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St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson says former referee Stuart Dougal's newspaper comments were a personal attack. More...

St Mirren forward Tom Brighton faces a long lay-off following a severe knee injury. More...

Not only does St Mirren striker Craig Dargo have a new injury to contend with, but he also has to deal with ribbing from team-mates. More...

St Mirren striker Craig Dargo has been ruled out for three weeks with a shoulder injury but will not require surgery. More...

For those that may not visit the RSAssembly website, please find the report posted below. http://www.thebluenose.co.uk/news/assembly-news/assembly-meeting-10th-october-20091018256/ All interesting enough and I guess we have some sort of time-line to see how the club react.

St Mirren midfielder Andy Dorman and Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross are now available to play for Wales thanks to a change in the eligibility rules. More...

Stephen McGinn is relishing Saturday's Scotland Under-21 match after St Mirren won their first league match at their new stadium. More...

He was drafted in at the end of last season due to injuries and did a decent job. He started the first couple of games this season and did well only to be dropped like a stone. He comes on against Hearts and turns the game only to be dropped again. turns up again against the manks and holds his own. When will walter acknowledge that this boy deserves a regular slot in the starting eleven? He has been one of the most consistent players game for game this season only to be overlooked when Smith gets his favourites fit. He deserves a run in the team and a chance to reach the potential he showed before his injury. the boy has what it takes. I can see that. and to think Smith almost gave him ST mirren for Free!

St Mirren and Celtic kick off at lunchtime on a busy Saturday in the Scottish top flight. More...

Former Scotland international Allan Johnston signs for St Mirren until the end of the season. More...

St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour says he is stepping down with the club hoping to find a new buyer by January next year. More...

Stephen McGinn scores twice as St Mirren come from a goal behind to defeat Kilmarnock. More...

Champions Rangers host bottom of the table Hamilton, Aberdeen take on Motherwell, St Mirren visit Rugby Park and Dundee Utd go head-to-head with Falkirk. More...

Hamilton manager Billy Reid signs former Dunfermline and St Mirren midfielder Gary Mason until January. More...

St Mirren boss Gus MacPherson waits for midfielder Allan Johnston to respond to a contract offer from the Buddies. More...

Having spoken to one or two who were at Tynecastle on Sunday as well as having done my ritual post-match trawling of the messageboards, it appears there were spare tickets aplenty outside the away end, with quite a few supporters clubs left with tickets they were unable to get rid of. Granted the match was an early kick-off and live on the telly, but to charge Ã?£28 a pop for any SPL game, particularly a non-Old Firm game, Hearts must be having a laugh. If you tell all who will listen that youââ?¬â?¢re Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s third force yet canââ?¬â?¢t sell out your stadium for a visit of the champions youââ?¬â?¢re either not as big a club as youââ?¬â?¢d like to think or youââ?¬â?¢ve got your pricing strategy completely wrong. No non-Old Firm SPL game should be over Ã?£20, yet for years now clubs have shot themselves in the foot with pricing structures way out of kilter with the entertainment they purport to offer. And this isnââ?¬â?¢t a dig at Hearts alone. Rangers are as guilty of ripping off fans themselves. Last seasonââ?¬â?¢s Old Firm matches were Ã?£35, or Ã?£70 per goal, and European fixtures are just as overpriced. I learned my lesson after parting with Ã?£30 to see us stumble to a 0-0 draw against the might of Artmedia Bratislava a few years back. Even Ã?£20 for friendlies is a bit much if you ask me. I recently had a look at a few SPL clubsââ?¬â?¢ websites and discovered that to watch some of Europeââ?¬â?¢s top performers in such five-star stadia as Tannadice, Fir Park, and Rugby Park, to take three examples, can set you back Ã?£27, Ã?£25 and Ã?£25 respectively. Exactly what percentage of their grounds did these clubs fill last season? 61%, 40% and 32%. Motherwell at least did their ââ?¬Ë?kids for a quidââ?¬â?¢ thing for a short while, just a pity those same kids will be paying through the nose like their old man when they hit 16. St Mirren charged us Ã?£27 to visit their depressing abode at Love Street last season, a ground which was on average only 50% full last season. In other words, half empty. St Johnstone are charging Ã?£21 this season, having famously charged Ã?£17 (seventeen) in the First Division, when unsurprisingly they only opened two of their four stands. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure the recession accounts for some of the empty seats we are seeing, but there were a hell of a lot on view before it started. We are all well aware of the level of entertainment on offer at SPL grounds these days, Ibrox included, and the only explanation for the above prices is that the clubs are preying on the loyalty of a significant, but ever-dwindling band of regulars. The SPL hasn't quite gone the way of the Premiership in pricing terms (yet ââ?¬â?? Old Firm and European games are rapidly heading that way), but even watching Rangers is becoming a luxury enjoyed by the privileged few. I'd like nothing more than to watch the Rangers home and away every week, but for myself and all too many besides, trips to Ibrox are a special once-every-few-months event to be looked forward to and savoured. Ticket prices in the German Bundesliga, home to by all accounts some of the most impressive, customer-friendly stadia in world football, come as a real slap in the face to the football-loving punters of Scotland. Admission is as little as Ã?£10, and rarely above Ã?£15 (incidentally terracing is also being introduced at some grounds to further improve the experience). A tenner to watch Ribery, Hleb and Klose in the comfort of some of the worldââ?¬â?¢s best stadia, or Ã?£25+ to watch Darren Dods and Marc Burchill at Tannadice and Rugby Park (while being told to sit down and shut up by some fluorescent jobsworth)? I stopped going regularly years ago, after cleaning myself out financially going to most of the 2002/03 season. You can take your family to the pictures for the cost of just your own ticket to the football nowadays. Even the dross they put on in the cinema these days isnââ?¬â?¢t as offensive as some of the ââ?¬Ë?refereeingââ?¬â?¢ which continues to tarnish our national game. The only conclusion to be drawn from the current pricing structure in the Scottish game is that fans are at an all-time low placing on the gameââ?¬â?¢s list of priorities. Not many things beat seeing your team on a Saturday, but until clubs join the real world and start pricing accordingly, I, and Iââ?¬â?¢m sure many others, will continue watching lower league football or Mr Stelling in the pub, both of which I can do while standing with my mates. Judging by recent trends, Iââ?¬â?¢m not convinced clubs can afford to go on pricing their loyal fans out of the game for much longer.

St Mirren will give veteran former Kilmarnock midfielder Allan Johnston a second chance to shine on trial. More...

St Mirren sign Chris Innes after the veteran defender leaves crisis-hit Livingston. More...

Kilmarnock and St Mirren will replace Almeira as friendly opponents for Swansea and Wigan with the Spanish side having pulled out over swine flu fears. More...

Rangers approached season 2008 / 2009 on the back of a frustrating end to the previous season with opinions split as to whether 2007 / 2008 had been a success. On first look, it appeared that 2007/08 could be classed as a success, but under closer scrutiny, some fans, myself included would argue that 2007/08 wasnââ?¬â?¢t a ââ?¬Ë?successââ?¬â?¢. Yes, we managed to secure the domestic cup double. However, we struggled to defeat DUFC and QotS in the respective finals. We managed to take the SPL title race into the last game of the season, but ultimately lost the league race. There were many excuses given for losing the league and whilst most, if not all, had their merits, the truth of the matter was that we were so far ahead that losing the league was criminal. One aspect of the season that was a success was our European run. A good showing in the CL was followed by an appearance in the UEFA Cup Final. It was ironic that we started the 2008/09 season with a European tie and ironic that after such a great adventure last season, our European ambitions were killed off before they got started. Drawn against Kanaus, we fully expected Rangers to progress but sadly, we lost the tie and would have no European football to look forward to. We were hardly ââ?¬Ë?activeââ?¬â?¢ in the transfer market prior to being knocked out of the CL qualifiers with little or no players to ignite the imagination, never mind the season. Once knocked out of Europe however, SDM gave the green light for Walter Smith to sign much needed players. Carlos Cueller was sold to Aston Villa and we signed Boogie, Mendes, Miller, Lafferty, Velicka, Edu and Davis (apologies if Iââ?¬â?¢ve missed anyone). Joining CC out of the door would be JCB and Daniel Cousin but Daniel Cousin would deliver an unforgettable leaving present. Our SPL campaign stared with a trip to Falkirk Stadium and it was hardly an auspicious start to the league. We struggled from start to finish and can thank Allen McGregor for making a fine save from the penalty spot before Velicka scored on his Rangers debut when he tapped in a Lafferty cut back. We then welcomed Hearts to Ibrox and secured a 2-0 victory in a vastly improved performance. After setting up Velicka the previous week, Kyle Lafferty opened his Rangers account with a well placed shot from the edge of the box. We didnââ?¬â?¢t secure all three points until deep into injury time when Kris Boyd opened his account for the season from the penalty spot after Kenny Millerââ?¬â?¢s penetrating run was halted by a crude challenge. Next up was our first visit to our friends in the Granite city where we were denied a third successive victory thanks to the first of many questionable refereeing decisions going against us. After David Weir nodded us in front, we conceded a soft equaliser but wwnt on to dominate the game. As the match draw to a close, Beasley slammed home a sweet shot that everyone in the ground assumed to be the winner. However, the assistant referee flagged (wrongly) for offside and Rangers were robbed of a deserved victory. Hardly the ideal preparation for our first visit of the season to Parkheadââ?¬Â¦.. As per usual, we approached the OF game wondering what weird and wonderful team selection WS would deploy. As the teams were announced the surprise inclusions were that of Charlie Adam and Daniel Cousin. Both would play a part in what was an awesome performance and a fantastic victory. Daniel Cousin opened the scoring with a majestic solo effort leaving Wilson for dead before firing past the Polish Clown. Samaras equalised for Celtc, but Rangers went from strength to strength and steamrollered their hosts. Two goals from Kenny Miller on his return to Parkhead (one fantastic volley and one gift wrapped tap in courtesy of the Clown) added the icing to a breath-taking Pedro Mendes strike. Nakamura scored a late consolation direct from a free-kick for the home team after he was blatantly fouled by a blade of grass. That strike failed to dampen the celebrations in the away end as Rangers ran out easy winner. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR-hiAyFFIA&feature=related]YouTube - The Filth 2-4 Rangers (HIGH QUALITY)[/ame] Following the OF victory, Rangers faced Motherwell and Kilmarnock at Ibrox and securing six points from those two games was a must as our next away fixture as a tricky looking visit to Easter Road. We managed to secure all six points with two close fought 2-1 victories in uninspiring performances. In the middle of these SPL fixtures we played Partick Thistle in a League Cup fixture and can count ourselves lucky to have left Firhill with a extra-time victory. However, no one could deny the quality of our goals from Boyd and Mendes ââ?¬â?? two absolute screamers. Our visit to Easter Road was similar to our visit to Parkhead in that we completely dominated the game and ran out 3-0 winners thanks to two wonderful finishes from Kenny Miller and one from Boogie. It was a fantastic way to finish off the month of September as we were only scheduled to play two SPL fixtures in October. Firstly we visited Love Street for the final time with St Mirren languishing at the foot of the SPL title. We were absolutely woeful in the game and St Mirren deserved their 1-0 victory. We then travelled to a wet and wind-swepted New Douglas Park and found ourselves a goal down and staring at back to back defeats. Up stepped Kris Boyd to bag a brace and Nacho Novo secured all three points with a late strike. We also hosted Hamilton in the League Cup and Ibrox and progressed thanks to a 2-0 victory. Highlight of the opening months ââ?¬â?? the form of Pedro Mendes and Steven Davis ââ?¬â?? the 4-2 OF demolition and the 3-0 victory at Easter Road Low Point ââ?¬â?? the 1-0 loss to St Mirren plus the poor performance at Falkirk Player Of The Opening Three Months ââ?¬â?? Pedro Mendes Cammy F - :spl:

St Mirren sign striker Michael Higdon on a two-year deal after his Falkirk contract expires. More...

St Mirren midfielder Hugh Murray is now likely to be fit for the start of the season after undergoing surgery. More...

If Walter wouldn't play Aaron at 18 what chance does a 10 year old have in getting picked.

St Mirren say veteran striker Jim Hamilton will not be offered a new contract. More...

Over the coming weeks Iââ?¬â?¢ll be delving back into the happenings of the season gone past and reviewing all the major talking points from the debacle in Kanuas to the unforgettable and fantastic scenes at Tannidice when the league flag finally came back home (why do I feel the urge to burst into Glasgow Rangers Champions Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh?). I know there was a game AFTER that Sunday in the sun, but Iââ?¬â?¢ll get to that, I promise. I will try to dismantle the season into three month chunks looking back to the games that had the greatest effect on the SPL title race, how the players faired in those monthly segments and try to decipher how Walter Smith wasnââ?¬â?¢t named Manager of the Year and how Boogie wasnââ?¬â?¢t name player of the year. Boogie isnââ?¬â?¢t only the best player at Ibrox, he is the best player in the land by a country mile. As well as documenting the incidents, performances and results that ensured that theyââ?¬â?¢re would be no 4-in-a-row, I will endeavour to paint an honest opinion of our footballing style (or lack off) over the course of the season. There is no doubting that we displayed some very decent football in patches. Victories at Easter Road, Parkhead and off course, the final SPL game of the season instantly spring to mind. In those games we were simply awesome. It is my opinion that if he had maintained those games as our ââ?¬Ë?standardââ?¬â?¢ and hit that form on a consistent basis, we would have won the league at a canter. However, for every brilliant performance, there was a dross performance (ying and yang if you like). Away to Falkirk twice, away to St Mirren, losing to ICT at Ibrox spring to mind ââ?¬â?? and I havenââ?¬â?¢t mentioned the Scottish Cup Final yet. It is also important to investigate and discuss the state that we approached in the season in given the heartbreaking end to the previous season and off course, the sale of King Carlos. There are many trains of thought as to how successful we were in season 2007/08 where we secured the domestic cup double but that only begins to tell the story. We were tantalisingly close to an unprecedented quadruple and at least, should have been good enough to secure the domestic treble. To let the SPL title slip was unforgivable, no matter the mitigating circumstances. We were so far ahead, Celtc required snookers. Given the disappointment of last season, winning the SPL title was a MUST this season. Allow Celtc to lift their fourth title in a row, given our calamitous financial position would have been akin to committing footballing suicide. With that in mind, it is also our duty not to allow our title victory, our 52nd domestic league title (still a world record), to paper of the enormous cracks in our club. There will be at least 10 players sold in the summer (two have already been released) so it is fair to say that some fans favourites could still leave. If Walter Smith intends to add to the first team, heââ?¬â?¢ll likely have to lose even more than the ten that is currently being banded about. Our club is teetering on the edge and guaranteed champions league money has only delayed more stinging cuts. There is also the question of how our club is being marketed. In laymanââ?¬â?¢s terms, it isnââ?¬â?¢t. Here we are basking in the afterglow of winning the domestic double and there isnââ?¬â?¢t a commemorative DVD (or any item celebrating this apart from ONE t-shirt ââ?¬â?? which I am proudly wearing!). Kris Boyd has just celebrated scoring 100 goals for this club, the first player to do so since Mark Hateley. Again, this wonderful achievement hasnââ?¬â?¢t warranted a DVD. Due to the complications of the Umbro deal, we still arenââ?¬â?¢t any closer to knowing the design of our new home top. All of this may not appear to be important in the context of the wild celebrations that rightly greeted the SPL triumph, but this is the time to cash in on the success and by God do we need the cash. There is also a predicted shortfall in season ticket sales, but the only place you see season ticketââ?¬â?¢s for sale in on the official website. Meanwhile our neighbours are advertising on radio, TV and national press. Anyway, back to the post-mortem of the season gone by and it is great to witness that we have a new ââ?¬Ë?cheer-leaderââ?¬â?¢. After the departure of Shota, we didnââ?¬â?¢t have anyone to marvel at as the celebrations took place ââ?¬â?? well step forward and take a bow Mr Nacho Novo. Watching Novo lately has been a joy in itself, especially his ââ?¬Ë?Ha Ha Samarasââ?¬â?¢ antics at Tannidice. Another aspect of the season that is worth discussing, and Iââ?¬â?¢ll mention this in my reviews is how the team spirit grow over the season and was cemented during and after the ââ?¬Ë?boozegateââ?¬â?¢ affair. It would have been easy for the players to have chucked it at certain stages of the season (being 7 points behind, the boozegate affair, the draw at Easter Road) but they all pulled together and this was most evident at Tannidice when we won the title, but it had been growing over the course of the season. So much so we have players like Boyd, Novo and Mendes claiming that they want to finish their careers at Ibrox and players like Boogie stating that knocking back big money moves to the EPL as being the ââ?¬Ë?correct decisionsââ?¬â?¢. It appears that the feel-ggod factor is back at Ibrox and I believe that this is down to the influences of Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant. In finishing, the hard work starts here as we have to build on this success and ensure that we dominate the domestic game for the next few years. This will not be easy and the full extent of how difficult this will be will only be know once the transfer window is closed and we can assess who is still here. We require a long term replacement for David Weir, a left midfielder (Chris Brunt seems the favourite at the moment and he is a very decent player), a right midfield player (as Stevie Davis isnââ?¬â?¢t the answer wide right). Again, these needs may change depending on who is or isnââ?¬â?¢t sold. Either way, itââ?¬â?¢ll be a nail-biting summer with Rangers fans hoping and praying that our ââ?¬Ë?blue chipââ?¬â?¢ players remain at the club for another season (at least). Next week Iââ?¬â?¢ll open the review concentrating on July through to the end of October. This will include (close your eyes) the Kanuas games, the first OF game of the season and asking if whether our eventual forays into the transfer market would have made a difference if they were signed PRIOR to the CL qualifier. Cammy F :spl: