When The Fans Own The Club: The Story Of St Mirren FC.
Episode: #044.
Paul Gilligan.Industry Expert: SMiSA - St Mirren Football Club
What happens when football fans don’t just support their club, but actually own it?
⚽ At St Mirren FC in Paisley, Scotland, that’s exactly what happened.
In this special episode of Almost Pro, we’re joined by Paul Gilligan from SMiSA (St Mirren Independent Supporters Association) to hear the remarkable story of one of Scotland’s oldest professional football clubs and the journey that saw its supporters become the club’s majority owners.
Founded in 1877, St Mirren has experienced almost 150 years of highs, lows, European football and even a period when the club came dangerously close to closing its doors.
Today, SMiSA and the supporters collectively own a majority share of St Mirren FC. But as Paul explains, fan ownership is about much more than shares. It’s about giving supporters a voice, protecting the club’s identity and helping secure its future for generations to come.
We talk about what it takes for St Mirren to compete with clubs operating on significantly bigger budgets, why the club has become a pathway for young talent, and the army of volunteers working behind the scenes to keep the club moving forward.
Paul also takes us inside the Mirren Mile, the generations of families who call St Mirren their club, and SMiSA International, which is giving supporters around the world an opportunity to become part of the club’s fan-ownership journey.
Because at St Mirren, “our club” means something a little different.
⚫⚪ WANT TO BECOME PART OF ST MIRREN?
You don’t have to live in Paisley to get involved.
SMiSA International was created for supporters around the world who want to become part of the St Mirren community and supporter-ownership journey.
🌍 JOIN SMiSA INTERNATIONAL:
www.smisa.net/International
FOLLOW SMiSA:
Check us out on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn or head to our Website
🎥 MARCHING ON GROUP:
St Mirren | Behind The Saints | Marching On
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 – When the Fans Own the Club
01:03 – The Story of St Mirren FC
04:10 – How St Mirren Became Fan Owned
09:47 – Why Fan Ownership Matters
16:40 – Competing With Football’s Bigger Budgets
19:16 – The Benefits of Fan Ownership + SMiSA International
22:11 – The Fans Behind the Club
28:26 – The Future of St Mirren
32:21 – This or That: Football Edition
Stream Episode. 35:10mins.
