best for 2017. COYS!

At this time, St Mirren Football Club are not aware of any allegations or complaints about the behaviour of any individual connected to the club. If any are forthcoming, the club will co-operate fully with Police Scotland and others to ensure any perpetrators are brought to justice.

St Mirren Football Club attach the highest possible importance to ensuring the safety and well-being of any young person who is involved with the club.

We could urge anyone who may have been affected to contact Police Scotland, the Scottish Football Association, the club or the NPCC helpline which has been set up to advice victims of abuse (0800 023 2642).

A weekly round-up of all the main stories that have appeared on the website this week: 

Saints got their first league win of the season on Tuesday night as Jack Ross' men defeated Queen of the South 3-2 at Palmerston. All the goals from the match can be viewed on our YouTube channel along with what a delighted Jack Ross had to say post match. 

Stevie Mallan got the winner in the game against Queens and he feels the team have to push on. Meanwhile, that match also marked Jason Naismith's 100th appearance for the Saints and here's what he had to say about it.

Up next for St Mirren is the visit of Raith Rovers and you can check out the match preview and all the matchday information.

The club was given a boost ahead of the match as it was revealed that midfielder Kyle Magennis has signed a new contract with the club. 

Meanwhile, the manager gave us his thoughts ahead of tomorrow's game. 

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce that Kyle Magennis has signed a contract extension which keeps him at the club until summer 2019.

The 18 year-old has impressed since moving up from the development squad to become a key feature in Jack Ross' side. 

The midfielder scored his first goal for the club in the win over Queen of the South on Tuesday night and told stmirren.com: "I'm delighted. I've worked hard for it all my life having been at St Mirren since I was five years-old and it's good to get a reward from it. The club have showed faith in me year by year and it's great to now have a first team contract."

Chief Executive Tony Fitzpatrick said: "We're delighted to have Kyle signed up for the next few years. He has been a standout since he has come into the first team and it's great that he's chosen to continue his development at this club. Working under Jack Ross and James Fowler and getting regular game time will be massive for him and he'll be a big asset to us going forward. It's also a testament to Allan McManus at the academy and the job he has done developing players." 

The club are in the process of removing plaques which currently feature on the back of some seats around the Paisley 2021 Stadium. These plaques were originally put in place in 2013 intended for that season alone and now, with time, some have began to wear down. 

As such it is the club's intention to remove all of these and any supporters who wish to keep their plaques after they have been removed can do so by visiting reception where we will hold them until the end of this month.