Liverpool Bud

Slightly off topic but relevant none the less ive found fans of the old firm fall into two distinct categories 1 the Neanderthal bunch who can't understand why you don't support one of the two " big clubs" and think that by virtue of the school you attended - area you lived in - job you do that pre selects you to have to support one or the other 2 the slightly more moderate ones who have a grudging respect for those individuals who choose to follow their local team

I think reading around other posts across the forums my realistic expectations for the club I adore and now invest into monthly are as follows: a team that can competitively compete in the league it is in a squad of players who give 100% every game for the badge - the fans - and the manager a kit deal with a company that is both lucrative for the club and respectful to the fans a facility within the club where all fans if they choose can get together for a pre or post match drink St Mirren as an organisation behaving in a much more efficient and professional manner eg getting the basics right such as replacing letters that adorn the front of our stand when damaged in a reasonable timescale - sorting out hall of fame boards - having a functioning tannoy system - overhaul of the catering facilities to function in a way that all customers get a decent product without the lengthy queues negotiating a good sponsorship deal with a company / organisation that reflects our growing or improving status in the community not selling out to either of the old firm - or if it is such a financial necessity - keeping the fans informed and thus fans not speculating on the bones of the deal investing in the club academy with a view to an ongoing production line of fresh talent to be promoted into the first team squad having been present at the Smisa event where I listened to Gordon , David , Tony and Alex all speak eloquently I want to see a charter of the short to mid term vision released to the fans and an input of new and creative ideas coming to fruition for the benifit to the club and community finally to make my match day experience an enjoyable one with a team that I can be proud of and every so often gives me wonderful days like 17th March 2013 every so often

This is a positive step and I hope both a successful and profitable one! I hope it is repeated for the Dundee Utd game on October 15 when I will be travelling north with a number of colleagues who I have convinced to give up their time and money to come and watch the buddies ( then have a night out in Glasgow after......)

Great clip interesting to think how many of the players in that match went on to be managers ( less said about Atkein the better)

Red no Black no Red stuff it it stick it all on 14 go on Spin the wheel!

I'm genuinely interested to know on how many occasions the 1877 club has been full to capacity and therefore what has been the potential lost revenue from potential PAYG footfall customers

At 46 you think I'd know better! but being the product of a father born in Greenock - who resided in Innellan - whose pals came from Paisley and Largs watching the Saints from the late 50's I think I was pre determined to be a Buddie. And growing up in Bearsden and being one of 3 saints supporters in our Secondary school twinned with the glorious days of the 80's whilst moving to Liverpool in 1988 and proudly doing my bit by #buyingthebuddies I don't think I've ever been prouder to be a Saint! il be back north with some pals from my work for the Dundee Utd game. ive experienced many highs and lows in my years but to experience sitting in between my son and my father with tears in my eyes on the 17th March 2013 was all the reason I need to know that a fan has it in there heart and members / customers feel it with their head.

This is the sort of hospitality and welcome you can experience at Today's Tranmere Rovers game who are a forward thinking club Since they got relegated a few seasons ago have reconnected with the community - last season the tag line was Come back stronger and this season the tag line is Together we are the team.

What's stopping a one match trial where members are guaranteed a space and either the first 100 through the door pay as you go customers get preference or you can apply for a one day match pass - 150 issued and as long as there is space you can enter pre and post match? maybe this could be organised for the Dundee Utd match on October 15 as that is when I will next be in attendance along with a few lads from my work.

I thought it was ironic that the well attended SMISA event after the Morton game couldn't have been hosted in the 1877 club. The event started at 5-30 pm so much of the post game footfall may have moved on The staff would have been present and the club would have made additional revenue of 250+ patrons drinking / socialising for a few additional hours - instead all that additional potential profit went to a well organised UWS

Tremendous publication - every self respecting Saints fan should be signed up. great mix of articles with current issues of the day and nostalgia covered in equal abundance

That's your day ruined already!

I've been following this thread with interest. Pettiness and sniping aside there are some valid points being made and questions being asked. It should lead to a proper discussion on the long term validity and profitability of a "fans" bar. i would like therefore to give you my own take on my first Paisley match day experience in 3 years. Having being caught up in the nostalgia of Buy the Buds and feeling I was doing my bit and feeling like I have reconnected with the club I took the decision to travel up from Warrington with a mate and take my Dad to the game. Getting caught up in the buzz of social media I was convinced I'd have to leave my folks house early to get 3 tickets in the West stand together!!! we arrived at the ground at 1-15 and headed to the ticket office beside the club shop ( where even if I wanted to I couldn't have purchased a replica top ) - so none of my hard earned cash going into the club coffers! i was bemused that at the main ticket office I couldn't purchase a ticket for the West Stand and would in fact have to walk round the ground to buy a ticket there. This is when I passed the entrance to the 1877 club - I was fairly sure it was members but thought I'd rembered reading online that there was some first come first served walk ups available for a nominal £2 entry fee. i spoke politely to the lad on the door - explained we had travelled up from Warrington and that me and mate fancied a few pre match pints and my elderly dad wanted a cup of tea! No joy - canne come in - members only etc etc! - I get it - that's not my issue or complaint - the irony is only a few moments earlier someone had tweeted only 40 people in the 1877 club. Just suppossing we had paid a few quid to get in - in the 90 mins prior to ko I reckon me and my mate would have managed 3 pints - my dad would have had a cuppa and a wee hauf so n total probably something in the region of £30 quid going into the coffers including entrance. After we had collected our tickets I spoke to a very helpful steward at the gate at the corner of the Hospitality entrance he was kind enough to grant us access through the large gate to get a picture taken beside the pitch. He suggested heading up West Street towards the local hosteleries we found ourself outside the Craigielea bar where we were welcomed in with no problems. The pub didn't do cups of tea but the woman behind the bar kindly used the staff kettle and made a cup for my dad at no charge. we stayed for a few drinks then set off down the hill about 2-35pm on arrival at the ground we entered via West 5 and our seats were directly in front of the lads with the banners. They were in great voice and spirits were high! ive read many times about Shull complaining about the tannoy - Christ he is right - it was useless and completely muffled and in effective - it needs sorting Asap St Mirrens slow start to the game and going a goal down was a disappointment. I'm not sure what Alex Rae's plan A was but at least going 3-4-3in the 2nd half suggested there was a plan B. I commented on the match day thread mid match about how aimless and in the air our play was. My Everton supporting pal and I both agreed it was bout the standard of watching Warrington Town who play in the 8th tier of English football! Dissappointingly and probably out of frustration one of the saints fans behind us in W5 threw their homemade flag forward which hit a woman on the back of her head. She was entirely innoncent and even though it was an accident - no one had the balls to come down and apologise. Her husband tried to catch the attention of the steward sitting at the front of the section ( paid I assume to notice things like fans throwing objects or spectators getting struck ) he was completely ineffective. The husband then reported to one of the lead stewards in red coat that his wife had been hit on the head but again no support or assistance was forthcoming. A few moments before half time I dashed down to use the catering facilities.... FFS get that sorted out as quick as possible. There was only a small queue but even that seemed beyond the people serving. My order was 3 pies and 3 bovrils. ( I've been to a number of sports stadia or large scale events ) but never has such an order been so difficult . The server got me the 3 lukewarm pies from the oven then went to pour the scolding bovril one cup at a time from the hot water pump behind as my pies got progressively colder. My suggestion - pre poured bovril - hot pies - people taking order just shout to the bovril / pie runner to save all the messing. Also price the food according or employ people who can count. The maths on 3 pies at £2.10 and 3 bovril son at £1.95 or whatever was clearly beyond her . Can it not just be two quid a pie and two quid a bovril - go mental and do a pie and bovril deal at £4!!! Anyway £12 lighter I returned to my seat for the second half. I thought there was better application and effort in the 2nd half and there at least looked like a game plan. Saints were good value for their goal and a draw was a fair result. post match my dad got off and my mate and I walked up to the Bankhouse for one where the barmaid asked if I was a season ticket holder as she took my order - nice touch and I assume perhaps there is a discount for season tickets?! We had tickets for the SMISA fans party at UWS . I thought it was well organised and attended I thought it had a good positive vibe. BillyG kept things up tempo with his Saints related playlist. I was lucky enough to catch up with a Saints supporting friend and the bottles of Peroni slipped down very nicely!!! I thought George Adam ,Gordon Scott ,Tony Fitzpatrick and Alex Rae were all absolute gentlemen all speaking freely and elequently about the positive plans for the club. My mate who was an impartial bystander commented on how lucky we are as fans to be able to have such a close link with guys who clearly want the best for the club and were more than happy to pose for selfies and speak to the fans. so to conclude - there are obviously many things the club needs to do at the start of the new era. The drive , passion and hard work is clearly there. Apparently we are a model for supporters associations looking at what we will achieve. Get the 1877 club , the Strips, the Tannoy , the Hall of Fame boards and all the other gripes sorted. Establish - develop and maintain key lines of communication with the fans - build on the great work with young supporters at the dome. Get a competitively priced ticketing structure that is inclusive to all sectors of the community. There should be no empty seats ever in the family stand - give the tickets to schools , youth groups, charities, council workers who work with the disadvantaged. In fact anyone or any organisation that can demonstrate a use or a need for them. I feel even though I live 200 miles away that I am part of something good. I feel connected with the club - I can sense ambition on and off the park. I am sure the management team and the owners are all pulling in the right direction. I won't be paying an annual fee for the 1877 club but already I'm looking at the fixture list and considering which match I will be attending very soon.

I would like to thank all involved in organising the Smisa trust fans event - I thoroughly enjoyed myself .it was refreshing to hear George / Gordon / Tony and Alex speak in such enthusiastic terms about the club. great effort by all concerned ⚽️

Football - played on grass apparently - not in Paisley

Build up continues - breakfast rolls demolished - heading through to Paisley to buy my match tickets and pre match pint - looking forward to catching up with friendly faces and popping to Smisa event after for ( celebratory ) pint

Thank you gentlemen for pointing out the obvious fat finger typo ! clearly meant manky mob but in this enlightend period in which we live I don't doubt there will indeed be some well honed specimens of manhood playing for the opposition

Match day - can't wait - lets get stuck into the manly mob!!! COYS

Excellent I'm really looking forward to this game il be heading north with an Everton supporting Southern Softy! il will also be bring my dad along! It may be one of his last visits to see the Saints live -at 76 and moving to Shrewsbury I can't see him making many more trips! So come on Saints play your part by providing a football spectacular with goals and a win! im not sure what the deal is with the match day bar - but if any fellow buds are able or willing to grant access or sign in 3 nomadic Saints that would be most appreciated! il be gutted if I can't purchase 3 tickets on Match day!

Terrific idea and nice to see the St Mirren family respecting one of their own

I agree ~ nothing like I expected but it has an element of a retro classic

The thought of Gove distresses me - an insidious evil man Boris would be good for the comedy aspect!!!! but seriously who is there with any credibility?

What's Ammand One doing these days?!!!!

I fully intend heading north for the Morton game - I'd like to take my dad- but before I book train tickets does anyone know if and when the TV companies start dicking about with the fixtures- I'd be gutted if this game is switched from 3pm Saturday ⚽️

So with nearly 1200 sign ups putting their faith and hard earned cash into the #buythebuds - what made you do it? Personally I always knew I would sign up but strangely waited until only a few days before the closing date. I'm not sure if it's a blind optimism or an addiction but I believe that fan ownership is without doubt the only way forward at this current time for our club. I signed up for my dad and my son- so I can proudly say that when the opportunity presented itself to have a stake in the club I love I stepped forward and did my bit. What reasons do you have for getting involved in #buythebuds?