RockWithTheCaveman

Glad you enjoyed it Bud . [emoji106]

Thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday's game as it has been sorely missed whilst working away these last few years. Good to see faces old (Mr Zo) and new. Been playing 5s / 6s down south and took a bit of getting used to  the bigger pitch... well, that's my excuse for some awful passing! I didn't score (mainly because big Mark is a greedy big b******!) but did assist a few in what ended up in a win for us bibs.
Thanks to Callum G for facilitating and "Roberto" for dropping out to allow me a place - much appreciated, dudes.
Looks like I'll be finishing 2018 with a 100% win record... 

It was Germany and Poland amongst others , like the Eire cloggers and erm, Georgia and Gibraltar, so pretty damning really.........couldn't even make a play off for what that would have no worth. Point duly made I reckon.
My post was about observations on football facilities and the structure of the game. It's not about qualifying from a group, it's an observation on the rise of so called smaller nations, whilst we fiddle and fidget round in the hallowed hampden halls.
If you turn your point around, each of the groups that Albania , Iceland and Croatia qualified from ,well I'd bet Scotland would have majorly struggled to overcome Denmark, the Netherlands and Turkey, Norway and Bulgaria et al. Anyway, completely irrelevant.
IMO Goodwin and Brown both correctly opined that Iceland and Croatia for example have majorly invested and reconstructed their whole approach to national football. This is something Scotland drastically require to do, but , they come up against too many vested interests that simply force short termism on the game here. These constraints will continue to see ourNational team suffer, whilst other national teams see their stock rise in conjunction with their aligned plans.
I look at the team's of Albania, Iceland , Croatia, they are undeniably impressive. I see technically proficient, speedy and strong players. They are quick and very strong in the tackle, they are very well organised and are undoubtedly gaining from the benefits of a National plan.
Our lot by comparison are turgid, inflexible and are a one player one position type of model, whereas the players from a lot of other European teams would look comfortable in many positions within a team. Presently , we just don't have that. We need to reinvent the model for the national team, we are miles away from producing players that can grace the likes of the Euros.
On point, Goodwin , good guy. Articulate, knows a thing if two about the game, IMO worthy of listening to.

Indeed... That Brian from EK told him as much on the programme. He responded with humility as always.

Another positive spin-off of this deal is that ordinary punters will hopefully gain an increased understanding in what is involved in running a club. I'll certainly pay more attention to income and outgoings etc, and take a keener interest in potential revenue streams and the like.
I've no doubt been guilty of weighing in to the BoD on occasion from a position of ignorance, so hopefully we can foster a greater understanding and more educated balanced approach now that many of us have a stake that reaches beyond simply supporting the team. That couldn't be a bad thing.

I want to thank everyone for doing their bit, everyone on the facebook pages BuyTheBuds, Buy the Buddies, SMiSA, St. Mirren Supporters,International saint mirren supporters also Blackandwhitearmy web page, You have all been wonderful and without you this would never have happened. I would also say that anyone who has not signed up still can at any time from now and forever if they want to, we need all the support we can get to help the fortunes of our great club. I would also like to thank Saporito Coffee of Gauze street Paisley (a great place for a coffee or tea and a bite to eat) for providing meeting facilities, also the Bull inn New street Paisley and the Bankhouse Gilmour street Paisley ( great places for a beer or two and a meal) for providing meeting facilities, all provided facilities without cost i might add. From the bottom of my heart I thank you all. And look forward to our journey together.
Special mention for Div who has been a great help to SMiSA in this bid.

1021 sign ups, we have gone and feckin done it buddies

Don't be cruel!
Things seemed to have stalled a bit at the 600 or so mark. My thoughts were that reaching 750 would provide the momentum to get this over the line (whether the full 1000 will be reached is another matter).
I can only see this happening now, and it will be great credit to everyone involved. No doubt, the real work will then start, but a freshness about the club is long overdue.
My hope is that a successful bid will have a cohesive effect, not just among the support, but the broader community also. There is huge potential for the club to develop its community credentials, and that has to be a priority.
I'll be very proud to be part of the new chapter of our wonderful club's history, no matter how small a part. The whole point of a community is that it is all about the sum of it's parts. I hope people see it that way, and don't get too caught up in what they have to gain by signing up. As more people join up, its certainly looking that way.
I've got a good feeling about this....

Seriously? I take it then that you are happy for St Mirren to be humiliated by hosting matches against Premiership under 20s on an equal footing? The whole thing is an absolute disgrace, the Welsh and NI teams are being used as cover to get 'Colt' teams in the league structure.

Was at a night out last night with most of my family , the talk got round to the Buythebuds campaign & i was disappointed to discover that only two of us had signed up.
There was a mix of " i`m not sure" & " i dont know enough about it" so i spent a fair chunk of the evening selling the idea to them. It just showed how many more Saints fans there are out there who , for whatever reason have not been reached by the campaign yet.
I followed up this morning with a text to them all.
"Lets get signed up to #Buythebuds. For just £12 a month we can make fan ownership happen. Go to www.smisa.net & sign up now orturn up at the public meeting at St.Mirren park on the 19th May to find out more "
Perhaps if those who have signed up could do the same with their nearest & dearest .... or failing that , their friends & family we will get those numbers up.

That's me signed up. Out of the loop a wee bit here in Llandudno, but happy to be involved in #BuyTheBuds

Pretty ungrateful attitude to a group of people who, for all their faults, stepped up to the plate when most needed and hung in there for the long haul, delivering every 10,000 seater criteria the league threw at them, delivering every USH criteria the league threw at them, and continually fighting fires to keep an increasingly decrepit stadium running until moving to our new home - love it or loathe it.
Division 1 titles, diddy cup, League Cup final, League Cup winners, Scottish cup semi, almost ten years in the top flight while the likes of Morton and Dunfermline piss-farted around. Ralston, AirDome....
They've done their bit. I don't begrudge them the money any successful GLS/SMiSA buy out sees them get.

What the 900/1000 individuals get is that after six long years, they helped facilitate the removal of a want-away selling consortium who, by their own admission, were tired and out of ideas SIX years ago. Are we a crisis club? Have SG & Co run the club badly like so many Milesons or Romanovs? Hell no - they deserved our thanks, but have got the thanks down many years now. Their time is up. The sell by date isn't just passed, it's long passed.
The 900/1000 know GLS is 'St Mirren minded' and wants to be there. SMiSA are the vehicle for this and if they aren't St Mirren minded then God help us all. Are GLS and SMiSA answering every question and setting out a detailed ten year plan? No - maybe they should be doing more in that regard, but still, if we cannot put our trust in GLS and SMiSA then where are we as a support? Waiting for one of us to win Euromillions or for an Arab Oil Sheik to suddenly discover his granny came from Shortroods?
The 900/1000 also get that intangible feeling of a kind of 'warm fuzzyness' that means your £12 or £25 pledge makes you feel closer to the club and that you are contributing towards the next chapter in our great club's history.
IMHO we all need a warm fuzzyness in our lives.

Answers to a few questions or potential questions. What about drop off in members? How do we cope with that?





We have worked out a detailed set of cashflow projections and they factor in various scenarios. We have pitched the target of 1,000 members deliberately high for a reason – we wanted a built-in safety net against drop-off in members. We should also bear in mind numbers could just as easily go up as well as down – maybe if fans who don’t sign up see those who do getting to shape the club’s future they will want to join. In that case we would meet our commitments quicker. But ultimately if we do this it will be in the hands of the fans to stay the distance and make sure it succeeds. It can only fail if you the fans let it. Why would they?





What if we don’t get 1,000 members by the target? Is the deal off?





Our projections suggest 1,000 is the number we need for the deal to be comfortable. It could be done with less but do we want to? We’ve been clear on target. If we fail to hit that by 19 June we would have to question whether St Mirren fans really have the appetite for this. Not really an option to extend the deadline as the consortium want the deal done this summer. So the likelihood is if we fail to hit 1,000 we would assume St Mirren fans don’t want fan ownership and pull the plug on the deal. People would have the option to cancel their payment. At that point, we lose control over what happens next. There will only be one chance at this, let’s not be left with any regrets.





How will this deal actually move the club forward?





The current board deserve massive credit but they are tired. The club is stale and needs new energy and ideas. Gordon and a new board will provide that. They will work with business and community to develop new income streams. They won’t be splashing massive cash but is that what people want? Where exactly has that ever worked out well in Scottish football? The success stories are the small well-run ones who spend wisely. Bear in mind SMISA will have 1,000 x £2 per month = £24,000 a year. Members will be able to spend their own money wherever they think it will make biggest difference. That won’t be part of main club budget, it will be a bonus.





I’m being asked to pay more than £1,400 over ten years. What do I get for that?





You get a vote on big issues affecting our club and you get to help shape the future of St Mirren. You get the knowledge that the future of our club will be controlled by the people who care for it most. You get the knowledge that all the experiences you have had, the places you have been, the friends you make, the family connections, will all be preserved for the next generation and the one after that to do the same. Do this and we own the future. Don’t and we put all of that at risk. The cost of a pint a week is a small price to pay.





How will my £2 per month be spent?





Ultimately the members will decide. We would have time to work out the exact process. But as a suggestion we expect the SMISA committee would meet with Gordon/Tony to establish where they felt club needed extra help. Would also invite suggestions from members. Committee could then compile all of that into list of options and ask members to vote on.





You can’t let the fans run the club, you need people who know what they are doing





At stage one the club would be run by Gordon. He will invite others on to the board with expertise and resources to take the club forward. The SMiSA director will be elected by the members – up to them to elect someone suitably qualified and replace them if they choose.





For stage two there will be a gradual transition where the fans have years to gain experience of running the club before taking the reins. There is a difference between the fans owning the club and the fans running the club. The fans own Barcelona, but they don’t run it, the president they elect does. It will be up to the members to make sure the people running the club have the skills to do so.





How can the fans fund running of the club and what if it needs financial help?





For years St Mirren has been run on a break-even basis and under Gordon it will continue to be so. But as time goes on and SMiSA accumulates more funds, the trust will be in a position to make interest-free loans to the club to help it get through cashflow difficulties or to fund investment in facilities (for example, the Airdome).





10,000 Hours tried this and it didn’t work, how will this be different?





Unlike 10,000 Hours we don’t have to raise all the money ourselves. Although Gordon was involved there, he wasn’t funding it, he is here. The sums are less and we have years to raise the money. Also 10,000 Hours needed to create a fan ownership structure from day one, we have years to make a smooth transition

Good addition but we still need some pace up front.

733 signed up now - thanks very much Buddies, this will happen, i have every faith in my fellow buddies to get this up to 1000 and then we go for it.


COYS.

Not sure how many old friends you have out there...

Another quite long post….
AnyBuddie that signs up for this club buy-out is simply stupid and naive.
It’s like asking people to mend a tiny leak in the bottom of a dinghy just as a Tsunami is about to hit. Worse – water is already swilling round the necks of every club in Scottish football. The waters of corruption, that is. And the corruption is always ignored by the complicit media, always has been.
The Bigot brothers conspired a few years ago to ensure they didn’t share their home gates and, since then, Scottish Football has been played upon a steadily more uneven, distorted and biased playing field. The wee diddy clubs just don’t stand a chance. I can see no future possibility in clubs other than the Bigots, succeeding with their tainted funding… and the connivance of the media.
As the gap between the Bigots and the diddy clubs grew, everyBuddie bitched about it but our various club owners have always been complicit, knowing what was happening, always ready to snatch crumbs from the Bigot table… all the while scrambling to keep up by throwing unsustainable dosh at fancy players, money that the diddy fan population just could not sustain. No wonder there have been so many financial calamities and bail-outs. shull has always had a valid point. Sigh.
The corruption continues with regard to the disgusting ongoing Sevco farce. The SFA and its officers are appointed by ALL the clubs, yet the infamous five-way agreement to fabricate an entirely new club in the bottom league was allowed to be pushed through – despite the angry misgivings of a very few honest men such as Turnbull Hutton.
(As an aside, it has been hugely impressive how Agents Regan and Doncaster have so comprehensively emasculated and shafted Scottish Football governance and, as by-product, have overseen years of the Scottish national team bouncing along the bottom… In due course, doubtless they’ll be rewarded by the Palace. I’m amazed the Nationalists haven’t seen through THAT one…)
How can it be that two Directors (one a convicted criminal)... from the days in which Rangers went into liquidation, owing millions to creditors and society... could now be heavily involved in shiny, new look-alike companies - Rangers International FC and The Rangers - aka Sevco… and be allowed to continue to exploit the unbelievably trusting fans.
And the Scottish Mainstream Sporting Media never ask questions, never challenge the corruption, won’t even discuss the FACT that it is an entirely new club with dubious origins - but claiming to be the same extinct club! Just not keen on claiming its debts...
(As another aside, when div posted on here that he thought the whole sevco name thing was tedious – that was when I no longer wanted to participate in THIS Media outlet. It’s his baw, his game and I respect what he has provided.)
Now, I don’t care about those Sevco fans.
I do care about Buddies. Why throw money at the leaking dinghy in the Tsunami?
Aye, I understand why it would be better to have some form of fan ownership. I appreciate GLS putting his head above the parapet and am minded to believe he is genuinely one of us. Listening to Alex Rae (despite his fitba affiliations), he has convinced me that he shares a genuine, honest passion for fitba that just might be able to thrive – even in the corrupt cesspool of Scottish fitba.
Maybe, just maybe, honesty and transparency will someday (soon) afflict the Scottish game. And, out of love for many Buddies, I want our Town and its team to be at the forefront.
So that’s why I HAVE bought in to SMISA’s initiative.
Call me stupid, call me naïve…
Join me.
Go on. It's a heart thing. You know it makes no sense.

You say that like its a bad thing...?

Can I just let you all know. The design for the forthcoming strips were done and giving to JD SPORTS in October. TF has been on to them to get the strip released. It's all down to JD. But there should be a announcement by next week. Hope you will be happy with the new strips.

Right , lets get the telling off out the way .
We are all there to play football, tonight saw the return of the gratuitous "Hand ball" after i thought we`d managed to kick it out of the game. It has to stop now, it spoils the game for everyone.
The amount of verbal abuse dished out to fellow players tonight was unacceptable, this is meant to be competitive but enjoyable. Lets rein it in a bit guys.
There seems to be an element of unsportsmanlike conduct creeping in at times, heels getting clipped, deliberate blocking , etc .... again , lets get it stopped now.
We want the game to be hard fought but fair & of course we want to win but at what cost ?
If you have particular grievances with other folk and feel the best place to have it out is in the dome on a Wednesday ...... don`t bother turning up. There`s lots of people waiting for a game.

Ian Murray should realise that if your major signings are: Alan Gow (2 league starts all season, hooked at half time in the second), Thommo, now aged 36 at the start of the season and after 1 season of injuries (1 league goal all season), Cameron Howieson, Scott Agnew, Paul McMullan etc then you effectively dig your own grave as a manager. Even though the season has just finished I've already forgotten most of Murray's signings because they were sooo bad, even at our modest level... the full back sent off at Morton also signed from Burnley U20's, Carswell, McGraith. And let's not forget that Murray was also left to appoint his own assistant and chose someone he fired by October.
There were as many people released by Murray last summer as by Rae this summer. Murray had a clean slate to begin freshening things up and changing the culture in the dressing room. It seemed pretty obvious that we had lots of young guys from the U20s around who were going to try and make the step up to 1st team football and only Goodwin as a senior pro still in contract when Murray arrived that he was going to need to bring in experienced pros to help the young guys out, but what did Murray do, signed senior pros like Gow (with a decade long track record of being a waster or injury prone) and then signed loads more young guys from other clubs' U20 teams also trying to make the step up: Calum Gallagher, Paul McMullan, Cameron Howieson... Scott Agnew was signed as a senior pro but was making the step up to full time at the age of 28.
Murray also began the season trying to freeze out Jim Goodwin, and was still signing key players in September (Webster, Langfield, Shankland). Anyone could see that Thommo was finished but Murray persisted starting with him, and using him as a lone striker for 90 minutes and dropped Shankland not long after he had signed him... it sounds like Rae would take Shankland back if there was a chance and once he got a run he got a reasonable return of goals for us.
Alex Rae inherited the same club in an even worse position than Murray did... we were 10th in the league and about to fall to 11th after his 2nd game in charge... Murray had largely spent the season budget and Rae had to wait until January to bring in a few players and try and make sure we didn't suffer a 2nd successive relegation. Despite having to deal with the same issues behind the scenes as Murray had, Rae turned things around, we finished 6th rather than 10th or 11th, we won most of our home league games, we became harder to beat and began to show that even if the performances were not great we could grind out results.
The only thing I find credible about Murray's account was the negative atmosphere at the club and directors, players and background staff pulling in different directions.

All fiveare beatable, although Thriller are a bit of an unknown.

I'd imagine if we'd won promotion from the third tier of Scottish football, we'd have an increase in season tickets like most promotion winning team do.
Unfortunately, we've never played at that level in our entire history, so I guess we may never know. Ah well.

I'll present Sportscene in my pants if Raith Rovers win the league.