St Mirren Football Club can officially announce that we have agreed strategic partnerships with both Birkenhead United and Nelson Suburbs in New Zealand.

The collaboration between the clubs will see the exchange of players and coaches as well as sharing of resources and expertise to enhance all parties.

Academy tours & tournaments will also take place when safe to do so in conjunction with the club’s official travel partners, inspiresport.

As St Mirren look to grow the brand globally, Birkenhead United and Nelson Suburbs become the latest clubs to partner with Saints, following similar agreements with Northern Irish side Rosario YFC and Australians Para Hills Knights SC.

St Mirren Chief Executive Tony Fitzpatrick said: "We are delighted to officially become strategic partners with Birkenhead United and Nelson Suburbs.

"We believe that these partnerships will bring significant benefits on the field in terms of talent recruitment, as well as commercially and operationally as we share our knowledge and resources.

"The partnerships are a key part of our vision in growing the St Mirren brand and expanding our footprint worldwide. We are very much looking forward to working with Birkenhead United and Nelson Suburbs."

David Williams from Birkenhead United said: "The opportunity to partner with a professional club enables a number of new outcomes for Birkenhead United.

"We are further enabled on a journey to improve the level and quality of coaching we can provide to our community, to both the participation and elite groups.

"For any player with an aspiration to an elite or professional career in football the opportunity offered by this partnership becomes an explicit part of an attraction and recruitment policy for us."

"We believe that this formal partnership, at a club level, can only be a positive for both NZ Football as a whole, raising the profile of football both within and outside the borders, and for the potential opportunity for representative players into the future."

Gary Booth from Nelson Suburbs said: "Developing a pathway for growth and resource sharing between our club and a club of St Mirren’s stature is exciting for Nelson Suburbs.

"We believe it will be hugely beneficial for our players, managers and coaches to be able to share knowledge and learn from a leading Scottish Premiership club and it can only strengthen and add value to our club.

"Nelson Suburbs sees this partnership as a way to support young, kiwi players as they transition overseas, giving them a European platform and environment to acclimate and train and play at a professional level. It also serves as a platform to showcase the standard and quality of New Zealand players to the rest of Europe."

St Mirren Football Club is pleased to have been granted a Gold licence as part of the Scottish FA Club Licensing process. The Club achieved the Gold status with respects the ground, first team and legal/admin/finance for the awarding of the overall Gold rating.

Saints are one of only three clubs in the entire Scottish game to be awarded the prestigious gold licence and the challenge now is for the club to build on this standing and reach the Platinum level.

The club is also pleased to confirm that it has been granted a UEFA Licence Award. This follows a decision made by the Appellate Tribunal. The support of the Scottish FA licensing board, partner agencies and the hard work of our staff group have brought this to fruition.

Chief Executive, Tony Fitzpatrick said: "The progress within the club continues and this is reflected in these decisions. The Club has achieved the goal set by the Board of Directors in attaining both the Gold Licence and the UEFA Licence and will continue to build upon this across all areas of the Club."

St Mirren Football Club are delighted to announce that Director Jim Gillespie will become the Club’s new Vice Chairman.

Jim, Chief Executive of Kibble Group, joined the St Mirren Board of Directors in March 2020 on completion of Kibble purchasing 27.5% shares in the Club. This unique partnership between Kibble and St Mirren, two of Paisley’s largest institutions, will see the club become fan-owned this year.

Jim Gillespie brings with him a wealth of experience at Director level in leadership and business transformation, with comprehensive skills in innovation, and entrepreneurship. Jim is committed to developing and shaping services for the organisations he is involved with. His belief of strong governance underpins these principles and this will be a key focus of Jim’s role as Vice Chairman.

Upon accepting the appointment Jim said: "It is a privilege to take on this position. I know what an important institution St Mirren FC is in the local area and what it means to our loyal fans and local community. The Board are working hard to achieve fan ownership and having the infrastructure in place to continue the progress that has been seen both on and off the field in the last year. This is an exciting time for St Mirren."

St Mirren Chairman Gordon Scott said: "Jim has proved a valuable addition to the Board since joining as a Director in 2020. On behalf of myself and the rest of the Board, we look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role as Vice Chairman as the Club continues along its path to fan ownership and future success."

St Mirren FC’s Annual Accounts for the period ended 30 June 2020 show the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the club, however, due to the prudence and commitment of the board and thanks to the support of our fans over the past number of years, the club remains in a robust position.

A copy of the club’s Annual Accounts can be found at Companies House.

The Board of Directors were extremely concerned by the ill-informed and inaccurate headlines that appeared in the Press on 1 December 2020. The following information seeks to clarify the position and is intended to reassure shareholders with regard to the club’s financial strength.

To provide some context, in October we asked our auditors (Azets) to review a number of our business operations. This was part of our strategy to review all operations and enhance governance across the Club. One area which we asked them to consider was the status of a number of staff that we had hitherto classified as self-employed. Azets prepared a report for the Board which was received in November and concluded that, on balance, some of our staff ought to be treated as employees who would be subject to PAYE. The report makes it clear that the question of whether or not someone is self-employed or employed is a complex one in any business. In our case there are a number of factors which point either way.

Following on from this report, and in an attempt to gain clarity, we decided to self-refer the matter to HMRC for their view. HMRC were contacted by telephone on Friday 20 November and have since confirmed verbally that we should make the necessary changes to the status of the relevant employees going forward. Action is underway to make these changes. We have acted on a proactive basis and co-operated fully with HMRC.

Understandably we wanted to have their definitive view on this before we held the AGM.

The Azets report also highlighted a number of risks within the Club’s operations. It was decided to engage an independent firm of Accountants to check that none of these risks had resulted in loss. We appointed Gerber Landa & Gee (GLG), a firm highly experienced in professional football club finances, and are delighted to confirm that no evidence of any loss was found. GLG have further confirmed that the changes in process implemented should ensure that the risks previously highlighted have been addressed.

The Board of Directors trusts that the foregoing corrects any misunderstanding caused by ill-informed and inaccurate press reports.

Disorderly Conduct means;

(i) Conduct which stirs up or sustains, or is likely or designed to stir up or sustain, hatred or ill will against or towards a group or persons based on their membership or presumed membership of a group defined by reference to a Category or against an individual who is or is presumed to be of the following categories: 

• Gender, colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin
• Membership or presumed membership, of a religious group or of a social or cultural group with perceived religious affiliation
• Sexual orientation
• Transgender identity 
• Disability

 by the person or persons engaged in the Conduct to be a member of such group.

(ii) Using threatening, abusive or insulting words or conduct

(iii) Displaying any writing or other thing which is threatening, abusive or insulting, or

(iv) Using words or conduct or displaying wiring or other thing which indicates support for, or affiliation to, or celebration of, or opposition to an organisation or group proscribed in terms of the Terrorism Act 2000, and any successive or replacement legislation thereto: 

Sanctions;

Any Person committing Disorderly conduct and/or any person who assists another or others to commit Disorderly conduct, may be subject to any, or a combination of the following;

• Refusal of entry to the stadium
• Removal from the stadium
• Suspension from attending matches of St Mirren
• Indefinite ban from attending matches of St Mirren
• Be the subject of a report to Police Scotland and/or any prosecuting authorities which may result in possible criminal proceedings

Reference:     

Supporters Code of Conduct

Crowd Disorder and Anti-Social Behaviour

Stadium Regulations

Supporters Charter

Unacceptable Conduct

St Mirren Football Club endorses the principle of Equality and is committed to ensure that everyone who wishes to be involved with St Mirren Football Club, regardless of their role, current or potential:

• have a genuine and equal opportunity to participate to the full extent of their own ambitions and abilities, regardless of their age, sex, gender identity, disability, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, religion, race, socioeconomic status or sexual orientation; and
• can be assured of an environment in which their rights and dignity and individual worth are respected and valued, and in particular that they are able to be involved and participate without the threat of discrimination, intimidation, victimisation, bullying, harassment or abuse.

The Board of St Mirren Football Club and Chief Executive are accountable for Equality and Diversity and will receive regular updates on the activities and practices of the Club including the implementation of the Equality Policy.  It is the role of the Board and Chief Executive to address any concerns relating to Equality and Diversity within the Club.

Reference       

Equality Act 2010 Policy

Anti-Discrimination Policy

Anti-Racism Policy

St Mirren Football Club can today confirm that it will be appealing the decision of the SPFL tribunal on Thursday December 3rd 2020.

The club is unable to make any further comment on this matter until the proceedings are complete, at which point we will update our supporters.

In our goal to make Paisley proud of its local team, we want St Mirren Football Club to have a strong, recognised presence within the community. We want to mark the gravitas St Mirren plays in the town’s history and celebrate the overwhelming support loyal fans show the club. The 2020/21 season is like no other, yet the fan support is unwavering.

St Mirren Belongs to Paisley

One great way to showcase St Mirren far and wide across Paisley has been to launch large traditional billboard placements across key Paisley locations. Loyal St Mirren fans will feel a sense of pride as the familiar black and white stripes capture their attention; locals who are football fanatics will be reminded of their homegrown team and be encouraged to show their support.

Be inspired to follow the Paisley football club and their youth development that has produced the talent of Lewis Morgan, Cammy MacPherson and Ethan Erhahon.

Visualisation

It takes time to decide on what to visually promote. What do we want to communicate to our fans?

Recent times have been challenging for everyone, therefore during the summer when we heard the positive update that football matches could resume, we immediately sprang into action to spread the news.

The announcement of football returning after covid-19, albeit behind closed doors, was a momentous occasion. The business operations at the club could resume with staff at the helm, players would be able to focus on the season ahead and fans could finally watch their team on the pitch, albeit virtually.

The ideal way to celebrate with our fans was to takeover Paisley with standout billboards.

Selecting Photographs

Due to social distancing measures, our photographs for billboards were limited. The transfer window period and a delay in the shipment of our 2020/21 football kit all contributed to drastically reducing our options for imagery.

Our graphic designer set to work. It was a challenge she was determined to overcome. Existing action shots would be examined to identify images that would fit into our messaging perfectly. The images would be cropped, cut out and photoshopped to life-size. The thrill of being a St Mirren Football Club supporter would be conveyed on screen.

Graphic designer hard at work

Follow The Leader

Manager Jim Goodwin was positioned at great height. He had the task to lead us into the unknown and motivate the town to Be In That Number and march alongside the saints.

Stoic Jim made an appearance

Football Is Back

“Football Is Back!” appeared in bold letters alongside first team player Jon Obika.

Obika billboard in progress

There was a sense of sheer delight once the return of football was announced. Obika’s celebratory pose matched with the bold headline conveyed the buzz of the football community.

The photo had to be methodically cut out and optimised perfectly

Fanatic About Our Fans

As football returned without fans filling the stands, the club was humbled by the unwavering fan support shown despite the adversity. As season ticket sales surpassed the same level as previous years, the wider marketing team knew the fans had to be a focal point in the communications.

The club thought about shouting from the rooftops about how fantastic their fans were. It was a resounding decision that fans would star in our billboard placements.

Fans photos in all shapes and sizes were sent to the club and photoshopped into position

Location, Location, Location

Where will our billboard pop-up? The decision on which advert placement will give us the greatest visibility for our fans, especially as people are leaving the house less, is vital to the marketing strategy.

Fortunately, fans have expressed their delight in spotting our adverts. 

Fans doing their best Obika impression

Playing For Fans

Our fan billboards had a huge impact on the players. The players were blown away by the creative and commented it was refreshing to see as they had a newfound appreciation for the supportive faces in the crowd.

Sam Foley expressed his delight in seeing the fan photos sky high and spotting the club across Paisley:

“It really gave us all an appreciation of what this club means to the people of Paisley. We can’t wait for them to be allowed to return to football."

The player response inspired marketing and graphic design to arrange an upload to the pitch side screens to motivate the players. Again, our graphic designer set to work and spent time carefully editing the important fan moments many of you shared with us.

Fan photos providing support on the pitch

Eye-Catching

The creation of pay-per-view billboards were produced to drum up excitement for match days. The creative featured both St Mirren and the opposing team. It was produced internally for St Mirren to have full ownership of the illustration and strongly convey the club’s brand and traditional colour scheme. We put the task of promoting St Mirren while subtly featuring the opposition in our own hands.

The graphics were adapted for social media. Overall, the images were recognisable and complimentary of one another. The attention-grabbing advert would demand a second look as your eye would be drawn to the familiar sight. Driving by Linwood Road you would notice an upcoming St Mirren match was available to watch live. Later, whilst online, recognition will kick-in as you notice a similar advert again and are reminded to support your local team.

Socialising online only

Be In That Number

Now more than ever it is important to stand by your local football club and St Mirren want to do what we can to be at the forefront of the minds of local football fans as the club continues business operations under uncertain circumstances.

Together the club, marketing personnel and Kibble Communications are doing their best to share news and support the team in any way we can. Our aim is to share news about our players; keep the community updated about staff who are doing their part to ensure the running of the club goes as smoothly as possible through the transition into our new normal while seizing any opportunity to raise the fans' spirits. We have exciting future plans and hope to share them with you as we move forward. 

Look out for St Mirren billboards across Abercorn Street, Renfrew Street and Linwood Road.

A great deal happens at the club, behind the saints marching onto the pitch ahead of kick-off on match day. Operations to keep St Mirren running as effectively as possible do not ever stop.

The entire staff team at the club contribute significantly to ensuring the first team are fully prepared for game day and that team spirit is high amongst fans, players, staff and the wider community. We wanted to share with you some of the goings-on within the club over the past 6 months.

Catering

The club has begun working with award-winning master chef Donald Munro to create brand new catering options for St Mirren players. Nutritious meals fully support the players’ development as professional athletes. Chef Donald and his team – including a number of kids from Kibble who possess a flair for cooking – have worked alongside our Head of Sports Science Junior Mendes to produce menus needed to fuel Scottish Premiership footballers.

Maintenance

Maintenance improvements have continued around our stadium ready for the return of our supporters. Our dugouts have been noticeably branded with new ‘Be In That Number’ and ‘Come on You Saints’ signage, whilst the Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand and the North Stand have been given ‘Be In That Number’ and ‘Saints In That Number’ branding. There has been extensive paintwork carried out across the stadium including the vomitories, which have been painted and branded with St Mirren badges along with the installation of new safety railings.

Extensive refurbishment work has been carried out at the St Mirren Training Ground and Academy to enhance quality and standards. The gym within the first-team building has been completely renovated, with new flooring being fitted throughout. The youth academy has seen significant changes with new changing rooms and shower facilities fitted as well as the creation of an office/learning area to aid the development of academy coaches and players.

The high quality maintenance standards wouldn’t be possible without the support of our Head Green Keeper Tommy Docherty, Green Keeper Alan Michie, The Skills Academy at Kibble along with the trainers, kids and the long-standing contractors who have continued to work with us during these difficult times.

St Mirren Marketing and Communications

We teamed up with The Football Company to give supporters an opportunity to have their own recyclable, waterproof cut-out displayed proudly in the stands. The cut-outs have been placed behind the goal in the Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand.

Cardboard Cutouts 1

Cardboard Cutouts 2

Cardboard Cutouts 3

We launched SMTV, a brand-new platform for hosting all Club media.  This has presented both challenges and opportunities for Head of Media, James Hunter to create some of his own concepts. The platform will continue to be developed over the coming months to support fan engagement with input from a variety of sources including our own Paisley Panda and the SLO’s and fans groups. Sign-up now to SMTV for match coverage, exclusive interviews and behind the scenes footage.

St Mirren have worked closely with Kibble Communications for design and marketing support. The creation of consistent brand guidelines and creative, advertising opportunities, stadium-wide signage and more are a result of the consultations. Our partnership with Kibble has strengthened brand recognition for St Mirren.

Moving Forward

Look out for the club sharing insights about club operations through out #BehindTheSaints features.