Latest Fan Forum minutes

Fans Forum open meeting: November 13th within the Centenary Suite at McDiarmid Park

Steering group: Danny Williams, Colin MacKay, Tom Welsh, Mark Melloy, Stuart Taylor and Dan Shek. Apologies: Andrew Holden, Colin McCredie and Laura Stewart.

Club officials: Fran Smith, David Beaton, Daniel Lamb, Paul Hebbourn, Matty Souter, Bev Mayer, Matt Gallagher and Aidan Smith. Apologies: Alistair Dewar, Roddy Grant, Matt Klase and Adam Webb.

Chair: Danny Williams. Minutes: Tom Welsh.

Guest speaker: Simo Valakari.

Opening remarks by chair:

Welcome everyone and thank you once again to the club for facilitating this meeting and for the first time opening the bar for this event. Special thanks to Bev for organising the ticketing system for tonight.

All steering group members were introduced and best wishes for a speedy recovery to Andrew Holden, who was due to chair this evening's meeting but was unwell.

Since the last meeting there have been a number of changes at the club. There is a new-look board of directors and CEO and vice-chair in Fran, and also in the dugout with Simo joining as head coach.

Our thanks to the outgoing directors Stan Harris and Alan Storrar for all their work and dedication.  Also, thanks to Craig Levein for keeping us as a Premiership team last season and we wish him well in his future endeavours.

Special mention to our owner, Adam, who shared with us recently his health diagnosis.  We are pleased that Adam’s treatment has been completed and Adam got to “ring the bell” recently.  His Saints family wish him a speedy and full recovery and look forward to him being back ‘hame’ in Perth soon.

The academy teams have had positive results and the women’s team have had a positive turn in form. Saints in the Community (SITC) continue with their fantastic programmes throughout the school holidays and I am pleased to welcome Eric Knox, acting CEO for SITC, to tonight’s meeting. With usual house rules in operation, let’s get started.

Club item updates: Fran Smith

Fran introduced the directors and club staff in attendance and also gave apologies for those unable to attend.

When the board was being constructed it was important to get people with skillsets that would benefit differing areas of the club and each director’s area of expertise was explained. There is one more place on the board to fill and the club is actively speaking to two ladies, one in football already and the other who understands Perth and Kinross. So a bit of diversity on the board going forward.

Ongoing projects update:

Car park resurfacing is on hold at present as we seek solar providers for E.V. points and that is agreed.

Talking to companies regarding redesign of Muirton Suite with capacity increase to around 250 people and seating for functions of 175. Create more opportunities to utilise the space rather than outsourcing events.

Tennents on draft will be taken out of McDiarmid Park and replaced with Carling. There will still be cans of Tennents available. As well as Carling, there will be Coors and Madri Lager available along with Best. Reason is purely commercial. Fran explained the financial implications for the club with the change.

At present, we do not really have a brand identity, so I am proud to announce that we are bringing on board a digital partner and that is Matty Souter of Ryse Digital from Blairgowrie. With Matty’s help we have started to look at a brand and I am pleased to be able to preview this branding this evening on screen. 

The branding was explained and a refresh of the club badge for the digital age designed by a fan of the club in Matty. I have spoken to Adam - who is looking well and will be with us towards the end of January - regarding this presentation and informed him I was doing it tonight.

We are also at a stage of tender to take over the old Visit Scotland site in the High Street. If we get the property, it will be along with Saints in the Community and driven round a museum, small retail area and a space for community use. There is also office space upstairs if we need it.

The rebranding was met with positivity in the room, with no adverse comments.

Guest speaker: Simo Valakari

Simo thanked everyone for coming this evening and really liked the concept of one club, one city, one community as that is what we are. 

You do not know me yet, but I have to say, for the first time, tonight I am nervous. I was thinking as I was watching you that I like this feeling, as it means something to be here in front of you because you are the club.

Why do we all do this thing, we want to make you happy and when we do that you bring the power to the team and then we are stronger together.

When I got the first contact regarding the head coach position, I was glad of the opportunity to work again in Scotland. As you know I started my professional career at Motherwell. I have always liked the country and nature but mostly the Scottish people.

In the short time I have been in Perth, it is special as it is a city whereas Motherwell felt like a suburb of Glasgow.  This is our city and I am really proud to be here as the head coach of your football team. It is our job to go forward again and get the best for the club. To bring back the enthusiasm, excitement and passion is our goal. 

We are fighting on a few fronts, short-term and long-term. Short-term plan, win against Kilmarnock a week on Saturday. We have a long-term plan of continually progressing. All I ask for is patience as we cannot guarantee the results but what I can guarantee is that we will give everything to achieve for the club. 

Results will come. The players are working very, very hard but they realise that we must cut out the little mistakes in either conceding a goal or not scoring one that is costing us matches. They are small margins that we need to work for us.

Important for me to hear what you want to know so let's go to the Q&A.

Q&A with Simo:

Q: Are there any games organised for the squad fringe players who are not being used in the team or as substitutes?

A: We had a bounce game today (Wednesday, November 13th) against Queens Park which involved these players for most of the game that we won 4-1. Pleased with the showing of these players as, over the Christmas period, the use of more players will be required. The culture we wish from players is always maximum effort and no excuses and I am pleased to say that is what all the players are giving me.

Q: Over the last few years the team was continually being rebuilt so do you feel there are transfers still needed or are we more settled player wise?

A: Transfer windows in both summer and January bring pressure to change something. Every club looks to become stronger. Sometimes that is by giving current players more or by moving players out and bringing new players in to improve the team. At present we have a very clear idea of what kind of club we want to be and I am very happy with my squad.

Now, there may well be changes in January but transfers in and out are like substitutions. Too many can harm the team performance. We have to get our transfer business spot on. We have good owners but not unlimited funds.

Q: Given the number of young goalkeepers we have with limited playing time at this level, are you planning on signing an experienced keeper?

A: As I see it, I do not have young or older players. I only have good or not as good yet players. When I came in I analysed the situation and I did not know that we did not have a goalkeeping coach at the beginning of the season. I was shocked. If that was our kids we would not leave them home alone. Until Gordon Marshall came in, Ross Sinclair was taking the goalkeepers for training as well as trying to get into the team on match day.  The goalkeepers are now benefiting from an experienced specialist coach and we can look at the situation in January.

Q: Has the change of captain been positive?

A: Firstly, there is no drama to the change of captain which happened initially down to timing.  Kyle was injured and Nicky was captain. It is also not usual for loan players to be captain. We have leaders within the team but sometimes the responsibility of being captain can effect a player's performance. 

I had a chat with both Kyle and Nicky and how it was effecting their game. Kyle is more free and natural without the armband and it is helping his performance, whereas the responsibility that Nicky now has is making him better in seeing the overall picture rather than just I need to score. He is the glue in our pressing and always creating space for others.  So no drama, only situation based.

Q: Are there good youth players coming up to the first team?

A: Yes, we have a number of young good players like Fran, Scott, Brodie and Heppy just to name a few. 

Q: You are very positive, but since you came into the club what has been your biggest disappointment?

A: Losing the three games. There are things we need to improve but no sense in wasting energy complaining about it. Concentrate on what is good and improve and work hard but never stop trying things just because you might fail.

Q: Apart from Celtic, do you see many teams better than us in the league?

A: Performances have improved and give me confidence. Data shows me we are improving and keep doing this and results will come. Rest difference is small margins, and we need to get them working our way.

Q: Do you like an alternative, having a forward with height who can bully centre-halves?

A: We have Uche who is our alternative, who should be back in January.  We still have height at set pieces up from the back. I like a target player who can hold and link the play for our faster players.

Q: How far away is Uche?

A: 600 miles! He is in London to get special treatment.

As there were no more questions, Simo was thanked for giving up his time to attend and those attending showed their appreciation.

Tile on Wall: Mark

We are over the line with it and thanks to Fran for moving this on. SITC will be administering this, so I have a meeting with Eric Knox of SITC next week to finalise details on how to place orders. Hope to see the ordering system up and running prior to Christmas with information when tiles will likely be in position. 

Foodbank: Colin

Saints Fans Supporting Foodbanks (SFSF) continue to collect at every home game at McDiarmid Park and every women’s game at Riverside Stadium. The purpose of this update, however, is to say thanks. November 2nd against Hearts was our second annual FOCUS ON FOODBANKS EVENT and we want to thank the club investors, the board, the staff and players at St Johnstone Football Club, The St Johnstone Business Club, local businesses including Aviva, Perth Fire Station and Slainte Bar, supporters groups including Fair City Saints, FCU, The Cherrybank Blues, McDiarmid Park Supporters’ bus, all of our volunteers on the day and every single individual who contributed or even shared our posts.

You all contributed to a cash collection of £1253 on the day and over 80 crates of food and toiletries weighing in at 949.85KG to support Perth and Kinross Foodbank support people in our local communities this winter.

Kirsten from Perth and Kinross Foodbank commented on the collection and that, apart from Tesco, SFSF were the foodbank’s biggest donors. Danny thanked Kirsten for the update.

General Q&A:

Q: Old Firms fans in home parts of stadium and banners over hoardings, when are police and stewards going to do something about it?

A: The topic of visiting fans in home areas comes up every meeting and has been said before in reply, the only way they get tickets is from a Saints fan who is a season ticket holder or on the database. The club, for the last old firm match, introduced a QR code that could be scanned and reports made live. The stream was being monitored by a director and our SLO so that action could be taken by stewards. Regarding banners on hoardings, the safety team makes a decision whether it would cause more trouble to remove than leave.

A discussion was had about old firm matches regarding atmosphere and the affect on home support attending. This has been addressed by many club CEO’s but Police Scotland and or Scottish Government needs to lead this.

Q: Can the club approach Hearts regarding their ticketing policy where they release higher price seats first?

A: We sell tickets in the order Hearts ask us to sell - upper tier prior to lower. Fran is catching up with the CEO of Hearts next week and will discuss with him.

Q: Is there an opportunity for fans to buy shares?

A: Saints in America LLC own 70% of the club and other shareholders the rest. There is no opportunity at the moment, however Saints in America may decide something in future.

Q: 10th Anniversary night, is everything in place?

A: Daniel gave an update on this with a couple of players unavailable and the manager will make an appearance but not in person. Everything is going to plan.

Q: For fans living a distance away or even abroad, could these meetings be streamed?

A: The steering group has discussed this item and would be happy for a meeting to be streamed as a trial run. This would be a live or delayed transmission with no online participation, subject to the media team carrying out the necessary work to facilitate this happening. Fran would be happy to assist.

Q: When will the refreshed badge be going out?

A: Fran explained position and Adam’s thoughts but will report the positive response received this evening.

Comment was made on the improved relationship between club and fans with the new board and first team coach. Fran commented on bringing positivity throughout the workplace and to the fans.

AOB:

A reminder that FCU are holding a soft toy and selection box collection at McDiarmid before the match against Kilmarnock on November 23rd in aid of Letham4all.  Please give if you can.

There being no further business, Danny closed the meeting.