St. Mirren FC: More Than a Club

You often hear of various football clubs attempting to make the game more appealing for fans by offering deals on official merchandise and events. However, there is the odd occasion where you hear of a club which is willing to go that extra mile, not only for supporters, but for the local community. St. Mirren Football Club, who reside in Paisley, fall perfectly into this category given they recently ran a foodbank collection at a game which saw a fantastic turnout.

The club compete in the top-flight of Scottish football, where they returned to in 2018 after gaining promotion from the Championship. While there is a lot to cheer about when the team walks out the tunnel, it’s the club’s efforts off the park that earn them that community-friendly image. The foodbank collection prior to their game in October saw 3,276 meals donated to Renfrewshire Foodbank. Volunteers were on-hand to collect the food that was provided by Saints supporters. While it’s unfortunate that an initiative like this is needed in 2019, it demonstrates the generosity of locals willing to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

One programme that has remained popular in the community is ‘Street Stuff. Set up in 2009, it continues to be run by Renfrewshire Council as part of a lasting partnership with St. Mirren. The scheme offers a range of free activities such as football and dance six days a week and allows children aged 8-16 to socialise and have fun in a safe environment.

Stephen Gallacher, Street Stuff manager, explained the origins of the set-up and how it benefits him: “Going back ten years ago, the council and other sectors like the community safety team had issues with youth misbehaviour, so they got together to create a programme to help kids divert away from anti-social behaviour.

“When I see a young person who regularly uses Street Stuff grow-up and succeed in life, it gives me a sense of pride and fulfilment. It’s great knowing the team here potentially played a role in the young person’s achievements whether that’s graduating, or even becoming an employee with us.”

Street Stuff has played a fundamental role in reducing reported anti-social behaviour in Renfrewshire by 65%, thanks to the St. Mirren coaches who are on site to deliver the council service in an entertaining and engaging way six days a week.

Gallacher proceeded: “There are 35 of us currently working in the programme and 33 are from the local area. That’s important as they know how things work around here; you live the journey, be the journey and give back to the next generation.”

Carolanne Robertson, Community Safety Manager for Renfrewshire, said how the partnership benefits both the club and council respectively: “I’ve been involved with Street Stuff since day one. The whole ethos around working with youngsters has changed in that it’s more about getting to the root of the problem and offering the necessary support. Stephen and his staff at St. Mirren are the ones who see youngsters at their most vulnerable, when they’re out of school and not in a controlled environment.

She continued: “Every member of the programme is fully trained in child protection, human trafficking and child exploitation. I would really be surprised if there were any other football clubs who were giving as much in-depth training in this department as St. Mirren currently is.

“Street Stuff’s more than a diversionary activity; it’s a partnership among St. Mirren that aims to better the lives of young people who require help at a difficult period in their lives.”

School holidays have proven to be popular periods that attract children to attend Street Stuff’sevents and activities. The camps mainly take place throughout summer, October holidays and Easter breaks and are located across Renfrewshire at various venues such as leisure centres and even town squares.

Every child who attends a Street Stuff camp over the holiday term is provided with a free hot meal as a way of ensuring all participants are taken care of. This says a lot about the popularity and attractiveness of a programme which has been going strong for a decade.

St. Mirren have other ways in which they look to keep in-touch with fans in the community. The St. Mirren Independent Supporters Association (SMISA) strives to make the club bigger and better in a host of ways. They completed a joint takeover of the Buddies back in 2016 and, as part of their long-term goal, aim to completely transform St. Mirren into a fan-owned club. While this means aiming to be a better football club first and foremost, it also means strengthening the club’s image within the Renfrewshire area.

Graeme McPherson, SMISA committee member, said: “SMISA has been up and running since 2003, but has stepped up and taken a partial role within St. Mirren Football Club itself since 2016. We’re in place to act as a liaison to the fans and the club and currently have a supporter on the club board, highlighting that link between fans and the owners.

“The club’s relationship with the council has been strong. When the Saints were moving stadium back in 2009, Renfrewshire eased the transition which proved a great help.”

McPherson highlighted SMISA’s ambitions for when they take full ownership of the club: “It’s hugely important to maintain, and enhance, that relationship with the people of Renfrewshire.

“For a club like St. Mirren, who are the only top-flight side in Paisley, it’s crucial for them to be seen at the centre of the community. When you throw in the fan-ownership aspect and that sense of community, it’s even more important for SMISA and the club itself to represent the community as a whole, not just football fans.

“The closer SMISA get to taking full ownership of the club within the next five years, the more we want to reach out to more community groups and maintain that working relationship that makes St. Mirren standout among other clubs.”

Renfrewshire is traditionally a community built on working-class roots, which is why it is one of St. Mirren’s principles to make their home games affordable for everyone. A study carried out by BBC Scotland found that the Saints currently offer the cheapest season ticket in the Scottish Premiership at £240; for context, that’s £13.30 per home league game. Not only that, but they offer a free child season ticket when an adult one is purchased. This creates a family-friendly environment and makes the game accessible for everyone.

SMISA are there to help supporters and those in the community when it comes to the financial side of things.

McPherson said: “We have a quarterly spend initiative where some of the money we receive through memberships goes towards a pot. The money goes towards things ranging from improving youth academy facilities to enhancing the match-day experience for the elderly and disabled.

“We buy a batch of season tickets every year and make them available to local community groups such as the Accord Hospice and kids’ football clubs such as Johnstone Burgh, free of charge. This is to ensure people from all aspects of life are given the chance to experience a game right here in Paisley at no extra cost.”

St. Mirren’s ambitious efforts at being an inclusive and affordable club has brought the residents of Renfrewshire together in many ways.

The hard work of those at St. Mirren certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. There is a clear and lasting relationship between one of Scotland’s most historic football clubs and the community of Renfrewshire; this can surely only get stronger. From the generosity of the public via foodbank donations to helping young people socialise and grow in a safe environment, it shows that the Saints are finely tuned and know what it takes to continue helping Renfrewshire progress as one of Scotland’s many local communities.