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Redundancies at the Academy


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1 hour ago, alwaysabuddy said:

Result from Friday

Club Academy Scotland U18 League
Cormack Park
Aberdeen 9 St Mirren 0

 

Yes there are problems at the academy and I have also heard that coaches are leaving. 

 

Worrying when you add that we are not entering the reserve league

 

the reserve league news is more worrying.  it seems the missing link when measuring academy talent against the professional ranks.  

That being said, many pros of yesteryear would complain about wasting chunks of their career in what was referred to as the "stiffs".  So maybe it is not as valuable as i think.  Especially when you consider that only 5 premiership clubs aree fielding sides this season.

Edited by beyond our ken
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On 7/29/2022 at 11:54 PM, SuperSaints1877 said:

Have you evidence of that claim?

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. 

 

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On 7/30/2022 at 12:01 PM, faraway saint said:

Why don't you contact them as your prepared to post unfounded stories? :wacko:

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. 

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1 hour ago, animal said:

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. 

 

I know who she is and her role at the club. However there is still no evidence she has left. That was my query. I’m not doubting you.

I just have not read any news or seen anything on social media to back up what you say. Same goes for the Academy coaches. 

The club has a great fanfare announcing these roles but don’t inform when this changes.

Ali deFoy was employed as a “Brand Management and Sales” a year ago but seems to have left that role.

https://www.stmirren.com/all-news/3946-ali-defoy-joins-as-head-of-brand-management-and-sales

We still don’t seem to have replaced our long standing club doctor who resigned well over a year ago.

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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. 


 

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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. 

 
Are you using Baz's definition of "fact" there?
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1 hour ago, Slarti said:
4 hours ago, animal said:

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. 

 

Are you using Baz's definition of "fact" there?

F A C T

Fully Automatic Crap Translator

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8 hours ago, SuperSaints1877 said:

F A C T

Fully Automatic Crap Translator

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 ?

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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.
Left of her own accord, been sacked made redundant ...?

Fact: Redundancy letters at our successful academy now under the watchful eye of a kibble director have been out for a week.
Evidence?

Fact: More well known faces set to depart.
Being a small club, anyone at all who leaves is probably a well known face.

Fact: From my perch in the main stand I see and hear things of interest
Unless you sit next to really boring cunts, I'll accept that one.

Fact: we are dependent on unpaid volunteers for stadium cleaning
Dependent on or have?

Fact: we needed their help to distribute season tickets
Who? The cleaners?

Fact: after more than a year with strangely connected suppliers at the academy we have a hugely damaging overspend under this regime’s watch 
Evidence?

Fact: our general manager is employed by Kibble
My god, none of us were aware of any Kibble involvement whatsoever.

Fact: we are one unhappy workplace
Evidence?
 
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 ?
Nope.


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46 minutes ago, animal said:

Fact: From my perch in the main stand I see and hear things of interest
Officer ?

Are you actually a pigeon?

Joking aside.

People have rightly asked what actual solid evidence is there to back up your claims. You have provided nothing.

I've just checked my LinkedIn and Michelle Evans personal profile is still listed as

79F08792-5608-40D0-9615-1B050A689C92.thumb.jpeg.be498a00df27a0ad4dcdc7daaceb9e22.jpeg

 

I have never doubted your claims. But you do yourself no favours if you can’t provide hard evidence to back them up.

My response of the FACT acronym was directed at a different user. Don’t be such a snowflake.

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I don’t like supporters belittling each other so when one or two point to worrying developments they should be at least properly considered as I believe every person on here cares about our club.
Whistleblowers like animal and one or two others deserve a fair hearing if fans are being kept in the dark. Likewise supporters who accept everything coming out of the club as gospel are to be admired for their faith.Usually the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
At the moment there are SMISA members who are really worried.
Taking animals claims I would comment that Michelle Evans has left. It is common knowledge around the club and academy that letters have been received by a number of prominent employees. I have heard of no imminent departures but it would not surprise me one bit. St mirren leaks information easily both at the stadium and if you know the right people at kibble. The volunteers do a great job but normally a contractor would do this work. It does seem a bit over the top at times on social media but on the other hand it allows them to publicise their many hours of work. As for them working at the ticket office, I did find this very strange. We have a ticket office manager and I believe an assistant from kibble. The manager is well known and has been doing a good job, is very helpful and has a good connection to the fans. That’s exactly what the club needs. I have it on good authority that the works at the academy have been over spent by more than £200,000 with the original budget being about £50k. That may be why cuts are being made and why it’s taken a year to sort out. Living in Paisley word travels and I too have heard that behind the scenes the club is not a happy place.
So for me most of what animal claims is correct. I understand people want evidence but equally understand why this would be hard to get. Nobody can doubt that people come and go at our club almost without acknowledgment or even a thank you on the website. This is the style of management that happens at a charity not so far away where I have good contacts. There is a lot of good going on at the club but I am worried that that is being undermined by what I am also told is a debt of over £1million.

 


 

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11 hours ago, SuperSaints1877 said:

Are you actually a pigeon?

Joking aside.

People have rightly asked what actual solid evidence is there to back up your claims. You have provided nothing.

I've just checked my LinkedIn and Michelle Evans personal profile is still listed as

79F08792-5608-40D0-9615-1B050A689C92.thumb.jpeg.be498a00df27a0ad4dcdc7daaceb9e22.jpeg

 

I have never doubted your claims. But you do yourself no favours if you can’t provide hard evidence to back them up.

My response of the FACT acronym was directed at a different user. Don’t be such a snowflake.

I have known Michelle for many years - she sadly left SMFC last Friday. I will let her know she needs to update her Linkedin profile. A telephone call to the club would confim what Animal says is true.

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I find it unfortunate that we are having to have this conversation on a fans forum but clearly one or more members of staff are happy to talk about the supposed redundancy letters but it seems none are prepared to supply a suitably redacted copy to back up the claims, there is no surprise therefore that others are sceptical about the claims.

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15 hours ago, SuperSaints1877 said:

Are you actually a pigeon?

Joking aside.

People have rightly asked what actual solid evidence is there to back up your claims. You have provided nothing.

I've just checked my LinkedIn and Michelle Evans personal profile is still listed as

79F08792-5608-40D0-9615-1B050A689C92.thumb.jpeg.be498a00df27a0ad4dcdc7daaceb9e22.jpeg

 

I have never doubted your claims. But you do yourself no favours if you can’t provide hard evidence to back them up.

My response of the FACT acronym was directed at a different user. Don’t be such a snowflake.

It's  not really unusual for people to put other things above updating linkedin when leaving a job.  When someone leaves the first you usually hear about it is when they start a new job or to ask for help from their contacts.

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18 minutes ago, StanleySaint said:

I find it unfortunate that we are having to have this conversation on a fans forum but clearly one or more members of staff are happy to talk about the supposed redundancy letters but it seems none are prepared to supply a suitably redacted copy to back up the claims, there is no surprise therefore that others are sceptical about the claims.

even adding a rediacted copy online would normally breach the terms of the notice and quite possibly the terms of your employment.  i know that it would be anonymous if redacted, many people wouldn't even risk that.

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4 hours ago, glen said:

I don’t like supporters belittling each other so when one or two point to worrying developments they should be at least properly considered as I believe every person on here cares about our club.
Whistleblowers like animal and one or two others deserve a fair hearing if fans are being kept in the dark. Likewise supporters who accept everything coming out of the club as gospel are to be admired for their faith.Usually the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
At the moment there are SMISA members who are really worried.
Taking animals claims I would comment that Michelle Evans has left. It is common knowledge around the club and academy that letters have been received by a number of prominent employees. I have heard of no imminent departures but it would not surprise me one bit. St mirren leaks information easily both at the stadium and if you know the right people at kibble. The volunteers do a great job but normally a contractor would do this work. It does seem a bit over the top at times on social media but on the other hand it allows them to publicise their many hours of work. As for them working at the ticket office, I did find this very strange. We have a ticket office manager and I believe an assistant from kibble. The manager is well known and has been doing a good job, is very helpful and has a good connection to the fans. That’s exactly what the club needs. I have it on good authority that the works at the academy have been over spent by more than £200,000 with the original budget being about £50k. That may be why cuts are being made and why it’s taken a year to sort out. Living in Paisley word travels and I too have heard that behind the scenes the club is not a happy place.
So for me most of what animal claims is correct. I understand people want evidence but equally understand why this would be hard to get. Nobody can doubt that people come and go at our club almost without acknowledgment or even a thank you on the website. This is the style of management that happens at a charity not so far away where I have good contacts. There is a lot of good going on at the club but I am worried that that is being undermined by what I am also told is a debt of over £1million.

 


 

The cost of building materials rocketted last year between January 21 and the summer. Timber was in especially short supply.  It could be the case that a contract was signed on the basis of a quote that was out of date almost as soon as it submitted.  That would be incompetence on the part of both the principal contractor and the client.  Given that we have a property management specialist in the ranks of the board it is pretty damning if that particular claim is true

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It’s very disappointing that the club does not formally announce when these departures take place.

They are quite happy to have a great fanfare announcing the appointments, but given we are fan owned (but not fan run) communications is key. 

As I understand from the Official web site we have still not replaced our long standing club doctor who resigned from his post after the Kibble led revolution took place.

If anyone from the club is reading these forums, then sort out this communication as a priority as all it is causing is divisions in the support. We should all be pulling together. 

I was shot down in flames for saying I had it on good authority that the club ran at a loss last season to 7 figures. Yet other people are coming on and saying the same thing. This is extremely worrying.

Di we need to wait until the next SMiSA meeting or AGM to get the truth?

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27 minutes ago, beyond our ken said:

It's  not really unusual for people to put other things above updating linkedin when leaving a job.  When someone leaves the first you usually hear about it is when they start a new job or to ask for help from their contacts.

Yeah I understand that. Good point. It would be much simpler if the club had just announced that Michelle was leaving the post. 

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4 hours ago, glen said:

I have known Michelle for many years - she sadly left SMFC last Friday. I will let her know she needs to update her Linkedin profile. A telephone call to the club would confim what Animal says is true.

So was this yesterday? Or a week ago she left?

Did she leave by choice or was it a redundancy?

Supporters should not need to phone the club to ask about this. Even if we did who would answer?

The club should announce it via website or Twitter thanking her for her services and wishing her all the best for the future. 

As it is she is still listed on the official site club directory.  https://www.stmirren.com/club/contacting-st-mirren/club-directory
 

An update to this website should take less time than I have taken to write this post.

Disappointing St Mirren FC.  

Edited by SuperSaints1877
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1 hour ago, StanleySaint said:

I find it unfortunate that we are having to have this conversation on a fans forum but clearly one or more members of staff are happy to talk about the supposed redundancy letters but it seems none are prepared to supply a suitably redacted copy to back up the claims, there is no surprise therefore that others are sceptical about the claims.

I don't mind negative information about the club coming out. Every club has it's crosses to bear.

However, when it's delivered in an almost gleeful manner of "look at me! Look at me! The club are in the shit", by an individual that only posts this type of material, then it just gets people's backs up. Especially when it's so obviously being used to have a go at The Kibble.

FWIW I suspect many clubs of our size will be considering cost cutting exercises over the next few months given the current global financial crisis. It's devastating for individuals to lose their source of income due to cost cutting, but it's an unfortunate part of world of employment and certainly doesn't only happen at our club.

I voted against The Kibble getting involved with the club. However, I accepted the democratic nature of the vote and gave them the benefit of the doubt, rather than developing a ridiculous pathological hatred of them. IMO they've done some good and haven't delivered with regards to other issues.

If the club is entering a period of uncertainty, then surely it would be better for the fans and the club to be working together, and people on the side lines airing their divisive, petty personal vendettas certainly isn't helpful.

Edited by FTOF
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I just don't understand how we can be 1 million plus in debt when we don't have an overdraft facility with the bank 🤔

As for people being paid off, that tend to happen if the business is over manned for the amount of work they have. 

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