As St. Mirren Football Club (SMFC) competes against legendary football teams from around the globe at this year’s Football Business Awards, it has been acknowledged for its exceptional collaboration with youth charity, Kibble.
As it honors the work that has been accomplished in partnership with Kibble, the club—which this week qualified for European football for the first time in 37 years—has been placed in the same category as Premier League teams Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Fulham, French title winners Paris Saint-Germain, and Spain’s top division La Liga.
In 2020, national charity Kibble and St Mirren Independent Supporters Association (SMISA) bought a portion of St Mirren FC in what is believed to be the first-ever agreement of its kind in the United Kingdom. The deal established the nation’s first fan-owned Premiership team, which is co-managed by one of the largest charitable organizations in the nation.
As part of the agreement, Kibble gives St. Mirren a significant amount of support and business knowledge to help the football team expand as a company and together, they increase chances for youth.
St. Mirren has also been selected as a finalist for the awards, which will be held in London on May 24. The team will compete against Manchester City, the reigning Premier League winners, and fellow English club sides Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham, Norwich City, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
St. Mirren is spearheading several programs around the club as part of its sustainable focus to make sure the organization is a good neighbor that gives back to the community and leaves a legacy for future generations. Its goal is to become Scotland’s first carbon-neutral football team. In addition, its multi-award-winning initiative, Street Stuff, offers a free weekly program of activities to young people in Renfrewshire.
“It’s a really proud moment to be nominated alongside so many well-known and successful clubs across Europe, underlining the innovative partnership model that has shown great success in recent years,” stated Keith Lasley, chief operating officer of St. Mirren FC. To all of our fellow nominees, best of luck.
“Our overall objective is to be the best community-centred development football club in Scotland and we are extremely proud of the progress made to date.
“Alongside Kibble, we have strengthened youth employment opportunities and our set strategy, vision and mission confirms our dedication to sustainable business growth and securing the club’s future.”
“We’re delighted to be recognised in such an iconic company and it is a tremendous achievement that underlines the significance of the partnership,” Kibble CEO Jim Gillespie stated.
Through their creative partnership, the two organizations are able to offer more vulnerable youth the chance to work in a large, operational setting and receive significant experience that will help them in their future training and employment.
“Having a premiership football team nearby has inspired our young people to get enthusiastic about the working world. And in our opinion, there’s no greater evidence of the partnership’s extraordinary success.