This offer is just the ticket
Fans group may be set to hand out free season briefs
Craig Ritchie
The St Mirren Independent Supporter’s Association ( SMISA) is proposing to dish out a number of free season tickets next season — with help from the next quarter’s discrentionary spend.
The group, as part of the summer’s takeover, takes £2 from each monthly subscription and places it in a pot for members to spend as they please. Proposals are then put forward to members to vote on each quarter, and they have come up with a number of ideas for the amount raised so far.
A SMISA spokesman explained: “Part of that is in making sure any money spent on St Mirren is on a project the club actually needs and wants, but also to ensure proposed projects are fully thought through, costed and financially viable, and consistent with the spending priorities collectively expressed in our last members survey.
“Indeed, some of the projects proposed have been down to suggestions made by members at that time.
“The amount available from the January to March subscriptions is £8,249.01. This quarter, we are putting forward three suggested projects which total £8,200 when added together.
“However these are three separate projects and we are asking members to cast three votes – yes or no – for each one, with results decided by simple majority.
“If members vote against any of the projects, the sum of money allocated to it it will stay in the pot for future use.”
The purchase of community season tickets would see the trust buy a block of adult season tickets, and invite community or youth groups to apply to use them, with a different group getting a block of tickets, free of charge, for each game.
Twenty- four tickets would be purchased in total, which would mean a number of groups, including charities and youth groups, being able to take advantage of the scheme.
In total, £6,000 would need to be set aside.
A further £ 1,500 has been proposed to update the Hall of Fame boards around the stadium.
The current boards have not been updated for some time and still carry the branding of JD Sports, who will no longer supply the kits next season.
And the third option, youth team sponsorship, would cost £700.
A spokesman added: “We have also been looking into various ways SMISA could bring the club and local youth football community closer together.
“We are proposing SMISA sponsors a local youth team for next season. We would set aside a £700 budget for the team to buy a set of new kit – which would carry SMISA’s logo as the main sponsor.
“If the spend is approved by members, interested youth clubs could put their names forward and we would draw the winner from a hat.”
Online ballots have now been sent out to all SMISA members to cast their vote on whether they are happy for the pot to be spent this way.
The amount available from the January to March subscriptions is £8,249