It’s just what the doctor ordered
Saints to host Dundee before clashes against the Old Firm
St Mirren yesterday found out they’ll face both halves of the Old Firm in their opening batch of top-flight fixtures before club chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick beamed: “We couldn’t have asked for a better start.”
Dundee will be the visitors to Paisley on Saturday, August 4, as Saints unfurl their Championship flag at the newly- named Simple Digital Arena.
But Alan Stubbs’ men won’t have too long to get comfortable in the Premiership before they need to travel to Ibrox to face Steven Gerrard’s Rangers the following weekend.
Newly-promoted Livingston, Hearts and Celtic also lie in wait in the opening five fixtures.
Chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick has been left excited by the challenging start to life back in the top flight.
He told Express Sport : “It’s exciting times ahead for the club and the fans. It’s good to have the first game at home and especially to unfurl the flag in front of our owns fans.
“And then after that we have a game against Rangers and we can’t wait for that. We have Celtic and Rangers in our first five games of the season so we couldn’t have asked for a better start in that respect.”
It’s a hectic schedule for the Buddies as Stubbs’ thread- bare squad tackle top-flight football and aim for a run in the Betfred Cup.
But Fitzpatrick and the board at St Mirren are putting their faith in Stubbs to guide the Paisley side through a busy schedule.
He added: “It is not just us that have a congested calendar. Every club will be facing these games but it well certainly be harder for us.
“Alan will know how much of a challenge that he has ahead of him but we trust him completely to motivate the players
“Now the fixtures are out, he can focus on how he approaches these games. We are the new boys going up against the established big boys so it will be tough, there’s no denying that.”
Preparations are already under way for the new season with Stubbs’ first competitive game in charge of Saints coming away to Steve Clarke’s Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in their first group stage game of the Betfred Cup.