St Johnstone Chief Urges Fan Attendance to Avert Third Stand for Old Firm

St Johnstone chief executive Frank Smith has stated that increased attendance from the club’s supporters at matches against Celtic and Rangers is necessary to avoid allocating a third stand at McDiarmid Park to the Old Firm next season. Currently, the Glasgow clubs are provided with ticket allocations for both ends of the Perth venue. However, the east stand could also be made available to them next season as St Johnstone seeks to enhance its revenue streams. Smith noted that discussions have taken place with supporters, revealing an understanding that many opt not to attend games against the Old Firm “because some of them don’t like the environment”. Nevertheless, he clarified that funds raised from selling additional away tickets could be reinvested into the team. Smith stated, “That could bring in extra revenue of around £300,000 per year.” He added, “If you put that into playing terms its about three players for this club.” He further remarked, “It is possible but we still have a couple of games this season for the supporters to come out and support St Johnstone and show us they can come out for those games which negates the need for us to do that.” He emphasized, “Its up to the fans. It is important to me that our fans have their voice so we will continue to engage with the fans before we make any final decisions.” Furthermore, St Johnstone’s new American owners have been investigating the possibility of alcohol sales within the McDiarmid Park premises. The club has engaged in discussions with both the Scottish Government and the Scottish FA regarding this matter, but their efforts have not yet yielded success. Despite this, they remain hopeful of identifying a mutually agreeable solution to accomplish their objective. Smith commented, “There are other areas we could look to licence within the ground.” He added, “We own 22 acres here. We are working with a a lawyer and a company at the moment.” He posed questions: “Could we licence the concourses because they don’t look onto the pitch? Could they have a beer where they get their pie and then go and sit in the stand?” Smith concluded, “These are things we are looking at. Its all about the fan engagement and trying to make that one city, one club, one community come to life.”