Old Firm boost for club kitty Board says stand decision vital for funding top-flight campaign
Craig Ritchie
St Mirren bosses insist their decision to hand Celtic and Rangers fans two stands next season will allow them to give Jack Ross a bumper warchest.
The controversial decision was made last week after the club confirmed that the Old Firm fans would be housed behind both goals.
Sections of the Saints support have reacted angrily to the proposal – however, the board are adamant that it will benefit the club in the long run.
And they have revealed that allowing Celtic and Rangers fans to sit in the South Stand, which traditionally houses the club’s home support and also acts as the Family Stand, will see the side’s transfer kitty bolstered by six-figures.
A club statement read: “We can completely understand the announcement was not universally well received but please rest assured that the decision was not taken lightly by the board.
“Our stated aim is to have St Mirren challenging in the top six of the Scottish Premiership.
“We need to give the manager a budget that shows we are serious about staying in the division and, as a board, we need to investigate every avenue to achieve that without putting the club at risk.
“Making this decision means that we can add a six-figure sum to that budget to help make this happen.
“It is no coincidence in football that league position and the size of a manager’s budget are usually fairly well aligned.
“There will always be exceptional seasons where the trend is bucked both positively and negatively but generally speaking for our football club to change from one merely seeking to survive to one regularly challenging for a place in the top six requires us to increase our overall turnover by around 50 per cent.
“That is a huge task but one we are committed to achieving.”
Both stands hold a combined total of 3,300 seats at the ground, meaning that the Buddies will retain the majority of the allocation.
South Stand season ticket holders have also been offered briefs at a reduced rate for the upcoming season as compensation for the stance.
And St Mirren chiefs hope that fans will still turn out in their numbers despite the upheaval.
The club added: “Although this decision gives Celtic and Rangers a larger support than previously, St Mirren supporters will retain the majority of seats in the stadium.
“We are hopeful of a big home crowd for these (and all other) games where the atmosphere will be electric.
“Importantly this decision means that for all our other games the away fans will only have the North Stand which will allow us to build on the superb support within the stadium that helped us so much this season.
“We want to win every game we play, home or away, and the support plays a huge part of that, as we have seen over the past 18 months.”
We want to win every game we play and the support plays a huge part