Emotional and Financial Investment in St Mirren in Difficult Times

[St.Ricky]

People seem to have different views on what it means to be a fan.

Recent times might give us a lead with Hearts and Our Ibrox Friends taking the lead with Motherwell in the frame.

Hearts - Fans - They turned up in big numbers and have bought into the club, gained promotion and made progress in the SPL.

People have bought in emotionally and financially.

Our Ibrox Friends

Liquidation and humiliation but they have backed the club in numbers by turning up.

These are to me examples of fans who care about their clubs and are willing to invest their time and money to see it through difficult times.

In the past, the natural reaction of fans when teams were performing badly was to turn away, spend their time and money on something else.

Their preogative.

We have a clear choice as St Mirren Fans - Do we invest our emotions, feelings and hard earned money in St Mirren or not?

 

[TediousTom]

Stupid thread.

The supporters of our club are a fantastic loyal bunch.  Our club are lucky to have them.

The urine is currently being extracted from our fanbase and it has been for the past 3 years.  

 

At this time of abject failure the club has to prove it's worth to it's much suffering fanbase, NOT the other way about.  Our fanbase have provided the board at our club with the tools to pay decent wages (for the level we are at), indeed better wages than many clubs around us.....and yet failure follows failure.   None of this is down to a single fan but the clearly overpaid professional's taking our fan's for granted.  

 

The fans need not do any more, the club must if it deserves to keep them (the fans).  

 

In conclusion:  This thread is utter nonsense.  

Edited November 2, 2016 by TediousTom

[TsuMirren]

1008 of us turned up in Greenock last night, 11 others didn't. About time the group of eleven did invest a bit more effort and ability. 11 players grafting and cutting out stupid mistakes will do a lot more for the club than another £100,000 being invested ever will.

To answer your question though. I'm a SMISA member, 1877 club member, Season ticket holder, buy merchandise when I can and I'm looking to run in the upcoming board election. That said, I fully understand that others will invest more or even less than me and I really don't feel they should be judged either way.

[St.Ricky]

1 minute ago, TediousTom said:

Stupid thread.

The supporters of our club are a fantastic loyal bunch.  Our club are lucky to have them.

The urine is currently being extracted from our fanbase and it has been for the past 3 years.  

 

At this time of abject failure the club has to prove it's worth to it's much suffering fanbase, NOT the other way about.  Our fanbase have provided the board at our club with the tools to pay decent wages (for the level we are at), indeed better wages than many clubs around us.....and yet failure follows failure.   None of this is down to a single fan but the clearly overpaid professional's taking our fan's for granted.  

 

The fans need not do any more, the club must if it deserves to keep them (the fans).  

 

In conclusion:  This thread is utter nonsense.  

Tom - Your post says otherwise.

You care about the club. You stump up your money.

Great - So do I and so do the 1,000 plus who went to Greenock last night.

You make my point for me - it is only when the board and fans work together that the magic happens.

My own opinion, and it might not be worth a lot, is that we have a very loyal core support which has done all that you say.

But - We all agree that we need to grow that core support to make real progress.

Cup Finals are the icing on the cake but sometimes mask other issue.

Ours did.

[TediousTom]

Just now, TsuMirren said:

1008 of us turned up in Greenock last night, 11 others didn't. About time the group of eleven did invest a bit more effort and ability. 11 players grafting and cutting out stupid mistakes will do a lot more for the club than another £100,000 being invested ever will.

To answer your question though. I'm a SMISA member, 1877 club member, Season ticket holder, buy merchandise when I can and I'm looking to run in the upcoming board election. That said, I fully understand that others will invest more or even less than me and I really don't feel they should be judged either way.

 

 

Good post Sir.

 

If you are a "premier" member of the cause (Smisa) then you should get almost every badge on your uniform.

We need to stop talking about the cause for a while, the cause does not (potentially) kick in for a decade.  The fans do not currently own the club, they MAY in 10 years but that is 10 years from now.  

 

Gordon Scott has a big job on his hands.  It is time our fantastic support are cut a break.  

 

[St.Ricky]

4 minutes ago, TsuMirren said:

1008 of us turned up in Greenock last night, 11 others didn't. About time the group of eleven did invest a bit more effort and ability. 11 players grafting and cutting out stupid mistakes will do a lot more for the club than another £100,000 being invested ever will.

To answer your question though. I'm a SMISA member, 1877 club member, Season ticket holder, buy merchandise when I can and I'm looking to run in the upcoming board election. That said, I fully understand that others will invest more or even less than me and I really don't feel they should be judged either way.

I dont mean to judge. I am merely looking at other clubs who have re-energised.

We might just learn from them.

Best wishes on your candidacy.

[chalky1]

The fan bases of the two clubs you mentioned far out way what we have. Just because someone doesn't / isn't willing to pay a monthly subscription doesn't make them less of a fan. Personal circumstances take precedence. This is the first year in many seasons that I have not purchased a season ticket, due to work commitments, last night was the first game that I've been able to attend this season. Does that make you a better fan than me?

I care about my club St.Mirren, all fans do but the drivel we have been served up in the last few seasons makes it hard to invest your hard earned cash. And all we seem to be hearing from people is invest in this idea or invest a monthly subscription in this idea.

If the 11 players who take to the part and show an improvement fans will start to come back slowly but surely

[St.Ricky]

7 minutes ago, chalky1 said:

The fan bases of the two clubs you mentioned far out way what we have. Just because someone doesn't / isn't willing to pay a monthly subscription doesn't make them less of a fan. Personal circumstances take precedence. This is the first year in many seasons that I have not purchased a season ticket, due to work commitments, last night was the first game that I've been able to attend this season. Does that make you a better fan than me?

I care about my club St.Mirren, all fans do but the drivel we have been served up in the last few seasons makes it hard to invest your hard earned cash. And all we seem to be hearing from people is invest in this idea or invest a monthly subscription in this idea.

If the 11 players who take to the part and show an improvement fans will start to come back slowly but surely

Chalky

Why read it that way? I am not criticising fans - the exact opposite is the case. I am saying that the bond between fans, the players and the board needs to be rebuilt.

I am not presently a fan-ownership-scubscriber so I have no axe to grind on that score.

I will join the 1877 Club as this puts revenue directly into the club which helps finances right now.

I pay for parking - again putting money into the clubs revenues right now.

Like a LOT of others, I encourage pals to come along with me to the games.

I don't have a season ticket but I do attend games home and away.

As you say - we are all doing our bit but what could be better.

Its obvious that the performance on the park matters.

There have been times in the past when I found the money difficult to justify.

I share the madness that being a fan brings. even returning for a weekend from Bloemfontein in the Centre of South Africa leaving on the friday, landing saturday, attending the game and flying back on the sunday arriving monday morning to start work. That's just my story but fans all have stories.

 

[chalky1]

I read it that way due to what you posted in your original post. You wrote

 

'These are to me examples of fans who care about their clubs and are willing to invest their time and money to see it through difficult times.

In the past, the natural reaction of fans when teams were performing badly was to turn away, spend their time and money on something else'

 

[St.Ricky]

50 minutes ago, chalky1 said:

I read it that way due to what you posted in your original post. You wrote

 

'These are to me examples of fans who care about their clubs and are willing to invest their time and money to see it through difficult times.

In the past, the natural reaction of fans when teams were performing badly was to turn away, spend their time and money on something else'

 

Exactly Chalky

I am suggesting that this was the reaction in the past but that difficulties can also bring groups together as in those I mentioned and others.

How much one invests in time and in emotion depends on how engaged and involved we feel and how included we feel in decisions.

As for the money side of things - You are so right - we all have different circumstances.

 

 

[faraway saint]

For the love of god!!!!!!!!!!

[shull]

5 hours ago, faraway saint said:

For the love of god!!!!!!!!!!

Embrace the new Posters on here.

Dinnae be a child and start ignoring them.

[elvis]

Emotions I was once so passionate about St Mirren that any week they got beat I would be so angry about it I am a founder member of the 1877 club and when I came home from working away I would go to every game I possibly could but the last 3 years has kicked all my passion I once had for the club out of me .See the way everyone celebrated our league cup win well that's the way loads of guys on here will celebrate if we ever get a win that's how bad it has got but for me now and it hurts to say this I couldn't careless if I ever seen them again that's what St Mirren have done for my Emotions for them drained it right out of me.

[scam]

At this point it seems like child abuse to continue to take my son along.

[St.Ricky]

29 minutes ago, scam said:

At this point it seems like child abuse to continue to take my son along.

Scam

I feel the same way when I "take" my grandchildren!

How to change it apart from the obvius sudden turnaround in playing fortune is the question. To re-engage.

 

 

[St.Ricky]

31 minutes ago, scam said:

At this point it seems like child abuse to continue to take my son along.

 

53 minutes ago, elvis said:

Emotions I was once so passionate about St Mirren that any week they got beat I would be so angry about it I am a founder member of the 1877 club and when I came home from working away I would go to every game I possibly could but the last 3 years has kicked all my passion I once had for the club out of me .See the way everyone celebrated our league cup win well that's the way loads of guys on here will celebrate if we ever get a win that's how bad it has got but for me now and it hurts to say this I couldn't careless if I ever seen them again that's what St Mirren have done for my Emotions for them drained it right out of me.

Elvis

I feel your pain. I think we all do.

My point in raising this point is to open up debate on how we can re-engage and re-energise us tired and drained supporters.

The board is new, the manager is new and to an extent they need time but time is maybe not on their side unless we/they/us reconnect in a meaningful way.

A hard core of fans still come along but as you say some of us may be questioning our commitment.

I don't absolve myself from that one bit.

 

[scam]

The problem is we don't have anything to engage with. For fans it has to start on the pitch. This season has been a disaster and now it is time for the team to give the fans something to get behind, there has to be a bit of dig and passion. Make the 2021 a place teams hate coming to because they know they are in for a fight as opposed to the easy 3 points we are giving away each week.

Fans will bitch and moan and that will never change, but if the players give us something to get behind that will become a minority. Better performances on the pitch will lead to more fans attending the games and engaging with the club in a way that a coffee shop never will

[rebella15]

We need a hero!!

[Stuart Dickson]

The problem is we don't have anything to engage with. For fans it has to start on the pitch. This season has been a disaster and now it is time for the team to give the fans something to get behind, there has to be a bit of dig and passion. Make the 2021 a place teams hate coming to because they know they are in for a fight as opposed to the easy 3 points we are giving away each week.

Fans will bitch and moan and that will never change, but if the players give us something to get behind that will become a minority. Better performances on the pitch will lead to more fans attending the games and engaging with the club in a way that a coffee shop never will

The point of the coffee shop is that it generates more revenue, hopefully from a wider customer base. Its absolutely right to look to expand the business to generate extra revenue and profit. Throwing cash at a football team doesn't guarantee results.

[scam]

5 minutes ago, Stuart Dickson said:

 

 

The point of the coffee shop is that it generates more revenue, hopefully from a wider customer base. Its absolutely right to look to expand the business to generate extra revenue and profit. Throwing cash at a football team doesn't guarantee results.

 

I don't disagree in principle with the coffee shop at all, yes we should expand the business side to get more people in and around the club however, the product on the pitch has to be the priority.