The St. Mirren FC 2023/24 thread

[NorthBank]

3 hours ago, ZingaliMan said:

Where is the Mail getting their info from . 

They make it up like everything else in that fascist propaganda comic.

[Coventry Saint]

Quote

 

St Mirren FC has announced two significant appointments as the club takes direct action to strengthen its approach to Covid-19 and Quality measures.

Following a number of positive cases which have resulted in the postponement of two SPFL fixtures, the club has appointed former Scottish Police Federation chairman Brian Docherty as its first safeguarding and quality manager, and has also retained one of the country’s foremost risk management experts, Dr Kevin Pollock, to review and enhance the club’s internal processes.

Club chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick said: “The postponement of our two games following positive tests amongst playing staff was disappointing. Everyone associated with the club has a paramount duty to do whatever it takes to make sure we absolutely minimize the risk of any infection.

"That’s why we have appointed Brian and Kevin, both of whom have close and longstanding links to the club, to help us tackle this continued very real risk to society and our club."

Brian is well known to the club, having joined St Mirren as a schoolboy, making a scoring first team debut at 17. After three seasons, he made the move to Arbroath as their club captain, following which he joined Strathclyde Police in 1983, taking up the position of chairman of the Strathclyde Police Federation in 2010.

In 2012 he was appointed Chairman of the Scottish Police Federation where he held responsibility for the terms and conditions of approximately 17,500 officers. Brian contributed to the development and implementation of Police Scotland’s new protocols. He has worked at a UK level and held responsibility for investigating the planning of major events with policing involvement and chaired UK wide meetings to develop strategy and implementation of policy. He has contributed to the work of the European Policing Organisation, Eurocop, assessing issues impacting on UK and European policing, ensuring overall compliance with health and safety, employment law and employment and diversity protocols. Brian brings a wealth of knowledge to the club in areas such as policy management and stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, crisis communication and crisis management.

Lifelong St Mirren Fan Dr Kevin Pollock is one of the UK’s foremost experts in the fields of risk management and business continuity, with extensive experience in managing challenging incidents and joins the club in a consultancy role to review and enhance its processes in helping to address Covid-19.

He has designed, implemented, and embedded successful organisational resilience programmes incorporating risk, crisis, and business continuity and was commissioned by the UK Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat to research lessons from UK emergencies and major incidents. He is an independent consultant at Pollock Ferguson Resilience and an Academic Fellow at the UK Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College.

Kevin has also lectured at Glasgow Caledonian University and was Assistant Professor of Policing and Security, Rabdan Academy, UAE.

Tony added: "These two senior appointments significantly strengthen the infrastructure within the club and will enhance our capabilities. Every single member of staff at the club, at all levels, knows that our approach to this challenge has to be as professional and robust as possible. We are committed to leaving no stone unturned and look forward to the contribution both Brian and Kevin will make."

 

https://www.stmirren.com/all-news/3803-chief-executive-statement

Lots of words.

No way we were doing this if we hadn't made mistakes; I suspect we've agreed to take action after talks with the authorities.

[Ric]

14 minutes ago, Coventry Saint said:

No way we were doing this if we hadn't made mistakes; I suspect we've agreed to take action after talks with the authorities.

Certainly the "Everyone associated with the club has a paramount duty to do whatever it takes to make sure we absolutely minimize the risk of any infection." line suggests that maybe not everyone had adhered to the exact requirements laid out. Maybe more in spirit than necessarily going against the letter of the law.

I don't doubt that these guys have been put in place in order to shore up any questions, and certainly giving us a bit of "moral high ground" (or is that Maurice high ground) going forward.

In plain finances, if these actions mitigate any possible financial punishment, then you'd maybe suggest that it'll cost less to hire these guys than a £20k - £30k fine that has been mooted.

[flyingscot]

It is a smart call to do something like this if disciplinary action is pending. Shows a commitment to improving standards going forward and can help mitigate any punishment. If you go up for disciplinary 'look at all the changes we've done, give us a chance'. 

[Coventry Saint]

4 minutes ago, flyingscot said:

It is a smart call to do something like this if disciplinary action is pending. Shows a commitment to improving standards going forward and can help mitigate any punishment. If you go up for disciplinary 'look at all the changes we've done, give us a chance'. 

Yeah, completely agree. Though I do strongly suspect a quiet word has already been had; the authorities remain in a difficult position over the lack of action taken towards other clubs earlier in the season and it is very much in their interests to not have to dole out any significant punishments to any member clubs over this (assuming our transgressions have been in the 'borderline' category.)

It makes far more sense for all parties if the SPFL can conclude its investigation with a suspended fine and a satisfied nod towards the action that we have taken to improve matters.

[Spam_Valley]

Two top guys who are Saints men through and through and I wish them well but feel like this is the equivalent of putting a plaster on a gaping wound.

Too little, too late.

[RandomGuy.]

I'm fairly sure you were meant to have folk filling those roles before the season started.

[well fan for life]

Imagine Mo Ross winding you up so much you've appointed a polis and a lecturer to ward him off. 

[ZingaliMan]

4 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

Imagine Mo Ross winding you up so much you've appointed a polis and a lecturer to ward him off. 

The Policeman used to play with Saints in our hey day of the 80's. Just thought I would mention that. 

[Torfason]

4 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

Imagine Mo Ross winding you up so much you've appointed a polis and a lecturer to ward him off. 

“Ward him off”

Great choice of words as an ex Zombie  

[NorthBank]

21 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I'm fairly sure you were meant to have folk filling those roles before the season started.

And who holds those positions at the Fakes?

[RandomGuy.]

3 minutes ago, NorthBank said:

And who holds those positions at the Fakes?

We never had the need to make it public knowledge.

I'm just aware guidelines for restarting football included staff members whos sole focus would be enforcing Covid guidelines/overseeing the whole thing.

[NorthBank]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

We never had the need to make it public knowledge.

I'm just aware guidelines for restarting football included staff members whos sole focus would be enforcing Covid guidelines/overseeing the whole thing.

St Mirren, like every other Club, had to do just that so we had people whose role it was to oversee Covid. Our procedures were checked after the keeper crisis so we were doing ok at that point.

However it looks like the job is more complicated than anticipated and with the chances of the situation deteriorating throughout society, the appointing of a quality manager (ex Police chief) and a risk management expert (a Doctor who is an expert in the field of health risk management) seem like a sensible move and one that maybe other clubs will follow.

Edited October 26, 2020 by NorthBank

[ZingaliMan]

6 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

We never had the need to make it public knowledge.

I'm just aware guidelines for restarting football included staff members whos sole focus would be enforcing Covid guidelines/overseeing the whole thing.

There will be other clubs who will suffer at the hands of C19 . Things are heating up in Dundee now with growing numbers. What are the SPLF going to hit clubs with that's the big question.  It should be support not a kick in the balls. Who is going out to be negligent to catch C19 it's a pandemic lottery. You can pick it up at a petrol station forecourt many other surfaces as channel 4 dispatches will prove tonight at 8pm so worth a watch. 

[Yorky]

14 minutes ago, ZingaliMan said:

There will be other clubs who will suffer at the hands of C19 . Things are heating up in Dundee now with growing numbers. What are the SPLF going to hit clubs with that's the big question.  It should be support not a kick in the balls. Who is going out to be negligent to catch C19 it's a pandemic lottery. You can pick it up at a petrol station forecourt many other surfaces as channel 4 dispatches will prove tonight at 8pm so worth a watch. 

Surely any investigation would not be looking at a single individual who has caught the virus while out and about but rather that St Mirren as a club were following the protocols? A single St  Mirren player stating everyone followed the rules does not make it gospel.

Edited October 26, 2020 by Yorky

[Coventry Saint]

55 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I'm fairly sure you were meant to have folk filling those roles before the season started.

Same with you guys and players, tbh.

[Ric]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

I'm fairly sure you were meant to have folk filling those roles before the season started.

 

53 minutes ago, NorthBank said:

And who holds those positions at the Fakes?

 

48 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

We never had the need to make it public knowledge.

[ZingaliMan]

19 minutes ago, Yorky said:

Surely any investigation would not be looking at a single individual who has caught the virus while out and about but rather that St Mirren as a club were following the protocols? A single St  Mirren player stating everyone followed the rules does not make it gospel.

Dont disagree with any of that. I would be amazed if protocols were brocken given the goal keeper fiasco.  If protocols have been brocken then you take your punishment.  

[Sortmeout]

On 24/10/2020 at 22:25, ZingaliMan said:

It's a pandemic I'm sure if Killie and Saints take this to a court of law we will both be proved innocent.  At that point is the football authorities looking after their members  ?  I dont thinks so they are on a different planet.  It's not a guess we are not out the first month of winter things are going to get bad for all clubs.  If this goes tits up I'm finished watching Scottish football.  Plenty other things to do on a Saturday.  

Apologies if I’m wrong but was it not you who said you were finished with St Mirren after they sold the boy Magennis?

You seem quite desperate to stop supporting your club.

[buddie06smfc]

I'm fairly sure you were meant to have folk filling those roles before the season started.

Perhaps you can point us towards the rules that state you need 2 appointments in a time where resources are tight. Feel to illustrate this in a bar chart.
There are measures to follow which we may or may not be managing to do. No onus on clubs to throw money on personnel to implement strict measures on top of the resources already required for twice weekly testing.