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LargsBud

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Posts posted by LargsBud

  3. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    31 minutes ago, BanburyBud said:

    I’m neither here nor there if, or when, he goes. I also don’t want all the usual nonsense of “thanks to the club and the fans”. Not interested in all that! 
    What does stick in my throat is timing of it all. 
    How ironic that our club and fans suffer because of another club’s mistakes. That’s football I suppose 🤷‍♂️
    He has also been conspicuous by his absence in the media this week as he usually has plenty to say. Funny that……

    lets see what the next chapter has in store for us 

    Jack Ross left at the end of the season and got crucified for it. So when would be good timing?

    Just admit it, we are unhappy he is leaving at all. Nothing to do with timing.

  4. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, buddies1877 said:

    Very strange comments going around social media about if jack comes they want reassurances that he won’t just leave.

     

    he has every right to decide if he wants to move to a bigger club just like we have the right to punt him if he does a crap job.

     

    I like everyone else got annoyed when he was signing our players but that’s him doing his job what he’s paid to do I wouldn’t want him coming here knowing he could get a player in from his ex club that would improve us but deciding it’s not fair on them il just leave him.

     

    it’s pathetic from some fans imo.

     

    if Jim leaves and jack is the best option out there that wants the job it’s a no brainer get him in.

     

    Also, if he leaves it will mean he has been successful and done a good job. Thats the goal here, to appoint a manager who will be successful and do a good job.

    90%+ of managers we hire we end up sacking, so lets not pretend that a manager leaving for a bigger club is a bad thing.

  6. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    6 minutes ago, northstbuddie said:

    I think JR is probably the best option currently available to us.

    On the other hand - a number of questions have to be asked.

    • Does JR want to return to St Mirren?
    • If he does, how long would he stay for?
    • Would his pride allow him to return?
    • Can we afford him?
    • Would most of the fans welcome him back?

    I guess it would dent his pride a bit to come back but I think he would be smart about it and look at a manager he respects a lot in Derek McInness. He had to go down a division just to get back in the game. Jack would be joining a top 6 premier league club.

    We are in a very different position to when he left us so it wouldn't be completely going backwards. 

  7. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

    Jack Ross would be the ideal choice to replace him but his previous departure left a bad taste for many that he might need to win over quite a few.

    I wonder what the new signings take on managers who f**k off just weeks after selling their vision for the club to players to get them to sign not just JG but happens all the time.

    Sent from my T671H using Tapatalk
     

    How could he have left without it leaving a bad taste?

    Fans complained last time that he left at the end of the season and we didn't have time to build a new team over the summer. Those exact same fans will now complain that Goodwin is leaving mid-way through a season. So if end of the season isn't a good time to leave and mid-way through a season is bad timing then when is good timing?

  8. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, northstbuddie said:

    It is beginning to look like JG is on his way out.

    Who should replace him?

    Would JR be reluctant to return and would he be welcome by the majority of Saints fans?

    I don't understand why any Saints fans wouldn't want him back (although I know there will be a few that wont).

    I think JR would be a great appointment and I really hope we can get him. He hasn't done badly in the two jobs he's had since he left and he will have learned a lot in that time. He was still a rookie when we had him and look how well he done. 

  9. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, stlucifer said:

    I think Cormack is playing mind games trying to upset the applecart of a team who are above them in the league. All this talk, even if Aberdeen aren't really intending to part with two hundred and fifty grand, which I'm not even sure they will have spare,  is bound to impact on the playing squad.

    He got criticised heavily for not interviewing anyone other than Glass the last time. I think this is him publicly showing that they are looking at (and eventually interviewing) multiple candidates this time. The Bodo Glimt manager turned them down today.

  10. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    42 minutes ago, portmahomack saint said:

    I don't buy all these statements i'm reading.. No Brainer, treble his wages, bigger budget,  the job centre is full of successful ambitious  ex Managers who have took that route, most lasting no more than a year at their new big club,  how did did it work out for Jack Ross, or Alan Stubbs who left Hibs a week after winning the holy grail for them. or Frank Lampard 

    Very few Managers have success at more than one club only the elite do, no brainer I don't think so,

    What is success for Aberdeen finishing 3rd getting to Cup finals a European place ? Derek McInnes got sacked for achieving that. 

    Our last 3 managers have been successful and there's a good reason for that they've had a ambitious board behind them who want success too. we really don't need this crap, it need's to be sorted one way or the other and right now, 4th place is a possible finish for us so the club and Jim should tell them to Fuk off  but if he want's to speak to them let him go the last thing we need is a manager who wants to leave 

     

    You contradict your point by highlighting McInnes as he got sacked for exactly NOT doing what you mentioned in the first paragraph. He stuck around too long until it got stale then got sacked as he couldn't take them any further. 

    There are ups and downs in every managers career, whether they stay where they are or take new jobs. There is no way for managers to avoid volatility and uncertainty, Its part of the job. 

     

  11. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, DougJamie said:

    Callum Davidson shows how stock is so important... strike when hot..or just be a hasbeen... not many managers could do worse than Glass... and i feel Cormack is embarressed he went outside a track record in Scotland..  so its either Goody or Jack for me...and of course Jack would come back and make Shulls day

    Completely agree. 6 weeks ago Goodwins stock would have been a fraction of what it is now and he would never have been considered for the Aberdeen job. Even some in our support wanted him out. So just shows how quickly stock can change, you need to strike while the irons hot.

  17. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, TopCat said:

    If i was him i would look at McInnes and turn it down though. He went up there and was a success. Got them as high second and never finished outside the top four, won a cup and consistently got them into the business end of tournaments and got some decent results in Europe. He couldn't have done any more, and Jim won't do any more. Derek still got chased out the door, and then he had to go into The Scottish Championship to get back into football.  It's an absolute poison chalice up there and you're dealing with a deluded fan base that is stuck in the 80's, you could be a relative success and they'll still hate you and want you sacked. 

    He got offered the Sunderland and Rangers jobs while he was at Aberdeen. Both bigger jobs and he turned them down. It was a rare case of a manager showing loyalty and in the end it came back to bite him.

    He just stuck around too long and it got stale. But the point is, the opportunities to progress were there, he just didn't take them. Jim will have the chance to get a big job from there if he does well.

  18. The Jim Goodwin and Lee Sharp Appreciation Thread

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Sonny said:

    Jim allegedly advised McGrath not to go to Aberdeen and for similar reasons he shouldn't go. Aberdeen won't ever win the League, do well in Europe, and have a similar chance as any other premiership team to win a cup. Top six is their aim. If Jim wants success as well as money then England should be his target. He has a better chance of that by getting St Mirren into Europe or winning a cup than doing it with Aberdeen who have wasted a fortune this season.

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
     

    I hate to admit it but I think the Aberdeen job would be a good fit for him. If he is staying in Scotland the only step up from us is the Edinburgh teams and Aberdeen. Look at the way Ross was treated at Hibs after getting to 2 cup finals and finishing 3rd, I don't think he'd want to go there any time soon. Hearts job probably wont be available for a while so the only other option is Aberdeen.

    I think the Aberdeen board are reasonable (even if the fans aren't) and will give a manager time and money. Aberdeen are far better than any other option in Scotland out with the OF IMO. 

    I hope and think they will go for JR though. (Although I don't know if I am just trying to convince myself that or if its what I really think)

  20. Coronavirus

    in General Nonsense

    Posted · Edited by LargsBud

    5 hours ago, Sue Denim said:

    Jeremy Vine was one of lockdown’s biggest supporters.

    Today the topic on his programme is “Were lockdowns a mistake?”

    I was asking if they were a mistake 2 years ago but was very much in the minority. Shouted down at every turn, labelled a “denier”. “eugenist”, “sociopath”, etc, merely for questioning the narrative.

    A program like this on a populist TV show would have been unthinkable 2 years ago.

    But here we are, the narrative is now changing and folk are beginning to realise that lockdowns are the biggest health policy disaster of all time.

    I was on the right side of history from the start. In time, it will be difficult to find anyone who admits they ever supported lockdowns.

    Those who supported them are responsible for the deaths of millions worldwide and plunging hundreds of millions into poverty. You know who you are. 😉

    Wow. Your post started off making reasonable points then descended into a bit on an unhinged rant. 

    Firstly its has always been right to question lockdowns because stuff like that should always be questioned and never just accepted blindly.

    But I think it's pretty clear that the lockdowns at the beginning were necessary for 2 main reasons -

    1. We didn't have a vaccine and had to stop the hospitals from being over run. This was pretty obvious at the time considering the way the hospitals were filling up.

    2. We don't have crystal ball and at the time we didn't know what the virus was or what effects it would have. It could have been far worse than it was so we needed to reduce its impact as far as possible until we knew more about it.

    It's pretty clear the lockdowns at the beginning were needed and made sense - not so much the post-vaccine lockdowns. 

  21. Raith Lose Major Sponsor…………

    in Other Football

    Posted

    14 minutes ago, Hendo said:

    I think it is much more black and white than that - he is not some kid who got involved in low level criminality, he is a rapist. Would you be happy if he rocked up at Greenhill Road?

    He's trying to get on with his life. Theres got to be a stage where is is allowed to move on.

    Ostracising criminals for the rest of their life doesn't create a healthy society. Might be something to do with the reason Scotland has one of the highest criminal re-offending rates in Europe.

  22. Speculation Thread

    in The Rumour Mill

    Posted

    6 minutes ago, TopCat said:

    Griffiths has been terrible for Dundee this season. He's clearly not fit and has alot of off field issues. I hope (and think we will) stay well away from him.

    I'd rather we took a punt on a player with issues but who we know is a proven goalscorer with genuine quality, than we go down the route of journeymen like Erwin or Main again. 

  25. The AGM via Zoom

    in General St. Mirren Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, bazil85 said:

    Below are some notes summarizing the discussion at the St Mirren FC annual general meeting, held on Thursday 27 January, via Zoom call.

    Directors present: John Needham, chair (JN), Gordon Scott (GS), Alex White (ACW), Alan Wardrop (AW), Tony Fitzpatrick (TF), Mark MacMillan (MM), Jim Gillespie (JG)

    Meeting Opened - Formal Business.

    JN opened the meeting explaining the format. He said they would cover questions relating to the audited accounts first, then go through the other questions and end with 30 minutes for open questions.

    Q1 Loss of £49K but profit of £449K. JN explained that the confusion was due to the way the Scottish Government loan had been included. The actual cash loss was £45K, depreciation £263K (£303K) but an investment gain of £33K had reduced figure to £275K. Grant conversion £1.7M present day discounted by 20 years value £729K

    Agreed not very transparent but presented as required to meet accounting regulations.

    Q2 Note 4 - £920K grants- again related back to £729K plus £170K in furlough payments plus £22K in miscellaneous grants.

    Q3 Note 18 other loans, what are repayments? A: £7,300 pm

    Q4 Regarding where ex gratia and signing-on fees were in accounts. These sums are included in players remuneration and it is not practice to list separately due to confidential nature.

    JN asked if there were any further questions or clarification required. None

    JN announced David Riley and Chris Stewart (CS) had stepped down from their positions on the board and thanked them both on behalf of the board for their commitment and hard work over the past few years. Their effort was much appreciated. JN was delighted to announce CS had agreed to remain as company secretary.

    Question over why the auditors were not present at the meeting. JN said they couldn’t make it but had helped answer the questions provided and would do again if further questions required clarification. They had sent apologies.

    Comment that auditors had been present at every AGM. JN pointed out this wasn’t the case as they had not been at the previous year’s AGM.

    JN asked for a resolution the chairman’s report and accounts be accepted and asked if there were any objections. The resolution was passed without any objections.

    Major Announcement.

    JN made an announcement that TF is to retire at end March where he would be age 66. He thanked him for his time with the club.

    TF said it had been a pleasure and that he had always acted in St Mirren’s best interest. He thanked the fans and wished the club all the best for the future. He also thanked the previous board and GS for the opportunity to be CEO. On reaching the age of 66, it was now time to step aside and retire. There were numerous notes of support and good wishes from most people at the meeting.

    Jim Goodwin (JG) was asked to answer some footballing questions.

    Q1 Team top heavy on playing side. JG disagreed, saying the squad was of comparable size to other clubs outwith the old firm. 25/26 players with six young players at various clubs, a couple  of whom should feature next season.

    COVID had made it difficult to gauge what size of squad to have, as many players can be affected at one time as was shown a few months ago.

    Q2 This year’s player budget – Don’t usually divulge but felt it was fair. Managers will always want bigger budgets but JG was realistic reflecting on the size of the club. The board have been supportive and budget has increased year on year.

    Q3 What is the cost of the Youth Academy? JG unsure of the exact figures but the club deserved a lot of credit for the investment. He is extremely proud of the youth academy and the pathway it provides for youngsters to find their way into the team. JN said roughly £550k per annum was invested in the youth academy – great investment in youth.

    Q4 Is there a replacement for Junior Mendes? Yes someone has been approached and is going to accept the position. The person is currently working their notice at another Premiership club. The timing was recognised as not great but it was also felt Junior got a good offer and since he had moved home to Edinburgh logistically it made sense too. Programs under JM will continue. Still great medical team at the club.

    Submitted Questions.

    AGM - how it was conducted

    Why does SMiSA have only one representative? Why is CEO also a member of the board? Why no rotation of directors for election last year or this?

    Q1. There is only one SMiSA rep at the meeting. This rep has 51% of any vote that takes place. Having more than one rep could split the vote. Has been discussed with CS. How would it operate if a selection of members disagreed?

    JN suggested looking at holding a SMiSA members meeting around the same time as the club AGM to provide an opportunity to ask directors questions.

    Q2 JN explained not unusual for CEO to be a board member, it was the case when he worked in RBS. The arrangement was in place previous to JN being appointed. Will look at again.

    Q3 Rotation/election of directors stopped with fan ownership, as directors now appointed by one of SMiSA or Kibble.

    Staffing

    Q1 – Level of staff turnover. Q2 Ali De Foy role and replacement. Q3 Are all proper HR procedures followed when dealing with staff leaving? Q4 – Job roles for directors. Q5 What is TF role in transfers?

    TF was given the opportunity to answer.

    Q1 Can’t disclose individual cases. High turnover – like other organisations. Normal if there is change in the organisation.

    Q2 TF didn’t answer the Ali Defoy question.

    Q3 Yes all correct procedures were followed. Updating policies at the moment.

    Q4 The structure of the board is that all directors are non-executive directors so do not have individual responsibilities. Business decisions left to CEO.

    Q5 TF has a great deal of experience and uses the contacts he has with agents.

    Suppliers and Contracts

    Q1 is there a procurement policy? Yes, signed off. Three quotes obtained, due diligence carried out. Contracts up to a certain level are agreed with CEO, above that come to board for approval after discussion.

    Partnership with Kibble

    These questions were passed to MM to answer. MM started by thanking Tony Fitzpatrick for his service and hard work over a long number of years.

    Q1 Were Kibble aware of negative comments circulating

    Q2 Report of a letter sent to Club, directors and SMiSA

    Q3 How many people currently working at club are Kibble staff

    Q4 Who undertakes performance reviews of Kibble staff

    Q5 What is Kibbles contribution to date

    Q6 What is the benefit to Kibble so far.

    Q7 Why don’t Kibble hold a meeting with supporters.

    Q1 Not answered

    Q2 Kibble exercised their right to ensure procedures were followed – matters dealt with satisfactorily, and we can now move on.

    Q3 One member of staff is remunerated by Kibble and seconded to the Club

    Q4 TF is responsible for this

    Q5/6 Beginning of any partnership takes time, COVID tested best of organisations. Kibble are here to support, not interested in control. Tangible benefits – helped achieve fan ownership in half time for half cost. He sees them as St Mirren directors not 'Kibble and SMiSA directors'.

    Q7 Not answered.

    Supporter Issues

    These were addressed by TF. He thinks communication has not been a problem. Loads of channels to get information from club website to social media

    The safety issue that resulted in the reduction of fans being allowed in will not be disclosed Regular check threw up issue.

    Was the Red zone being used for hospitality? Hospitality were in the amber zone.

    Club are considering options for OF fans having both ends.

    Board - Strategic Goals.

    Top six has to be aim / Increase community engagement / Youth Development. KPIs in annual report

    COVID interrupted income streams - refocusing now. The only director to get remuneration is the CEO. The reason for the increase in the remuneration was due to the CEO taking on additional responsibilities and activities after GS stepped back.

    Training Ground

    Q over how the works at Ralston are progressing? TF took these questions.

    Kibble helping with refurbishment of Academy. Required separate build to accommodate more spacious facilities with kitchen, changing rooms. Fencing and lights also required work. Building Warrant now in place. Completion expected end of March. TF invited those on the call to go and see the work.

    A member asked if the work had been tendered for. MM said club did not tender as Kibble were providing for free.

    Random questions through Chat

    Question on consideration of individual shareholders. JN conscious of the issue. Around 1,000 people hold shares and he thanked them all for their contributions.

    How many Kibble kids are employed – none

    Question saying Kibble weren’t clear who employs the general manager. Confirmed this employee is paid by Kibble but answerable to TF.

    Electronic advertising - Considering at the moment. Hope to achieve

    Jamie McGrath likely to be sold by Monday? There is interest, but no offers have met valuation. Players were signed in the summer with McGrath departure anticipated. Club is talking to those whose contracts are up in the summer.

    Why was the ticketing system replaced? JN explained it was replaced as fans were complaining about the old system. We ended up being the only club using that system and and the company running the old system couldn’t invest in the required improvements. There is no fee due to be paid to the previous company.

    Question over wage ratio - claimed it was 75% where 60% is usual. JN said he would get the answers to this and report back.

    TF answered a question about the partnership we have with Birkenhead of New Zealand. This was something the club hoped to further develop and were talking with the New Zealand and Australian tourist boards.

    JG is looking to move a couple of players on to other clubs with a view to bring in other players. We are back in contention for a top six finish and we have a reasonably good but very tough cup draw. The budget needs to be balanced.

    Is there a replacement for Tony? No replacement for Tony as yet, discussions on his retirement have only recently been concluded.

    Question over the six-month management accounts. JN stated they were running at a loss but we hope to claw back in the second half of the year.

    There are ideas on how to increase our income but they need significant development investment. However various options are under consideration.

    Is Campbell Kennedy still running the commercial side of the business. JN yes.

    Have JN tweets damaged the relationship with other clubs? JN repeated his regret at making the comments he made in jest. There is no evidence of any damage in relationships with other clubs, other than perhaps Rangers.

    Would it be possible to have an AGM for members of the 1877 club? AW responded saying that there was no constitution for the 1877 and no need for an AGM however he was happy to answer any questions from members who contact him. He was keen to point out the 1877 club had brought in 18k per annum during the pandemic and both he and everyone at the club were very appreciative of the members sticking with it during these difficult times.

    Is cash in the bank a cause for concern? JN said the cash in the bank is not a concern and we hope to have a good cup run.

    The club invested 250k in the stock market. How are these funds doing and what are the management fees? AW said there are no management fees, the stock is doing well and is currently worth 285k.

    Can we improve and lengthen St Mirren TV? JN said any investment in St Mirren TV needs to yield a return. Now that fans are returning to the stadium there is less demand. Overseas fans commented that St Mirren TV was terrific for them.

    Are there other players other than McGrath being sought after? JG said other players are being looked at but will only move on at the right price.

    When will Connor McCarthy be fit again? JG said he should be ready in 7-10 days, and resumed training today. However he will have a fight to get back in the team.

    JN gave a commitment to do everything possible to have the auditors present at the next meeting.

    No other questions, JN thanked everyone responsible for their efforts in setting up the meeting JN ended the meeting at 9:30pm.

    When you say questions were not answered, did they say they wont answer those or were the questions given along with others and they just decided which ones to answer/ignore?

    I would like to know why Kibble haven't met with fans yet and I can see that one was conveniently not answered. 

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