WeeBud

It's not a pub, it's a club. 

This imo is a great initiative and it may encourage more people since the old firm is on that day, to avoid some of the mixed fan pubs and alternatively head for our supporters club instead to watch either the manchester or glasgow derby in the comfort of fellow supporters.

Maybe it does take a genius as everytime I've been in the club has been at it's busiest from about half one.
Drinks stop being served at 1445 and the place generally starts to empty from about 1430 as folk make their way to their seats.
On Saturday there are two high profile games on live TV from noon. I expect a few buds will want to watch the games and enjoy a couple of pre-match drinks.
The club only holds 300 and I'd hope to see it full.
You literally can't please everyone. That isn't up for debate, as it's a fact!

Promotion was not high on my agenda this season as we do not have the cash to sustain a team in the top flight at the moment.I was looking more at stability and finishing mid table allowing us the time to bring through our own kids who appear to be in plentiful supply.Im looking for a Fergies Furies type team in next seasons campaign with a team capable of sustaining premier league status rather than coming straight back down.
I would ask that as many of you as possible attend the under 20,s games and assess what we have as I'm sure you will be filled with optimism and positivity for the future.They don't play tippy tappy football with no end result.Its high tempo quality football and I am excited for the future of our club.
 
 

I'll bid £120.00 Pick

You do love absolutely laying into "sections of our support" don't you fella?
We all actually support the same team you know, it's just that we don't all share the same opinions.
If you weren't so condescending with your posts I dare say you've got some decent points to make but I find it hard to swallow the sneering down your nose approach that you take.
"I'm right everyone else is a fucking idiot" isn't really a great way to get your point across.
Just saying.
 

I'm amused by the notion that if you disagree that a proposed idea is a good one you are instantly pigeon holed as being "small minded" and now "frightened".
It's laughable that the "frightened" people are the ones that put their money down to help get the bar built in the first place. Now we're told we're dismissive of change.
I'd hope that in time SMiSA will have a mechanism in place to allow fans to submit ideas that could help generate revenue for the football club.
Those submitting ideas need to accept that very often ideas that are written on paper, such as for example building a running track in the stadium and installing retractable seating, aren't actually that practical.
 
I'm sure there's not much to lose in opening the 1877 club as a coffee shop every day outside of matchdays. Perhaps the club will consider that idea. Personally I think it's barking but then again I'm a frightened wee narrow minded soul.
 
 

At the SEN conference I was at there were a number of similar set ups all presenting so it's possible I've got a bit of a mash up with others. I did suggest I may have done when talking about the mountain biking. What I do know is that The Atlantis were pushed forward as one of the first companies to use an SEN model without their organisers ever realising that's what they were doing.

Regardless, I don't see any reason why St Mirren couldn't copy many of the examples out there. Open up what you've got, reinvest and apply for grants and funding to expand and just make sure you do it well and you do it for the community.

When I was 16 growing up in Hillington I could never imagine people going to Renfrew for dinner. How many restaurants are there at Xscape today?

Stuart, I've been watching your comparisons to "Atlantis" with interest..........you did this in a previous thread and there are some glaring inaccuracies in your portrayal of "Atlantis" in what it is, has, and how it has come to be what it is. For a start the sports hall was built on the back of  fundraising campaign in the local community which over time raised, if I remember correctly, around £400,000.00 (a major amount of that money was given from the various hotel groups and chains operating in the area) and over £1m of donations from the "National Lottery". In the mid 90's you got quite a lot for that kind of spend.
You are correct that the centre is based on putting profits back in to the charity to be re-invested on further developments and there have been great success stories along the way, you are also correct that people put forward proposals and if thought viable and add value to the centre and to the community working parties will look at how they can be created. However, Atlantis doesn't have five football pitches ..... it has a five a side pitch. Atlantis has tennis courts and gym facilities as well as the sports hall facilities.
I have a strong attachment to Oban and although we are very proud of it ...... Atlantis is a great facility in it's area, built on grants and funding plus local input but I don't think any of us involved would consider it "world class".
 
 
 
 

Stuart, I've been watching your comparisons to "Atlantis" with interest..........you did this in a previous thread and there are some glaring inaccuracies in your portrayal of "Atlantis" in what it is, has, and how it has come to be what it is. For a start the sports hall was built on the back of  fundraising campaign in the local community which over time raised, if I remember correctly, around £400,000.00 (a major amount of that money was given from the various hotel groups and chains operating in the area) and over £1m of donations from the "National Lottery". In the mid 90's you got quite a lot for that kind of spend.
You are correct that the centre is based on putting profits back in to the charity to be re-invested on further developments and there have been great success stories along the way, you are also correct that people put forward proposals and if thought viable and add value to the centre and to the community working parties will look at how they can be created. However, Atlantis doesn't have five football pitches ..... it has a five a side pitch. Atlantis has tennis courts and gym facilities as well as the sports hall facilities.
I have a strong attachment to Oban and although we are very proud of it ...... Atlantis is a great facility in it's area, built on grants and funding plus local input but I don't think any of us involved would consider it "world class".
 
 
 
 

Ideas frighten people, especially ideas that require their buy-in to a greater or lesser degree. Its nothing short of miraculous that the dome got built!

The emotional investment in Football is what sets it apart from most other businesses.
Whilst you may feel the ability to up sticks and take your custom elsewhere, most football supporters have invested too much emotionally to do the same.
The reality is that when a football supporter has had enough, they are lost to the game completely.
At the moment the St.Mirren support are generally very downbeat. I spoke to loads of fellow fans on Saturday and at the previous match against Hibs and the overwhelming feeling was of despondancy. It's totally understandable considering the team have barely kicked a ball in the last three years since we won the league cup.
Football tends to go in cycles. We are in a downward cycle at the moment but at some point it will turn and we'll be better again and when the football team starts winning matches and entertaining again then the fans will be happier, more will come, and we might actually start enjoying ourselves again.
One fan I spoke to on Sat said it was like watching a John Coughlin team again. Whilst I wouldn't go that far at all, I do remember watching the likes of Ricky Robb getting a game for Saints and seeing us losing 4 goals away at Alloa for example.
I couldn't see a way out then and yet ten years later we were winning a national cup final at Hampden.
It's a funny old game. When you get as old as me I think you get a bit wiser and you realise that it will get better again at some point.
As to when, who knows, but I'm sure most of us will stick around regardless.

Some of the abuse that our young players take (both here and at games) is pretty embarrassing, to be honest. Baird looks like he'll be a target this year. He's only 20, and is bound to make mistakes. If we're going to loan out a defender, it should be him...we have a good centre half in the making here, and he needs to be developed properly.

home now. I didn't boo or shout bad things. Never would. Tried and still trying to put a positive slant on it all. But, jeezo. Lucky to escape with a draw...and yes Sutton should have won it. Loved Somerset Park.
 Enjoyed meeting Drew and Big Jake and Southside Saint and Erskine Saint fae Tiree..and Div and the best looking boy in Scotland! I enjoyed the whole experience. I wont be negative or talk St Mirren down in any way....but we need to improve.
Away now to read this  thread and try and find the highlights online.
Still.....and always...COYS.  By the way, that Ayr Utd shop is absolutely fantastic...I mean the best ever football club shop.

The 1877 club is bringing in around £2k a month before anyone sets foot in the place.
That money is guaranteed. Unless of course members drop out.
With the £35K builders fees still to be paid off I can see why having guaranteed revenue coming in is attractive.
If we scrapped the monthly fees and did a free for all, then the bar takings of course would increase, and the place would surely be full every matchday.
The question I guess would be that in 2 home games in a month would a free for all generate more than £2K clear profit in bar sales?
And what if it didn't? Who would pay the builders? There is a risk there.
I still think there is roomfor both members AND turn up on the day punters. At least until the builders are paid off and that debt is gone.
 

the players are not doing what they are being instructed to do ... and Rae is getting more and more frustrated with it.... the players dont have any confidence or belief in themselves right now ... you can see it almost down to a man ... the more experienced players in the side seem to have themselves together and at least try to show that but what the team lacks on the park is a leader ... Thats clear for everyone to see ... the manager can organise all he likes during the week but come match day its down to the players to perform and a captain strong enough to lead them from the back or the middle of the park.

Minority of one here, probably, but I'd give Rae until December like we did with Lennon, Craig and Murray in the past three seasonss - it's far to early to ditch the manager.

CivilSaint
I agree wholeheartedly
 

Is that what you took from it?

What I've seen is a club that has climbed 2 tiers since they were taken over. The old boy who builds the clubhouse and turnstile block said crowds had gone from 48 to 1400. The side knocked out Notts Co in the FA Cup. And when tonight's programme ended they were 4th in the league doing alright with a small but loyal group of unpaid volunteers doing a great job of keeping the club running.

Despite the dreadful start to the season, I'm looking forward to heading through to Ayr on Saturday.
The build up to attending away games is invariably more enjoyable than home games, regardless of recent form. Even huge relegation crunch matches such as those in Motherwell and Grangemouth carried a sense of hope and anticipation. This, as opposed to the general sense of resignation that seems to settle like a thick stoor over home games.
Make no mistake, this is a pivotal game for us this weekend.  A vocal backing from KO could prove to be a crucial factor. At home, aside from an occasional and very brief ripple of enthusiasm following a goal or dodgy refereeing decision, we are a bloody dour lot. I've been part of some fantastic away crowds over the years, and we need another this Saturday.
No excuses this weekend, for either the team, or us, the supporters. Time to kick start this season!
FREEDOM!!!!
 

Yeah my bad. Payments came out on 17th June, 18th July, & 17th August
I am an eejit.

The "Prawn Sandwich brigade" was a reference to those in hospitality, not middle class people per se.

That's twice now Richard.
Centre
You're not American, we don't live in America.

I think this is fairly accurate. It is working in the fashion it was set up but it perhaps should have been set up differently so that it could at least have looked better utilised.
As ever it is very easy to be wise after the event. A group of fans put a project together and delivered...fundamentally well done.
But some will object to anything they are not at the center of

At the end of the day the members did pay up front to build the club, and the members are still paying a monthly fee whether they go or not.
Those members can't just be ignored even if most I've spoken to are, like me, very up for a change in policy to allow more fans in the door.
My own preference would be a package of changes that tries to retain the fixed membership money, and delivers some benefit to those members, whilst allowing more walk up supporters to attend.
Something like this;
Currently members are supposed to inform if they are not attending so the place can be given away. I would flip this round the other way and ask members to confirm they ARE attending by say the Thursday before a game. Some sort of online system to deal with this would be easy enough to do, members just login, tick a box and confirm they are coming. If they don't do that then their space is assumed available for someone else on the Saturday.
  The club then announces on the Friday what the capacity is for "walk up" punters.
  Walk up punters are charged £5 entry but this includes a token to exchange for their first drink at the bar for free. Similar to the way the drop in used to work in the Hospitality lounge curry nights. This ensures the bar is making revenue from every single person that attends.
  All members get their first drink free on production of their membership card on matchday.
This way members get to retain their benefit, which is first dibs at entry every week. If they say they are coming then they can rack up whenever they like and don't need to queue.
Obviously giving away a free drink to members would have a cost, but this would be more than offset by a much larger turnout on most matchdays through the first come first served walk up punters. If the club hits capacity then it's one in/one out.
Everyone who attends pre-match gets a coloured band or a ticket for that day that then entitles them to free entry after the game.
 
There are I am sure some flaws there but it's better than the current setup in my opinion!