IT was more than a little fitting when it emerged this week that veteran American glam metal band Kiss have become surprise supporters of St Mirren.
After all, this is a team with a lot to make up (get it?) to their supporters, themselves and in terms of points and places after what so far has been a wretched season.
And, yes, that is the worst pun you will read today.
“St Mirren play in black and white like us — I think that’s very appropriate. When we come over, we’ll do a shout out for those guys,” so said base player and now fully fledged Buddie Tommy Thayer. They could do with all the help imaginable.
This afternoon, the favourite Scottish football club of band a which once released an album called ‘Lick it Up’ are at Somerset Park to face an Ayr United side that lie second bottom and eight points above the men from Paisley.
A win for Ayr would surely mean relegation for Jack Ross and his players who have managed just two league wins all season. When you get to the end of February with only 14 points and sitting bottom of the Championship, the story tends to end in relegation.
What this would mean for St Mirren as a club is downsizing. There are supporters who fear the worst if their team spent more than one season in League One. It’s not hyperbole to suggest this match against the one team they realistically can catch is the biggest for years.
“We haven’t shied away from what this game means,” said Jack Ross, the St Mirren manager, whose ability for the most part to keep calm during a torrid time has been admirable.
“All week we haven’t protected the players from what this means. It’s been there in our preparation. Nobody is deluded into what this can do for us.
“Look, I still say nothing will be decided on Saturday. I have said that in the build-up but in terms of this season it’s our biggest game so far, although that keeps changing. The players are well aware of the responsibility they hold. It’s up to them to go out and show how good I know that they are.
“Our form hasn’t been too bad. We’ve lost three times in the last 12 games but, of course, many of them were cup matches. So the players can feel confident about going into this game.”
A quick glance on social media will tell you that the St Mirren supporters, who don’t ask for much in life, don’t feel confident. Indeed, they come across as plain, old scared. The manger, however, has no fear.
“In a perverse way I actually enjoy games that mean something a lot more than others,” said Ross. “So there is excitement wrapped up in anxiety. It’s the same for every game. I look forward to them. It’s why I have been in this professional for so many years and why I’ve stayed in it.”
Some 1000 Buddies will make their way to Ayr. Neither team could be said to have lit up the Championship this season; however, with Somerset Park set to be all-but full, few games in the league will match this in terms of atmosphere.
“The fans have been really good to me and the players all through this,” said Jack. “They always travel in big numbers and we need to use that on Saturday.
“We need to work off the atmosphere they will create, get a buzz out of so many of them being there and use it on the park.”
As for Ayr, they would go eleven points ahead of St Mirren if they win and potentially three behind some of the teams above them. This season has been all about survival for Ian McCall’s side and three points should, probably, ensure a play-off at worst.
“One look at the league table tells you just how a big a game this is for both teams,” said McCall. “Both teams have similar form in that there are too many draws and we need to start turning our draws into wins.
“If we do that it won’t take long for the league table to look vastly different to what it does now. It’s a game we are really looking forward to as we have to turn our home form around and quickly.
“When you look at the squad St Mirren have you would expect them to be in the top four so we know they have a lot of quality and are playing better than earlier in the season. We are at Somerset Park, we have to start winning games here and will be picking the team accordingly.”
For one it will be the kiss of life, the other one that bring could bring football death.
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