St Mirren FC Archives - Paisley Scotland

Tough Road Ahead for St Mirren

As recently as the middle of June, Oran Kearney was outlining plans for the 2019-20 season with St Mirren. While also lamenting the departure of vastly experienced assistant Jimmy Nicholl from his backroom staff, there was still plenty of optimism about new signings and for a positive campaign in the Scottish Premiership.

However, less than a fortnight later, he was gone. The decision surrounding his exit was by “mutual consent” according to the briefest of statements issued by the club, leaving fans wondering what was going on behind the scenes and in the offices at St Mirren Park, fearful the new campaign might end up being a shambles before it had even begun.

Kearney Fallout and Goodwin Arrival

Part of pre-season training had been scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland, with friendly matches arranged against Kearney’s former club, Coleraine, along with a warm-up fixture against Belfast side, Rosario FC. Always keen to keep informed with the latest club news, Buddies fans already suspecting something was amiss when the Coleraine match was hastily cancelled. Just 24 hours later, the club also announced that Kearney had left and several days later, he was re-appointed as Coleraine boss.

The game against Rosario FC still went ahead in Belfast, while former Buddies favourite Jim Goodwin was promptly announced as the new St Mirren manager, suggesting the club had been planning for the departure of Kearney all along. The return of the former Saints captain, following a successful period as player-manager at Alloa Athletic, was greeted by an overwhelmingly positive reaction from long-suffering fans. To this day, he remains more popular with fans that even some of the most famous people with Paisley roots.

Despite all the previous uncertainty, at least the team could depart for the next leg of pre-season training in Spain with a little more confidence, now that Goodwin was installed at the helm. The week spent training at the top-class facilities of the Pinatar Arena in Murcia was time well spent, as the new manager put the team through their paces. Spirits weren’t even dampened by a 2-0 friendly defeat against English League One side, Peterborough United.

Eventually, St Mirren chairman Gordon Scott lifted the lid on circumstances surrounding the departure of Kearney, in a revealing Press Association interview published by the Daily Record. He assured that Kearney’s exit was something the club had planned for, given the former Saints gaffer had either wanted to commute daily from Northern Ireland, or return there permanently due to family commitments. This didn’t greatly affect plans for the new season, according to Scott.

Building Around the New Boss

St Mirren chief Scott has already admitted the club is “not quite where we want to be” in terms of new signings, although he expects that situation to change following the appointment of Goodwin, who will now be working to shape the squad to suit his own tactical and technical preferences. Nevertheless, a huge overhaul will be required to replace the host of players who spent last season on loan in Paisley, with no fewer than nine having returned to their parent clubs.

As such, expectations for the season to come are humble at best. Ahead of the first competitive League Cup action in July, Betway have St Mirren priced at 2/1 as relegation candidates, which means that Goodwin undoubtedly faces a tough task in the Scottish Premiership, if he’s to keep the team afloat and above the drop zone. Only newly promoted Ross County have shorter odds in the relegation stakes.

🎥 We hear from new signing Tony Andreu after he put pen-to-paper on a one-year deal at St Mirren’s pre-season training camp in Murcia.

Watch his interview in full here ➡️ https://t.co/q609obmjYR pic.twitter.com/wWfAWbZ0Il

— St Mirren FC (@saintmirrenfc) July 5, 2019

French midfielder Tony Andreu became Goodwin’s first signing at St Mirren, convincing the player to join on a free transfer from Coventry City, following the expiry of his contract with the English side. The 31-year-old will need to settle into his new Paisley surroundings as quickly as possible, as the new season fast approaches.

The only other new arrival was that of goalkeeper, Dean Lyness, who returned to St Mirren at the end of June on a two-year deal, having departed for Raith Rovers in September 2018. The current squad list has been bolstered from within by players from the youth system, and while Goodwin has stated a desire for stability at the club, additional new signings will be required if St Mirren are to meet their objectives this season.

12/07/2019/by Brian McGuire

Scotland stars Erin Cuthbert (l) and Jo Love (r) join U19s Coach Pauline Hamill and Captain Amy Muir to promote the tournament

KIDS TICKETS START FROM AS LITTLE AS £1 WITH SCOTLAND’S FUTURE HEROES SET TO STAR

Scotland will play host to the 18th UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship this July with the tournament offering a great football experience for all the family.

Staged across four host venues between 16 – 28 July 2019, the tournament will see the future heroes of women’s football compete to be crowned champions of Europe – with tickets starting from just £2 for adults and £1 for kids.

Seven other European nations – Belgium, England, France, Germany, Netherlands Norway, and reigning champions Spain – join Scotland as hosts with matches taking place at Forthbank Stadium (Stirling), McDiarmid Park (Perth), Firhill (Glasgow) and St Mirren Park (Paisley).

Scotland start their campaign against France on Tuesday, 16 July, before taking on Norway (Friday, 19 July) and Netherlands (Monday, 22 July) to complete Group A. The winner and runner-up from each group will progress to the Semi Finals, with the final at St Mirren Park on Sunday, 28 July.

The tournament offers the perfect opportunity for families and those looking to experience live football for the first time, to enjoy high quality action at family-friendly prices. Group stage matches are priced at £2 for adults and £1 for concessions with the Semi-finals and Final priced at £5 & £2 respectively.

Scotland’s matches will also see the inclusion of a family fanzone, with inflatables, face painting and giveaways to keep all the family entertained pre-match.

Tickets are available now via www.scottishfa.co.uk/wu19euro

About the UEFA Women’s Under-19 European Championship

The Tournament runs from 16 – 28 July 2019 and consists of eight Nations:- Belgium, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland (hosts) & Spain (holders).

The matches will be played at McDiarmid Park (Perth) Forthbank Stadium (Stirling), Firhill (Glasgow), with the opening match & final taking place at St Mirren Park (Paisley).

The finals will act as UEFA’s qualifier for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship Fixture Schedule

Visit:- www.scottishfa.co.uk/wu19euro

04/07/2019/by Brian McGuire

Schools may stop for summer, but the award-winning Street Stuff programme doesn’t – and young people are being invited to take part in six weeks of activities across Renfrewshire.

Football and the Street Stuff Youth Bus are just some of the activities on offer for young people as part of a drive to keep them active over the holiday period.

All the activities are provided for free, including a healthy meal for all attendees, and will take place at Gleniffer High School, Knockhill Park, Our Lady of Peace Primary and St Mirren’s Airdome

The programme is suitable for young people aged 8 and over and consent forms should be filled out in advance where possible, although they will be available at the first session attended.

Outside of the afternoon clubs, Street Stuff’s six days a week, all-year-round timetable will continue to run at venues across Renfrewshire with evening sessions available for dance, football and the Youth Bus.

Stevie Gallacher, Street Stuff Manager, said: “We can’t wait to welcome hundreds of young people to our activities over the summer holidays.

“While you might expect every young person to be desperate to finish up, we know there are others who aren’t so eager to spend six weeks out of school, so we strive to provide a friendly, welcoming place to come along to each day.

“Our coaches and volunteers do a fantastic job making each activity exciting and it’s great to see how much the young people enjoy being a part of the Street Stuff family.”

Street Stuff is a diversionary project run in partnership between Renfrewshire Council, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Engage Renfrewshire and St Mirren Football Club, and has contributed to a sustained reduction of 65 percent in youth disorder and anti-social behaviour in Renfrewshire.

The programme is celebrating 10 years in the community having been established in 2009 and a series of events are being held throughout the year to celebrate the past decade, with a recent football festival at St Mirren FC’s stadium attracting more than 170 young people to play on the pitch.

Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “The Street Stuff programme saw more than 6000 young people take part over the summer holidays last year and we recognise the importance of offering this opportunity for those who need it.

“We’re committed to providing sport and exercise opportunities for all our young people and these summer clubs are a chance for them to get active and make new friends in the process.

“With the added bonus that it’s all for free, what’s stopping them going every day and having the summer of their lives!”

Outside of the holiday programmes, Street Stuff runs six days a week, all-year-round, at venues across Renfrewshire and young people aged 8 to 16 are encouraged to turn up and take part for free.

For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/summerclubs or follow @SMFCStreetStuff on Facebook and Twitter.

11/06/2019/by Brian McGuire

Family Entertainment on a new Level at St Mirren

Next Saturday from 1pm its family entertainment on a new level at St Mirren…

inflatable hungry hippo
Bouncy Castle with slide
inflatable basketball
inflatable beat the goalie
music from @lkowalskimusic , Hollie Robinson & Sasha Kaloheris
face painting
balloon modelling
sweets from the Panda
prizes

24/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Cllr Marie McGurk, Oran Kearney, Gordon Scott and Street Stuff participants

Street Stuff celebrated the start of its 10-year anniversary in style with more than 1200 young people took part in the free Spring Break programme.

Hundreds of young people flocked to activities every day of the two-week holiday camp, as football, gaming and more was made available at venues across Renfrewshire.

A free healthy meal was provided to all participants at the afternoon activities, meaning 675 young people were refuelled throughout the duration of the programme.

Stevie Gallacher, Street Stuff Manager, said: “We’re delighted to see more and more young people spending their school holidays with us.

“Our holiday programmes are so important as they provide an opportunity for young people from all walks of life to take part in sport and exercise while they don’t have school as an outlet.

“To see so many young people leave with a smile on their face is brilliant and we have our fantastic coaches and volunteers to thank for making it so enjoyable.”

Councillor Marie McGurk - Convener of Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board

The spring programme marked the start of Street Stuff’s 10^th anniversary celebrations which will be marked with a series of events throughout the year.

Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “What a fantastic start to Street Stuff’s tenth anniversary celebrations and to see more than 1200 young people taking part is a great achievement.

“By providing the programme for free, we are giving all young people the opportunity to take part in sport and exercise and this can be vital in keeping them on the right track in life.

“The programme has changed so many lives over the past ten years and we’re proud of the work carried out by our staff, coaches and volunteers to provide these opportunities for young people.”

Street Stuff is a diversionary project run in partnership between Renfrewshire Council, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Engage Renfrewshire and St Mirren Football Club.

The programme began in 2009 in Renfrewshire and has contributed to a sustained reduction of 65 percent.in youth disorder and anti-social behaviour.

The programme runs six days a week, all-year-round, at venues across Renfrewshire and young people aged 8 to 16 are encouraged to turn up and take part for free.

For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/streetstuff or follow @SMFCStreetStuff on Facebook and Twitter.

16/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Renfrewshire’s award-winning diversionary programme, Street Stuff, is celebrating ten years of making a difference to the lives of young people in the community.

Since its inception in 2009, the programme has seen more than 200,000 young people come through its doors, each having the opportunity to take part in sport, make new friends and engage in social activities.

Providing activities such as football, dance and gaming six days a week, the Street Stuff team aim to offer young people, often in disadvantaged areas, with the opportunity to access exercise and social activities which they may otherwise not have the chance to take part in.

The programme hosts four holiday camps throughout the year to ensure that young people have an outlet during the school holidays and a healthy meal is provided to each young person who attends – with more than 26,000 healthy meals provided in the last four years.

The project runs in partnership between Renfrewshire Council, St Mirren Football Club, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Engage Renfrewshire.

St Mirren FC Chairman Gordon Scott said: “Street Stuff is a great conduit to enable the club to foster stronger links with the community and the young people within it.

“The programme has massive health and social benefits and, as the programme hits the ten-year milestone, I think the number of both local and national awards it has received speaks for itself, in terms of both its success and the efforts of those who take part and run it.”

Malcolm Gillies is the longest-serving Street Stuff coach having been part of the programme for more than 10 years and he considers joining the programme as one of the best decisions he ever made.

Malcolm said: “Street Stuff brings young people into a safe environment, gives them a sense of responsibility and plays a big part in their childhood.

“It’s a place where they can get advice, talk about anything and provides an environment where they are not judged and can be themselves completely.

“There are many examples of kids enjoying the programme, getting to do some tasks and then becoming members of staff, and it’s an honour being part of such an amazing programme.”

The programme encourages and supports young people who attend to become volunteers and coaches and almost 80% of volunteers are former participants of the programme.

Stephen Gallacher, Street Stuff Manager, said: “The volunteers and staff take immense pride in the success of the programme and the difference being made to the lives of young people in Renfrewshire.

“We are actively working to engage with young people, ensure they have positive activities to take part in and aim to guide them into positive destinations which they may otherwise not be able to achieve.

“I’m delighted to see the number of attendees who go from taking part in the activities to helping to deliver them to the next generation of young people and we’ll continue to give young people the skills and experience they need for the future.”

The programme has been a firm feature in Renfrewshire for a decade and has contributed to the delivery of a sustained 65% reduction in reported youth disorder and anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “We’re extremely proud of our Street Stuff programme and the success it has achieved since it was introduced in 2009.

“The sustained reduction in anti-social behaviour makes a real, tangible difference to our communities and we are seeing young people actively seeking out the activities Street Stuff provides.

“The success of the programme is down to the fantastic staff who run it, the wonderful coaches and volunteers who give their time every week, but also to the young people who have embraced it.

“Street Stuff gives young people access to facilities and experiences within local communities they may otherwise not be able to access and we’re committed providing opportunities for everyone within Renfrewshire, regardless of their background.”

The success of the programme was recognised with more than 20 awards, including three high-profile awards in 2017 at the COSLA Excellence Awards, ROCCO Business Awards and Scottish Public Sector Awards.

For more information on Street Stuff and how to get involved, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/streetstuff or follow the team on Twitter @SMFCStreetStuff.

07/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Young people can access free, fun activities across Renfrewshire throughout the school holidays as Street Stuff hosts its popular Spring Break programme.

Gaming and sports activities will be available for ages eight and above, with a free healthy meal thrown into the bargain too.

Activities will take place every weekday between Monday 1 April and Friday 12 April, with all young people welcome to go along and take part.

Young people can go along to activities on:

Monday 1 and 8 April (1.30pm-4.30pm)
Gleniffer HS and McMaster Centre Johnstone

Tuesday 2 and 9 April (1.00-5.00pm)
St Mirren FC Airdome

Wednesday 3 and 10 April (1.00-5.00pm)
St Mirren FC Airdome

Thursday 4 and 11 April (1.00-5.00pm)
St Mirren FC Airdome

Friday 5 and 12 April (1.30pm-4.30pm)
Linwood HS and St James PS Renfrew

Consent forms should be filled out in advance where possible, although they will be provided at the young person’s first session.

The programme marks the start of Street Stuff’s 10^th anniversary celebrations which will be marked with a series of events throughout the year, beginning with a launch event at the Simple Digital Arena on 4 April.

Councillor Marie McGurk, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board, said: “The Street Stuff programme is a chance for young people to stay active over the school holidays, make new friends and get involved in sport and other fun activities.

“There’s also a free meal available at each session to keep their energy up for all the activities.

“So if you’re searching for something to keep them occupied during the break, everyone is welcome at Street Stuff.”

Street Stuff is a diversionary project run in partnership between Renfrewshire Council, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Engage Renfrewshire and St Mirren Football Club.

The programme began in 2009 in Renfrewshire contributing to a reduction in youth disorder and anti-social behaviour by 75 percent over the first five years with a sustained reduction of 65 percent.

For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/streetstuff.

18/03/2019/by Brian McGuire

Blog, Braehead, Business, Events, Glasgow, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Photographs, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrew, Renfrewshire, renfrewshire events, St Mirren FC

Saints star Duckens tries to get the jump on Ronaldo in Soar at inu Braehead!

St Mirren striker Duckens Nazon had a go at out-jumping Cristiano Ronaldo heading the ball.

The Haitian international, currently on loan with The Buddies from Belgian club St-Truiden, paid a visit to the Soar at intu Braehead leisure destination to see a massive wall graphic showing Ronaldo’s giant 2.6-metre leap in the air to head a ball that created a world record.

And although Duckens didn’t quite hit the heights of the Juventus superstar, he had a real good go jumping high to head the ball.

The Ronaldo leap is just one of the amazing feats shown on a series of wall graphics at Soar showing record-breaking jumps, the height of various animals, wingspans of birds and flying insects, the size of the largest human hand along with animals’ paws and feet.

The graphic has become popular with youngsters and adults alike as they make their way through Soar and they’ve been measuring themselves against the different sizes of people and animals.

As Duckens looked up at the mark showing how high Ronaldo had jumped to head the ball he said: “That’s amazing. It really was some leap into the air.

“Ronaldo a fantastic player both with the ball at his feet and jumping up to header it. And he’s got this great knack of timing his jump perfectly and hanging in the air waiting to head the ball.

“Obviously, as a striker I do a lot of heading practice from cross balls in training. Although I’ve got two goals for St Mirren since I came to the club, I haven’t yet scored with a header. But after all this jumping and heading the ball trying to beat Ronaldo’s record, maybe I’ll score a header very soon!”

David Lyon, marketing manager for intu Braehead said: “Duckens might not have leapt as high as Ronaldo, but he wasn’t far off the mark when he visited Soar.

“Our wall graphics have really caught the imagination of the visitors to Soar and you’ll usually see a youngster comparing the size of their hand up against the largest human hand with a span of 32.3cm, or seeing if they can jump as high as a kangaroo at 1.82 metres.”

22/02/2019/by Brian McGuire