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https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/renfrewshire/charities-regulator-assess-paisleys-kibble-30893311

A director has resigned. Can you guess which one? Chairman John Needham Vice Chairman Jim Gillespie Directors Gordon Scott, Mark MacMillan, Alex White, Paul McNeill

Kibble’s activities * Report club to inland revenue * Long term St Mirren supporting staff made redundant * Kibble employee David Jamieson put in place as general manager * David Jamieson replaced with another Kibble employee as general manager - L McLean * Jim Gillespie interview on SMTV promises Kibble will bring greater financial expertise * After the services of two Kibble general managers and Kibble’s improved financial expertise , club makes record loss in history, oddly close to the £1.5 million loss at Kibble’s failed Experience at Hillington that was managed by these two managers * Kibble connected companies - Asigura Ltd, Renderworks awarded stadium security, stadium catering . * Ticketing fiasco. Claims database has to be rebuilt. In reality contract broken with supplier. All fans asked to re-apply and chaos follows as does an inadequate system * Covid blamed for no catering at stadium v Hearts. In reality all serveries stripped of catering equipment as owners refuse to deal with Kibble’s preferred ‘company’ * Fans told to bring own drinks etc to next match * Fans then told not to bring controlled drinks containers to following matches as this is illegal * Kibble connected companies Asigura Ltd, Asigura Facilities Management and Renderworks(now all shut down!) awarded work at academy. Academy remedial works over a year late and massively over budget, contributing to record loss Installed domestic kitchen amongst errors and shoddy workmanship as it is ripped out and replaced with the necessary commercial version at a loss of thousands. Building work issues prevail to this day. What recourse does the club have? None * Kibble (Allegedly) go to press re John Needham comments about Rangers supporters * Kibble then go back to press to call for John Needham’s resignation * St Mirren reach out of court settlement with dismissed employee - compensation paid and legal fees incurred * Jim Gillespie put in charge of academy (his son by now attends) * Redundancies at academy * Second offer to avoid court action to senior academy employee only just reached in April. Legal fees and compensation paid * Kibble employees/children in ticket office wearing Kibble branded shirts not St Mirren * Ticket office manager made redundant * Senior Kibble management figure’s wife given job running ticket office * Kibble paid £144,000 by club last year for catering etc services. So Kibble takes from the club * Kibble applies for Government funding to build a well being centre claiming it's a joint bid with St Mirren Charitable Foundation and with Renfrewshire Council. Bid reaches stage two * Kibble directors on club board do not tell their SMISA nominated co-directors. St Mirren Charitable Foundation has no knowledge of this and only find out by accident. * Kibble directors on club board assure shareholders at AGM that proposed well-being centre is not and has never been connected to club owned land but is on adjacent land * Jim Gillespie pulls microphone away from Mark McMillian to inform that it does not matter they lied because project did not go further. (Think about that) * Club issues statement (through Kibble PR agency) to explain further. * Explanation then changed by Kibble’s Jim Gillespie who says forget all that, it was a Renfrewshire Council error * Renfrewshire Council deny this * Team manager who has bemoaned lack of funds throughout the year backs Kibble in press * Former board member, a true St Mirren supporter, AW who left due to Kibble’s actions calls both old firm supporting Kibble directors out for lying to the club’s supporters/SMISA members/SMISA nominated club directors * Kibble PR ups a gear and tries to deflect * AW banned from SMISA Stadium for speaking out against the Kibble not St Mirren which can only further suggest boardroom bullying and Kibble calling the shots. It’s always the whistle blower who gets the blame (but only at first). If Kibble directors who claim now to be Saints fans (how daft do they think Saints fans are) ever paid into SMISA STADIUM it was to support their teams, not ours. Kibble achievements * Hospitality entrance painted by unpaid children.

I feel I must vote for Alan Wardrop who has already proved himself to put St Mirren first. This of the utmost importance for the following reasons. This situation must be properly investigated (the chairman categorically assured a number of questioners at the club AGM that this application was NOT on St Mirren’s land, but on ‘adjacent’ land, which is in itself a possible issue depending on how this all pans out) and the application details and plans provided for SMISA members to see. If the accusation is without foundation then the matter ends. However, If this does turn out to be an attempt to take club property for Kibble’s use and profit without the knowledge of the directors or the SM Charitable foundation, then it amounts to St Mirren directors putting their own organisation first instead of the club’s interests (a clear violation of their duty in law to the club and its shareholders) by attempting to take a club asset from the people that own it without their knowledge. Those people are the St Mirren shareholders, both independents and SMISA collectively. If so this can only be a fraudulent application to achieve Government funding by using St Mirren’s good name. If my memory is correct Mr Gillespie did tell shareholders at the AGM when he took the mic that it didn’t matter because the application did not get beyond the second stage. A strange thing to say as it’s not the outcome but the intention that really matters. To protect the club I’ll be voting for Alan Wardrop.

I saw the new chair of SMISA but at the far end of the room from me. I think at one point he indicated when asked he was taking notes. I did not receive any requests for questions prior to the meeting. I suspect the answer is that this was an AGM meeting for the club's direct shareholders not SMISA members.

In a word NO.

Thanks for that info. I did not hear exactly what they were intending to build. I need to sit at the front next time. All I heard was conflict of interest over some land with no mention of who was set to "gain" anything. It did not look like all the board agreed. Some suddenly seemed very interested in looking at the carpet.

My thoughts on the AGM. There must have been nearly 100 shareholders present. At 7.30pm the Board members walked in. The black ties and long faces most of them were wearing seemed very appropriate. After the usual introductions the Chairman apologised for the loss of £1.5 million in the May 2021 to May 2022 accounts. He then gave a 10 minute presentation (it seemed longer) on the main points of the accounts. Over the next hour and a half about 8 or 9 shareholders came up to a microphone and asked detailed questions. There was only time at the end for one football question to the manager. In summary they were told the Club faced some “one off” costs, the building works at Ralston cost a whole whole lot more than estimated, There were “one off” costs around the members of staff who had “left” and there was Covid. It was pointed out to the board that they had managed to turn a profit of around half a million pounds into a loss of 1.5 million pounds in 12 months. Over £4000 loss a day. The chairman promised to do better this year and said he hoped to report at least a breakeven position in next year’s accounts, and that individual directors had now been allocated areas of the club to supervise. He admitted that the wage bill has gone from £2.8 million to £3.5 million and as a percentage of income, this was unsustainable as was the month on month losses shown in the accounts. The number of management and admin staff going from 38 to 75 was explained as changes being made to the way some coaches had previously been paid. A former director raised the question of an application for grant funding made by a current Kibble / St. Mirren director for a project on land adjacent to land owned by the club. The director in question seemed to have some difficulty fully answering that question. As I said before, Kibble claimed they would “bring our commercial expertise to St Mirren”. Perhaps that is the kind of expertise we could all live without. It is difficult not to think that the board had taken its eye off the financial ball last year. Most of the shareholders in attendance at these meetings hold a relatively small number of shares. Many would have inherited them from family over the years. Thankfully none of us expects a dividend for our investment. None of us are expecting to sell our shares someday for a vast profit. None of us are depending on the shares investment for a pension. None of the current directors are paid a salary. Just as well. If we did I suspect last night’s meeting would have been calling for resignations. The sale of a player or players will certainly help the bank balance as will the World cup appearance money (possibly for the same player). All sing along -Things can only get better. Things can ……………….

Happy New Year. As a shareholder I have received a copy of the full accounts for May 2021 to May 2022. Over a stiff drink tonight I have noted the following points you may wish to consider. I will probably not comment further until after the AGM. There are a number of obvious questions that need to be asked and hopefully answered at the AGM. My accountancy skills are a bit rusty. Maybe I have misunderstood some of the important details – God, I hope that I have. I’m not going to waste time sparring with some of the childish regulars on here. The cold facts are that the current board enriched with the financial “expertise” of our Kibble partners appear to have managed to turn a profit of around half a million pounds into a loss of 1.5 million pounds in short the space of 12 months. That in itself is quite an achievement. The £1,598,506 loss divided by 365 days is £4379 a day. No doubt Covid will be blamed but you have to remember that the furlough scheme should have covered much of the wage bill and the government have loaned the club £1.7 million. Even so the wage bill has gone from £2.8 million to £3.5 million. The number of players has gone from 37 to 39 but the number of management and admin staff has gone from 38 to 75. That is around two management and admin staff for every player. I presume (sincerely hope) there is a plausible explanation for this I just can’t think what it might be. Importantly cash at the bank is down from £2.7 million in May 2021 to £972 thousand in May 2022 that is a reduction of about £145K a month. So what is the current cash balance? Say 6 months of losses at £145 K is £870K. Take that away from the May 2022 figure of £972K and there is a lot to worry about. Possibly £100K left at present? I hope we can sell a couple of players to help the cash flow. Kibble claimed they would “bring our commercial expertise to St Mirren”. Perhaps that is the kind of expertise we could all have lived without. Mention is made in the preceding narrative of “exceptional costs” but I cannot see any actual figures that directly relate to this statement. I assume this may partly be the rumoured very large cost overrun at Ralston but is hard to imagine what £1 million plus of “exceptional costs” could be. You have to also ask why this financial situation has not been made very clear to SMISA members many months ago. After all they own most of the club. PS To anyone quoting recent increased attendance at home games – please ask yourself how many of these are free tickets. Now I think I need another drink. See you all at the AGM.

SMISA need to tell the fans what’s currently going on financially at the club. It looks like lots of positive changes on SMISA board but that’s not enough. It looks like not even one of the former SMISA board wanted to hang around to account for things that have happened over the past year. Some left well before Mr. Gilmour was even mentioned. It’s good that new eyes with business brains have come in. Let’s wait for the AGM (in January I hope) and get the CURRENT cash position – not just the accounts from 9 months ago.

The SMiSA board is being rebuilt including Mr Gilmour coming in. Hopefully to bring better governance that we should all welcome. John Needham admitted the club has used up £1.7 million of the £2.7 million it previously had in the bank in only 16 months and has £1 million left in the bank now. On top of this the club was paid around £900,000 in furlough to cover wages. Tellingly he said if the board’s plan to finish 7th and sell some players works we could finish break even. He didn’t say what would happen if that failed. So that million is going to go really fast over the World Cup time when there are no games for weeks and only around a dozen to the end of the season. And for all those cheering the cash in the bank what debts does the club actually owe at the moment? Didn’t you think of that. Last year’s accounts showed the monthly wages, pension etc cost of employees at £263,777 per month based on total of £3,165,000. Deduct 10 per cent for job cuts and redundancies that Mr Needham said was regrettable and that would be £237,400. So the cash in the bank will see St Mirren through just over 4 months, a period in which we will have only 8 home games, and that is if none of it is spent on suppliers owed. What happens after that? Looks like the plan must include selling players for about half a million. No wonder SMiSA is trying to sort things out and keep things quiet no doubt. John Needham also admitted we cannot replace the dome and is hoping to find a funding package for any vague future replacement. Why was it not insured? So to summarise, some people on here don’t seem to worry if they have £100 - but owe £200.

Maybe there is no point arguing here. Believe what you want but - Dr Wong, a dyed in the wool St Mirren supporter and son in law of a former club doctor, did indeed leave for those reasons. Our former stadium manager was awarded £30,000 by an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.

Aye right ! 😃😃😃 "introduce the new directors" 😃😃😃

Going bust is a not generally a good idea. The value of the SMISA and other shareholdings would be at risk. https://www.sharesmagazine.co.uk/article/what-happens-to-shares-in-a-company-which-enters-administration

No one will now be there to ask these questions - or any other ones. The meeting is aff. Any idea why that might be ?

It seems your questions will have to wait for a month. I wonder why that might be ?

By the time of the Club AGM, possibly in January 2023, the accounts that will be presented for approval will be around 7 months out of date. The company’s financial year ended on the 31st of May. A quick look at the fixture list will show you the only remaining home games before the break are with Dundee United, St. Johnstone and Rangers. Only the Rangers game will bring in any real amount of cash – say £30,000. There are then no home games, and therefore no income, from the 12th of November to the Aberdeen game on Christmas Eve. Valid questions for SMISA members to ask at their meeting next week might be:- What is the Club’s current cash position? Will that be enough to see the Club beyond the end of this year? If not, how much cash will be needed to keep the Club alive until then? Has the entire £1.7 million government loan been spent?

It's a big hit in any sense if the £1.7 million has all been spent in the past two covid years - regardless of tax etc. . It will have to be paid back at presumably £85.000 a year. The real problem is If it has all gone and the club is running on its current account income alone. This could well be a problem. Almost all season ticket money already in. One home game in September (Celtic with one stand). A fairly large squad - some spending a lot of time on the bench. Increasing costs for heating and electric etc. Pay at the gate numbers reduced by rising cost of living for supporters. Worrying times ahead. Not looking forward to seeing the figures at the AGM. Need to see the up to date managment accounts not just the usual financial accounts for the year ending months ago. How much cash is actually in the bank account to pay the bills should be the real question.

That is a really inteligent comment - for a 10 year old. Please indicate why each of my statements is untrue. Fact: Michelle Evans has left. Fact: Redundancy letters at our successful academy now under the watchful eye of a kibble director have been out for a week. Fact: More well known faces set to depart. Fact: From my perch in the main stand I see and hear things of interest Fact: we are dependent on unpaid volunteers for stadium cleaning Fact: we needed their help to distribute season tickets Fact: after more than a year with strangely connected suppliers at the academy we have a hugely damaging overspend under this regime’s watch Fact: our general manager is employed by Kibble Fact: we are one unhappy workplace Is it not a wee bit ironic that a football club part owned by a children's charity no longer has a Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer ?

The Club keeps any negativity deliberately quiet. If you were in bother so would you. You can hardly blame them as the last thing they want is to draw attention to the abject failure of our promised ‘new professionalism’ in what is becoming a very serious situation. Fact: Michelle Evans has left. Fact: Redundancy letters at our successful academy now under the watchful eye of a kibble director have been out for a week. Fact: More well known faces set to depart. Fact: From my perch in the main stand I see and hear things of interest Fact: we are dependent on unpaid volunteers for stadium cleaning Fact: we needed their help to distribute season tickets Fact: after more than a year with strangely connected suppliers at the academy we have a hugely damaging overspend under this regime’s watch Fact: our general manager is employed by Kibble Fact: we are one unhappy workplace Don’t blame the messenger! See you at Pittodrie.

Eh, You want me to contact JIm Kibble to confirm what I already know to be true but you won't do the same. As for the current financial position, this will become clear at the AGM. Hope you are not too far away and can attend it.

Eh yes, The fact that she does not work there any more is a good indication. Friday was her last day. Although the web site has not been updated yet. https://www.stmirren.com/club/contacting-st-mirren/club-directory Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer Michelle Evans [email protected] Given recent events in Scottish football it was rather an important job. More staff set to leave in the next few weeks.

Yes but I have no doubt you would still not believe me so why not simply contact the club director in charge of the academy and ask him to confirm or deny the existance of the redundancy letters and the departure of the welfare officer. He does not seem to have a St. Mirren e-mail address so maybe try - Jim Gillespie Kibble Goudie Street Paisley PA3 2LG [email protected] Telephone 0141 889 0044 https://www.kibble.org/contact/ I'm sure he will be delighted to hear from you.

The Club's welfare officer, well known to many of us, left today ☹️ - more to follow. Question for SMISA members and directors – why are we making people redundant if the Club is in such a sound financial state ? Asking for a friend.