Happy Memories

[BuddieinEK]

On Facebook memories...

This post came up.

 

Hard to believe it was only three years ago... ...

 

Who celebrates finishing 7th in a league of 10? Not St Mirren and nor should we!

 

What we celebrated at full time today was so much more than a point. So much more than finishing seventh having been bottom for the vast majority of the season.

 

What we celebrated was the preservation of history in a Lazarus style rise from the dead.

 

Truth be told, had we ambled through the season in a humdrum fashion and finished seventh this season, most fans would have been venting displeasure at best.

 

Instead, almost 2,000 of us stood shoulder to shoulder when not hugging one another, applauding a set of players who gave their all for the cause.

 

Credit to the Hibs fans at this point. This was THEIR party, but for a few moments, they respectfully allowed us to gatecrash it.

 

St Mirren FC is 140 years old.

In 140 years, Saints have NEVER played outwith the top two divisions of Scottish football.

 

I have supported Saints for around 40 years... Almost a third of the clubs existance! I think that entitles me to be passionate about them.

 

I have seen more lows than highs, more misery than celebrations... But when we DO celebrate, us Buddies know how to savour the moment... We have usually waited decades for it, suffering in the meantime.

 

Right up until the final whistle today, one more goal by Hibs and Saints would have faced a relegation play-off.

 

Worse still... Against our Manager Jack Ross' last team Alloa, currently managed by cup winning captain and Saints legend Jim Goodwin.

 

That thought alone was a painful one.

 

So... When the whistle blew, we were partially celebrating a hard earned point away to a very good championship winning side in Hibs, but we were celebrating so much more.

 

Relegation COULD have meant people losing jobs. COULD have resulted in us going part-time and spending unknown years in the doldrums.

 

We were celebrating the preservation of 140 years history in an escape act that Houdini himself would have admired.

 

We were letting the players know that we truly appreciated their efforts and know they gave their all.

 

We were letting them know that for 95 minutes today we were going into every challenge with them and were willing them over one final hurdle.

 

In a team filled with teenagers and youngsters, the inhumane pressure they have faced up to and overcome is testimony to the leadership of Jack Ross and his inspirational Captain Marvel Stephen McGinn.

 

We were celebrating their coming of age and the potential birth of something that hasn't excited me as much since a young manager called Alex Ferguson got me addicted in the first place!

 

No. Nobody should celebrate finishing seventh in a league of ten.

 

I hope we never do!

 

Slainte.

[shull]

This Topic should have many pages. 

Although, there has been stacks of poor, shite and extremely pish memories over my 5 decades of supporting St Mirren, there has been a few happy yins. 

First that I can remember was the promotion battle match in Apri 1972. 

It was at Boghead against Dumbarton in front of a crowd of around 9000.

We won the game with a late winner from wee Willie Borland. The celebrations were immense and gave us a chance of promotion. Alas, it wasn't to be as the Sons clinched the title a few days later. 

The match was shown on Sportsreel that night even though it was a Second Division game. 

A lasting great memory.