Faithful through and through...even in defeat
If it is to take a hammering at the hands of Livingston to come crashing back down to earth, then so be it.
It may not have been pretty – in fact it was dire – but St Mirren’s defeat last Saturday may just be about getting everything back in line and feet on the ground.
After the drama of last week, and the will- he- won’t- he saga surrounding the future of Jack Ross, it probably should have been obvious that things were never exactly going to be straightforward when it came to the 90 minutes at Almondvale.
The manner of the defeat was perhaps the most alarming thing about the whole day, with Saints struggling to even lay a finger on Livi despite having fired themselves into the lead within the opening two minutes.
But, as it proved, Ryan Hardie did what Ryan Hardie does, scoring goals against St Mirren as the two sides contine to wage their personal war against one another every time they face.
Imagine he could have actually scored goals for St Mirren? Imagine.
The run- up to the game was overshadowed by the Barnsley approach, and Ross subsequently ruling himself out of the running.
The manager, as you would expect, insisted that no excuses could be made for the manner of the defeat, and point blank refused to use the drama as a cop- out.
But it must have had an effect in some way or another – because St Mirren weren’t themselves.
His refusal to depart for pastures new, just hours after I penned my tear-stained plea begging him to stay, brought an outpouring of emotion akin to that of St Mirren winning a cup final on the Thursday night.
Twitter erupted, Facebook went mad... well madder than it normally is, and the message boards probably blew up.
But it just showcased how central the manager has been to the turnaround of this club.
And the supporters came out to lend their backing with a display like no other on Saturday.
If you need to see how far this club has come both on and off of the pitch, Almondvale would be your prime example.
At 4- 1, with Alan Muir’s full- time whistle breaching the chilly air on a day that the football wouldn’t heat you up, the St Mirren players held their heads in their hands. But still there was no booing. Instead over 1,000 Saints fans waited to the very end to clap their players off of the pitch.
If that was last year, prior to the February revival, you probably wouldn’t have been able to hear yourself think.
The players wandered over and thanked the fans for their backing, some apologetically waving but acknowledging the supporters The SPFL have confirmed the key dates for season 2018/19.
The league governing body has also confirmed the retention of the Premiership’s winter break – which would effect St Mirren should they achieve promotion.
All four Scottish divisions will kick off on the weekend of Saturday, August 4, with the Premiership shutting down from Monday, December 31, until Friday January 18.
The season will begin with the group stage of the Betfred Cup in mid-July, as has been the case for the past two years. However, the nonetheless.
Jack Ross took a walk of his own over to the fans, who greeted him with open arms.
A banner of the gaffer was unveiled before the game, as the supporters again came out resplendent in black, white and red.
For a club that was torn to its very core just over 18 months ago, Ross has grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. The fans have acknowledged that. They too have been a credit to the club throughout this time.
The banners, the drum and the displays week in, week out have finally made Greenhill Road home.
The banners will keep on coming, but hopefully there is still a trophy to be lifted. Betfred Cup last 16 will be played on Saturday, August 18, rather than the usual midweek slot due to a change in the UEFA competition dates.
The first round of the Irn-Bru Cup is scheduled for the midweek of August 14/15. Meanwhile, fixtures for the 2018/19 league season will be published in mid-June.
Betfred Cup group stage matches: MD1 Saturday, July 14 – MD2 midweek of July 17/18 – MD3 Saturday, July 21 – MD4 midweek of July 24/25 – MD5 Saturday, July 28.
Betfred Cup round two: Saturday, August 18.