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Fitzy can’t wait for Saints to start their assault on the title

Tony Fitzpatrick admits he is counting down the days to the new season as St Mirren prepare for an assault on the Scottish Championship.

The Saints chief executive has spent the vast majority of the summer working hard behind the scenes, brokering deals and dealing with new contracts and agents.

But following the announcement of the club’s pre-season schedule earlier this week, Fitzpatrick admits that he can’t wait for the attention to turn back to performances on the pitch as opposed to the business off of it.

Saints will take to the field for the first time next Tuesday when they face East Fife in a behind-closeddoors friendly with Darren Young’s side. They will then match-up with Inverness Clachnacuddin and Nairn County in a Highland double-header before taking on Dundee at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on July 4.

And with with the Championship fixture list being announced this Friday, Fitzpatrick says the excitement is building.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to getting back to business on the park.

“After the season we had last year, and obviously the way that we finished the season, I think everyone is really excited about what the new season will bring. In the end, noone wanted last season to finish, as everyone was enjoying their football again.

“Hopefully the players can continue that into the new season, and I have no reason to doubt that they will.

“You can see from season ticket sales that everyone is getting behind the team and we are delighted with the way sales are going.

“We have a target to sell 1,000 season tickets for the West Stand and I believe we are on course to reaching that figure. Sales are currently sitting around the 700 mark, and with two weeks of the early bird offers still to go, I don’t see why we won’t.”

St Mirren boss Jack Ross is currently putting his side through their paces as they gear up for the new season.

A number of new signings have already joined up with the squad having penned deals during the break.

And Fitzpatrick says it can only benefit the side that the vast majority of their business has been done early.

He added: “It will help that the manager has managed to get a large chunk of his squad in place for preseason getting started.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the new guys in action.”