St Mirren

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St Mirren have sold James Bolton to Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee just five months after the centre-half signed a contract extension until summer 2025.

The Scottish Premiership club revealed that the Staffordshire-born 29-year-old "made clear his desire to move back to England for family reasons".

Bolton, who has signed a two-year contract with the club relegated to League Two, had joined St Mirren last summer after leaving Plymouth Argyle and went on to make 26 appearances, 15 of them starts.

The defender started his career with Macclesfield Town before spells with Workington, Stafford Rangers, Halifax Town, Gateshead, Shrewsbury Town and Portsmouth.

We asked who you are backing to be St Mirren's breakout star in the new season.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Gus: Ethan Sutherland is the standout star of the future.

Eddie: Ethan Sutherland is a standout, we need to start building on our young talent. He is one of a few who need to make the transition from being a 'prospect' to the real deal.

Dougie: I would like to think Toyosi Olusanya is going to shine this season. His pace and energy will be paramount this season. Also Mark O'Hara will be back to his best also. Let's face it, all Saints players will shine.

Chris: I'm expecting James Scott to kick on this season and give us a real goal threat. He tormented the life out of us when he was at Motherwell, now I hope he'll do it to our opponents.

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Ellery Balcombe says St Mirren are a club on the rise as he looks to help build on last season’s exploits.

The goalkeeper signed on a season-long loan from Brentford last month and has been putting in the hard graft at St Mirren’s training camp in Spain.

Balcombe, who is on his eighth loan spell at age 24, told club media: "Obviously last year St Mirren had a big season, getting into Europe and stuff, and I feel it’s a club that’s progressing and moving forward and I want to be a part of that.

"Scottish football is somewhere I’ve never been before. I’ve moved all over for loans so the moving part wasn’t a big deal, it’s just about getting settled as quickly as I can and focus on the football.

"It’s been good. All the lads have welcomed me so I’m happy. The standard of training has been good so far. It’s hot but it’s good to get those first couple of days out the way."

Who do you think will be St Mirren's breakout star in the coming season?

Is there one particular youngster you are backing to impress or perhaps a fringe player who will come to the fore?

Have your say here., external

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St Mirren forward Conor McMenamin is facing months on the sidelines after the club confirmed he will have surgery on a patella tendon injury.

The 28-year-old was hampered by the knee problem last season and suffered a recurrence during Northern Ireland's friendly defeat by Spain last month.

McMenamin is not part of St Mirren's training camp in Spain and will now undergo surgery.

The club added in a statement: "We wish Conor a full and speedy recovery."

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Caolan Boyd-Munce is backing "machine" Oisin Smyth to become a fans' favourite at St Mirren.

The former Northern Ireland Under-21 team-mates have been reunited in Paisley after midfielder Smyth, 24, joined the Buddies from Oxford United on a two-year deal this summer.

"Oisin will slot in perfectly here. You can see already about the place, everyone has taken to him brilliantly," midfielder Boyd-Munce told club media at the team's training camp in Spain.

"I played with him for the [Northern Ireland] Under-21s, he was my midfield partner for a while, cracking player.

"He’s a machine, can run. He’s going to bring a bit of quality to the middle as well and I think the fans will really love him.

"I’ve always kept in contact with him. Once I knew there was a chance of him coming here and he knew, it was a no-brainer. He was asking about coming, how he would fit in, and I knew it would fit perfectly."

Boyd-Munce has returned for club duty after his career highlight, making his Northern Ireland debut against Spain last month.

The 24-year-old made an early impact, providing the assist for Daniel Ballard's opener, before Spain went on to win 5-1.

Boyd-Munce, who earned his second cap in the 2-0 win over Andorra, said of his debut: "It’s my biggest achievement yet.

"I’ve been there since I was 11, 12. Being from Belfast, to get that chance to finally play for my country and to start like I did – with the assist and going 1-0 up against one of the world’s best and favourites for the Euros – was some feeling. Hopefully there’s more of them to come.

"The roar when that goal went in will live with me. It’s made me hungry for more and it’s more than achievable for Oisin too."

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St Mirren continued their preparations for next season with a comfortable 4-0 win in a friendly against an unnamed Spanish side.

Ethan Sutherland and Jonah Ayunga put the Saints 2-0 up at half-time before Roland Idowu scored twice in the second half.

Stephen Robinson's players are in Pinatar in the south of Spain for warm-weather training.

They have four further friendlies, starting with Saturday's trip to face Dunfermline at East End Park, before the first leg of their Europa Conference League second round qualifier against either Valur of Iceland or Albanian side Vllaznia on 25 July.

After the fixtures were released on Thursday, we asked how you feel St Mirren will start the season while contending with European football.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Stuart: We lost one of our best players to a rival. We’ve made a couple of defensive signings for a team desperate for goals. We will do well to maintain top six and latterly, the manager.

Douglas: Always a topsy-turvy world down in Paisley, we have an early European adventure and you can always dream that you reach the group stages, but that brings its own pressures of extra games midweek. You must expect a stronger Hibs and Aberdeen, so a place around the middle would be respectable, but you can always hope for a wee positive run.

Kate: I think St Mirren will start strong again and have an even better season than 23/24. The team are well bonded and the new players coming in will mesh well. Stephen Robinson is a great manager, and I'm excited to see where we go!

Now the fixtures are out, how are you feeling about your side's start to the season?

Where do you think St Mirren will be after the first 10 games? Will their European exploits get in the way of a strong start to the campaign?

Give us your thoughts, external.

St Mirren fans have a European adventure to get excited about, but there's also the small matter of league business to look forward to after the fixtures were released.

Stephen Robinson's side start the season by hosting Hibs and travelling to Aberdeen, before welcoming Celtic to Paisley on the weekend of Saturday, 24 August.

Over the festive season, Rangers are in town on Boxing Day followed by Dundee's visit on Sunday, 29 December.

A trip to Kilmarnock in the new year's round of fixtures comes next as the Buddies visit Rugby Park on Thursday, 2 January.

The final game before the split sees Ross County head to Paisley on the weekend of Saturday, 12 April.

Fixtures for the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership season have been released.

The campaign will kick off with Hearts hosting Rangers at Tynecastle, a repeat of the sides' final league game of last season which ended in a 3-3 draw.

Newly-promoted Dundee United entertain derby rivals Dundee, while Celtic begin their title defence with the visit of Kilmarnock.

Jimmy Thelin's first Premiership game as Aberdeen boss is a trip to Perth to face St Johnstone.

David Gray starts his reign as permanent Hibs head coach away to St Mirren, while Motherwell are to home to Ross County.

The opening round of fixtures will be played from 3-5 August.

St Mirren start their 2024/24 Scottish Premiership campaign by hosting Hibs in Paisley on the opening weekend of the season.

Due to the Buddies' involvement in Europe, the match will take place on Sunday, 4 August at 15:00 BST.

You can find all of St Mirren's fixtures here

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St Mirren have unveiled their new home kit, external for the upcoming campaign.

The strip is described by the club as "a classic reborn", with gold trim accompanying the club's traditional black and white stripes.

As the Paisley side prepare for their first European campaign since 1987, they say it will be a kit that is "long remembered" by fans.

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The 2024-25 SPFL schedule will be unveiled at 09:00 BST on Thursday, and we've got all the information you need before the return of domestic football.

The action in all four leagues kicks off on the weekend of 3 August.

Eight months later, the Premiership split happens on the weekend of 12 and 13 April and the top-flight season concludes on the weekend of 17 and 18 May.

And while it might be too painful to be thinking about the national team, there are international periods in September, October, November and March to bear in mind.

There will not, however, be a winter break this season.

The expansion of Uefa's club competitions - with the new league phase of the Champions League and Europa League running until the end of January - is the reason for that.

The SPFL said the format change "exerts additional pressure on the domestic calendar" and means no mid-season trips to the sunshine for Premiership clubs.

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Jaden Brown says returning to St Mirren on a permanent deal gives him a "great opportunity to showcase what I'm all about".

The 25-year-old full-back has signed a two-year contract with the Paisley club after spending the second half of last season on loan from Lincoln City.

Brown's action was limited, playing just eight times for Stephen Robinson's side, but the Tottenham Hotspur academy product is hoping to "hit the ground running" this summer.

"I loved my time on loan here at the club last season," he said. "I didn't get as many games as I wanted, but it's important to be in and around good people and it was a successful group, qualifying for Europe."

St Mirren manager Robinson added: "I don't think people have seen the best of Jaden. He arrived here without a lot of game-time and towards the end of his loan we were really impressed with him.

"We had no direct competition for Scott Tanser at left-wing back so it was important we got that level of competition.

"Jaden can also play in numerous different positions further forward and on the right-hand side so he certainly strengthens our squad."

St Mirren are poised to re-sign Jaden Brown, with the 25-year-old set to leave Lincoln City after last season's loan spell with the Paisley club. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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St Mirren have signed Irish midfielder Roland Idowu on loan from Shrewsbury Town until the end of next season.

The 22-year-old played 10 times in total for Shrewsbury last season having signed for the club from Waterford in January.

"Roland is someone we feel that is highly talented," St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson said.

"He can play as an eight, he can play anywhere in the midfield and he can play a little bit further forward in behind the strikers.

"He's different from what we have and someone I've kept an eye on from afar so we're delighted to have him on board."

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Ryan Strain's move to Dundee United is a "coup", says delighted manger Jim Goodwin.

The Australia full-back, 27, has signed a two-year deal at Tannadice to remain in the Premiership after leaving St Mirren this summer.

"Bringing Ryan to Tannadice represents an exciting and forward-thinking piece of business," added Goodwin.

"Throughout the past two seasons he has been one of the country’s best performers in his position - his set-piece delivery is first class, he rarely loses a defensive duel and possesses an infectious workrate."

We asked what you made of St Mirren's Europa Conference League draw and their chances, be it against Valur of Iceland or Albanian side Vllaznia.

Here's what you had to say:

Eddie: Hopefully we get Valur; the flight from Glasgow Airport will suit us. We also might get to see Marc McAusland again.

Philip: My 11-year-old son is a huge Buddies fan. He told me he's going away wherever they are drawn in Europe? He's already been to Iceland so maybe Albania? Best tell his mum. Come on you Saints!

Fraser: Desperate to see my team in an away European tie, having waited 37 years for the chance. I'm sure we'll carry a big travelling support. However, apparently if it's Iceland, the away capacity is only around 80. Hoping the club can support those who want to travel - maybe suggest to our opponents that they move the tie to a bigger stadium?

Stephen: Tickets allocation for away fans if the tie is in Iceland is a joke.

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Stephen McGinn has agreed to return to St Mirren as an academy coach after retiring from playing at the end of last season.

The 35-year-old made 197 appearances over two spells for the Paisley side and will now take a full-time role with the club's Under-18s.

McGinn had been working with the St Mirren Under-16s on a part-time basis - alongside his playing career - but decided to hang up his boots after leading Falkirk to the League 1 title.

"I feel like it was the right time to stop playing and I'm thankful that the club offered me the job when it did," McGinn said.

"I joined the academy in November but was still very respectful of my main job at the time being the Falkirk captain.

"When I got offered the job to come back in full-time and have it be my main job, I'm really excited about it.

"It's always been a path that I wanted to go into after I finished playing. I've been at St Mirren for a long time as a player and there's a brilliant academy here that will help me get better as a coach. My primary job is to try and get players into this first team.

"I know what it takes to come out the academy and be a first-team player. I've seen it first hand with team-mates, myself and my brother. I'm here to earn my stripes and show the players and coaches that I deserve to be here."

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The Europa Conference League draw provides St Mirren with an "exciting opportunity", according to manager Stephen Robinson.

Robinson's side will face Valur of Iceland or Albanian side Vllaznia in the second qualifying round of the competition, and the Northern Irishman can't wait to get started.

"I think it's a really good draw - but a tough one too," Robinson told the club's website.

"We've avoided two of the big sides that were unseeded in Hacken and Brann. The ties we face give us an opportunity, one I believe the fans will be really excited about in terms of travel.

"We obviously have to wait and see who we get but we're delighted to be involved at this level of competition."

The Paisley club could have faced Northern Irish side Cliftonville or League of Ireland Premier Division's Derry City, but Robinson is glad to have a trip further afield.

"It feels more like a European game," he added. "We still have to navigate our way past them but it will be an exciting trip for the fans.

"It will be a different test for us as players and coaches. I've already spoken to a few of them and they're already really looking forward to it.

"We will have the advantage of seeing both sides in action against each other. We'll prepare like we do for every other game. The world is a smaller place in terms of the footage available for other teams.

"We've had our time off. We've enjoyed it. We're very proud of what we achieved last season and now the challenge is can we take it a step further and progress in Europe.

"We know it's a tough tie. We'll need to do a lot of research. But we're all very excited about the challenges the new season will throw up."