Latest news with #StMirren
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Which club has the toughest start?
Opta have crunched the numbers to rank the difficulty of each Scottish Premiership club's first four fixtures of the 2025-26 to their data model, St Mirren have the toughest start, followed by two clubs helmed by new managers, Dundee and for the easiest, Hibernian and capital rivals Hearts should got off to a flier, right? Take a look below to see where your side places...
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Box-office bookends & daunting December - Buddies' standout games
As starts - and ends - to a season go, St Mirren are in for a stiff test. Stephen Robinson's side face last season's Scottish Premiership top three in the first four games of the new term, and the top two and Scottish Cup winners, in the final four. Advertisement After lifting the curtain on the campaign away to champions Celtic, the Buddies welcome Motherwell to Paisley on Saturday, 9 August. Russell Martin's Rangers come to town two weeks later, before St Mirren wrap up August in the capital against Hibernian. A jam-packed, six-game December sees festive trips to Aberdeen (6 December), Hearts (13 December) and Rangers (30 December). Fast forward to the end of the pre-split campaign and it's equally eye-opening. The Buddies wrap up the season where they started it at Celtic Park on Saturday, 11 April. The week before, the Dons are at the SMISA after Rangers visit two matchdays before. It's quite the start, middle and end for the Buddies... what do you make of it? Looking at the fixture list, where do you think St Mirren will be after 10 games? Tell us here.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Box-office bookends & daunting December - Buddies' standout games
As starts - and ends - to a season go, St Mirren are in for a stiff Robinson's side face last season's Scottish Premiership top three in the first four games of the new term, and the top two and Scottish Cup winners, in the final four. After lifting the curtain on the campaign away to champions Celtic, the Buddies welcome Motherwell to Paisley on Saturday, 9 Martin's Rangers come to town two weeks later, before St Mirren wrap up August in the capital against Hibernian.A jam-packed, six-game December sees festive trips to Aberdeen (6 December), Hearts (13 December) and Rangers (30 December).Fast forward to the end of the pre-split campaign and it's equally eye-opening. The Buddies wrap up the season where they started it at Celtic Park on Saturday, 11 April. The week before, the Dons are at the SMISA after Rangers visit two matchdays quite the start, middle and end for the Buddies... what do you make of it?Looking at the fixture list, where do you think St Mirren will be after 10 games? Tell us here.
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
There's no easy money left in football. Clubs must think differently
Every part of the club, from first team to finance, has to deliver. And in a climate where National Insurance changes, Living Wage increases and energy costs can wipe six figures off a balance sheet overnight, it's more urgent than ever. We talk a lot in football about resilience, and not just on the pitch. It's built on hard choices, deliberate strategy, and a willingness to interrogate every part of the organisation – even the ones that don't usually make the headlines. That's what led us to re-examine something most clubs never mention publicly: payroll. Earlier this year, we made the decision to outsource our payroll to SOLVD., a Glasgow-based support services company with a track record in managing large-scale operations. This move was designed to remove operational risk, reinforce trust across our staff, and free up our internal team to focus where they're most valuable – all without cutting jobs. This wasn't a cost-cutting exercise. It was a value exercise to provide extra security. The difference matters. It's tempting, and common, when facing financial pressure to slash and retreat. But short-term cuts often become long-term weaknesses. Our strategy is different: be forensic. Identify the functions that underpin the club and strengthen them. That includes back-office operations. If they fail, everyone feels it. That thinking isn't unique to us. Any time a club starts to cut costs, it is criticised. And sometimes that's justified, but the broader point stands: the era of waste and inertia in football is closing. Clubs, big and small, must operate with intent. At St Mirren, we have no choice but to create our own future. We don't have a billionaire benefactor. We generate our own income. We reinvest locally. And every decision we make – from a player signing to a payroll partnership – has to support our strategy. That strategy is built on three pillars: people, Paisley and performance. If it doesn't strengthen our community, support our staff, or improve how we operate, we question it. The SOLVD. move ticked all three. It's local. It de-risks a key financial function. And it signals to everyone in the club – from the changing room to the back office — that we're serious about running things professionally. We're not alone. Clubs across the country are facing the same economic headwinds. Some are hoping for a windfall. Some are waiting for the cycle to turn. But those that thrive will be the ones that get out ahead of it by treating operations with the same intensity they treat football. For us, professionalism is a form of care. It's about protecting people. Paying them properly. Giving them confidence that the club is built to last, without a single point of failure. Football's not just changing. It's maturing. Sustainability, risk, security, and trust are the new metrics. They may not draw chants from the stands. But they'll determine whether clubs like ours can still be here, competing long into the future. Keith Lasley is COO of St Mirren Football Club Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@
Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic Premiership fixtures 2025/26 in full and it's Aberdeen and Rangers out the gate for the champs
The Hoops know what lies ahead in their quest for five-in-a-row as Brendan Rodgers targets a record-breaking 56th title The wait is over and Celtic fans can now start marking their calendars for the year ahead. The SPFL has this morning released the full fixture list for the 2025/26 Premiership campaign - and the champions kick off their title defence at home to St Mirren on Sunday, August 3 in front of the TV cameras. Kieran Tierney is already in the door but the green-and-white faithful will be hoping to see plenty more new faces by the time the curtain-raiser comes around. Just like Flag Day, the first away trip for Brendan Rodgers' five-in-a-row chasers at Aberdeen will also be beamed live by Sky Sports. The first clash with Rangers will take place at Ibrox on Sunday, August 31 as the Double-winners look to lay down an early marker at the home of their bitter rivals. Rangers will then visit Celtic Park for the Ne'er Day derby before Celts head back to Govan on the weekend of February 28/March 1. Dates and kick-off times are subject to change due to TV selection. With no winter break, the festive fixtures are always a gruelling period for Premiership clubs - especially as Celtic will be juggling domestic commitments with European matters. The Parkhead giants will have to overcome a two-legged play-off to secure Champions League football for a fourth successive year - or else drop into the Europa League. Celtic Premiership fixtures 2025/26 in full AUGUST St Mirren (H) - 03/08/25 (Sky Sports, 16:30) Aberdeen (A) - 10/08/2025 (Sky Sports, 12:30) Livingston (H) - 23/08/2025 Rangers (A) - 31/08/2025 (Sky Sports, 12:00) SEPTEMBER Kilmarnock (A) - 13/09/2025 Hibernian (H) - 27/09/2025 OCTOBER Motherwell (H) - 04/10/2025 Dundee (A) - 18/10/2025 Heart of Midlothian (A) - 25/10/2025 Falkirk (H) - 29/10/2025 NOVEMBER Dundee United (A) - 01/11/2025 Kilmarnock (H) - 08/11/2025 St Mirren (A) - 22/11/2025 Hibernian (A) - 29/11/2025 DECEMBER Dundee (H) - 03/12/2025 Heart of Midlothian (H) - 06/12/2025 Falkirk (A) - 13/12/2025 Aberdeen (H) - 20/12/2025 Livingston (A) - 27/12/2025 Motherwell (A) - 30/12/2025 JANUARY Rangers (H) - 03/01/2026 (Sky Sports, kick off 12.30pm) Dundee United (H) - 10/01/2026 Heart of Midlothian (A) - 24/01/2026 Falkirk (H) - 31/01/2026 FEBRUARY Aberdeen (A) - 04/02/2026 Livingston (H) - 11/02/2026 Kilmarnock (A) - 14/02/2026 Hibernian (H) - 21/02/2026 Rangers (A) -28/02/2026 MARCH Motherwell (H) - 14/03/2026 Dundee United (A) - 21/03/2026 APRIL Dundee (A) - 04/04/2026 St Mirren (H) - 11/04/2026 Post-split dates Matchday 33 - 25/04/2026 Matchday 34 - 02/05/2026 Matchday 35 - 09/05/2026 Matchday 36 - 13/05/2026 Matchday 37 - 16/05/2026 Matchday 38 - 17/05/2026 Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
