For Bryan G. McWhirter, a proud Texan and operations officer at a major airport, a chance encounter at a San Antonio pub led to an unexpected passion for a Scottish football club. His journey from Fort Sam Houston to supporting St. Mirren FC and joining SMiSA is one filled with humour, camaraderie, and a deepening connection to a club thousands of miles away.

A Pub, a Joke, and a Club

Back in 2008, while training as a medic at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Bryan frequently spent his Saturday mornings at a local Scottish-themed pub called the Lion and the Rose. The pub’s warm atmosphere, good food, and a selection of British beers made it his favourite spot. But it was the football matches - Scottish football in particular - that would have the biggest impact on him.

“I frequented that pub a lot,” Bryan recalls. “They had all the Scottish football matches on the screens, and they served beer during breakfast - so it was a pretty good place to be on a Saturday morning.”

One Saturday, Bryan found himself next to a gentleman at the bar, who was intently watching a St. Mirren match. Amused by the black-and-white striped kits that reminded him of American referees, Bryan joked, “How many referees are in that game?”

The man smiled and replied, “That’s St. Mirren, the pride of Paisley - the best team in Scotland! Which team do you support? Hopefully not Morton.”

At the time, Bryan knew nothing about Scottish football, but the man’s passion for St. Mirren piqued his curiosity. “He helped me pick a club,” Bryan says. “I didn’t know anything about Scottish football, so he asked if I had any Scottish relatives.”

Bryan mentioned his last name, McWhirter, and the conversation took a memorable turn. The man immediately lit up, mentioning Norrie McWhirter, the well-known former St. Mirren player and Hall of Fame inductee, and jokingly suggesting that Bryan might be a distant cousin. “He insisted that I support St. Mirren as well,” Bryan recalls. “And that’s how it all started - a joke about referees and a chance connection to the McWhirter name.”

Bryan loves to show off his support at work...

Joining SMiSA: An Ocean Apart, but Part of the Family

Years after being introduced to the Buddies, Bryan’s loyalty to St. Mirren remained strong, even as he watched the club's progress from across the Atlantic. In an effort to feel even more connected, Bryan decided to take the plunge and join SMiSA.

“Joining SMiSA felt like the next step,” Bryan explains. “I wanted to be more than just a distant supporter. SMiSA gives fans an opportunity to contribute to the club by funding various projects and parts of the club such as the Youth Academy, and that felt important to me. Even though I’m in Texas, I wanted to be part of that.”

It wasn’t long before Bryan's sign-up caught the attention of Stuart Chawk, a member of the SMiSA Board. When Stuart heard that a gentleman from Texas had joined, he was curious and decided to reach out. He scheduled a Zoom call to learn more about Bryan's story and his unique path to becoming a St. Mirren fan.

A Call from SMiSA: Strengthening the Connection

Stuart’s Zoom call with Bryan opened up a conversation about Bryan’s journey and his deepening connection with St. Mirren. The call was more than just an inquiry - it became a friendly chat that solidified Bryan’s place within the St. Mirren family.

“Talking with Stuart was fantastic,” Bryan recalls. “He wanted to know how an American from Texas ended up supporting a team from Paisley. It was great to share my story, and it made me feel even more connected to the club. It wasn’t just about being a member of SMiSA—it felt like being part of a larger community.”

The conversation also gave Bryan a glimpse into our club’s culture, history, and the passionate community of fans who, like him, were committed to supporting St. Mirren no matter where they lived.

The Lone St. Mirren Fan From Texas

Over the years, Bryan’s connection to St. Mirren grew stronger, even though he was far from Paisley. At his office, surrounded by co-workers who supported football giants like Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, and Barcelona, Bryan proudly claimed St. Mirren as his team.

“They asked me which club I supported, and I remembered that day at the Lion and the Rose. I told them St. Mirren,” Bryan says. “I even joked that I had a cousin who played for the club,” referring to Norrie McWhirter, whose name he had heard that fateful day at the pub.

Despite being surrounded by fans of world-famous clubs, Bryan embraced his role as the lone St. Mirren supporter in Texas, enjoying the uniqueness of his connection to the club.

Looking Forward to a Future Pilgrimage

Although he hasn’t yet made the trip to Paisley to see St. Mirren play in person, Bryan’s dream is to one day visit Scotland and experience a match live at the SMiSA Stadium. “One of these days, I hope to make the trip to Paisley and experience St. Mirren football as God intended,” he says with a smile.

For now, Bryan proudly waves the black-and-white stripes of St. Mirren in Texas, sharing the club’s story with anyone who asks about his football allegiance.

“It started as a joke, but now it’s become something much more,” Bryan reflects. “St. Mirren may not be as famous as Barcelona or Real Madrid, but they’re my team. And one day, I’ll be in Paisley, cheering them on in person.”

His extensive memorabilia colllection at home...

Follow in Bryan's Footsteps - Join SMiSA to Contribute to Your Club

Bryan's story has shown how a membership of SMiSA is a great way to contribute to your club no matter where you reside. As well as making a financial contribution, you will be able to remotely join SMiSA quarterly members meetings and the SMiSA AGM where you will receive exclusive updates from both SMiSA and Club Board Director's, as well as having the chance to ask your questions to them. We are always looking to improve the member experience, and the SMiSA Board are trying to bring more value to overseas members. 

Click Here to Join SMiSA Today!

Related Links:

- Learn more about SMiSA and how you can get involved.
- Follow St. Mirren’s latest fixtures and support them from wherever you are.

It is with deep regret that the SMiSA Board have accepted the resignation of SMFC Director Alex White.

Since his appointment 3 years ago, Alex has made a significant contribution as a very hard working Director across the board but specifically in the area of improving our financial control and reporting.

The SMiSA Board thank Alex for all his hard work since becoming a Director of St. Mirren FC, and wish him all the best in the future.

Alex has agreed to stay on until December and we will commence the process to look for his replacement very soon.

Hi all,

My name is Lewis and I'm 22-years-old from Dublin, Ireland. I have been keeping an eye on the Saints since 2018 from Ireland, even though I only managed to get over to my first game in late 2021, that is where my real interest began, but overall, I've always had a liken for the Saints over the last six years.

And what a last six years it's been, with a few bumps along the way, but as a club we certainly have made very good progression on and off the pitch, and that's a credit to the Supporters, Volunteers, Boards, Players, Managers and the Staff at the Football Club.

Why St. Mirren?

The last promotion to the topflight under Jack Ross was what attracted me to the club originally, I remember watching my first stream of Dunfermline Athletic V St. Mirren. Cammy Smith and Jack Baird with our goals that night in January.

Over the years I've bought a couple of Jerseys, Training tops and Accessories for my car of St. Mirren. Wearing the merchandise out regularly across Ireland, which is great as I'd often get the odd person saying, "oh look there's a St. Mirren top", or the infamous question, "Why St. Mirren?"

The reason why I became a Buddie was because I liked what I saw from following the club abroad. I always enjoyed following the club on social media, checking for results on Score live, reading and listening to Player and Manager interviews via articles and the club's YouTube Channel. I liked the fact the club had ambitions in terms of looking to become majority-owned by the fans, and the club had strong ambitions to build again in the Scottish Premiership from being promoted in 2018.

When I attended my first game against Hibernian FC in December 2021, I felt a real connection between the players and the supporters. And since then, I felt that this culture has continued, which is fantastic to see, you really must credit everyone associated with the club for maintaining these levels of connection.

I've followed the Saints from Kilmarnock to Dingwall, and it's been good visiting so many places in Scotland along the way. My journey on a Saturday morning normally consists of waking up at about 3.30am to catch the usual 6.15am flight from Dublin Airport bound for the Airport in Paisley!

Most times coming home I probably wouldn't get home until about 1.30am on Sunday morning, but it's all worth supporting the Saints home and away. Regardless of if it's a Win, Draw or Loss I'll always be back, because that's what Supporters do. We support the team and get behind our club.

I do enjoy doing the Saturday morning ritual walk from the Airport down into Inchinnan Road and of course walking down the iconic Love Street, and then onto Town for a bit to kill time before the game.

I'm also a big fan of Shamrock Rovers (Member and Season Ticket holder) and the League of Ireland. Seeing the likes of Sean McLoughlin, Conor McCarthy, Jamie McGrath and Dylan Connolly at the club, who all started their careers in the League of Ireland coming to Paisley and contributing while they were here respectively was quite pleasing to see.

I've had the privilege of being at 14 Scottish Grounds to date, and some weekends I'd normally stay overnight to catch another game either in the Premiership or the Championship as I absolutely love Scottish football!

In 2022 and 2023 I was absolutely buzzing when the team were coming over to Northern Ireland for pre-season, but unfortunately two years in a row I wasn't able to go up to watch them in their matches due to work. However, it was great to see a big following from the fans over the two years in Belfast.

Member of SMiSA

I have now been a member of SMiSA since 2023, this was something I was hoping to do for a while time, and I finally became part of the SMiSA family last year.  As I'm not based in the UK, I am using the international subscription paying €15 per month. This option is available to anyone interested in getting involved with SMiSA that is based outside of the UK.

One of the main reasons as to why I signed up was because I could still contribute to the long-term development of the club even if I went to games or not.

The fact that all SMiSA subscription revenue is split to provide funding to different parts of the Club whilst also building a SMiSA Cash Reserve is certainly something to shout about. This really inspired me to sign up. So, I'm happy to be part of the 1,300+ that are now part of SMiSA.

The stronger SMiSA is, the better the fans can safeguard the future and invest into St. Mirren Football Club for the short and long term.

Sign up to SMiSA today by following this link: SMiSA - The St.Mirren Independent Supporters Association

Why start a Fan Account?

Taking inspiration from other people that travel over from England and Scotland to highlight their trips of the League of Ireland, I decided to start the 'Irish Buddies' account on X. The account was started in September of 2023 just to highlight trips over for home and away games. Genuinely I wasn't sure what to expect but the following and the support on social media has been great. From St. Mirren Volunteers, Fans, Staff, Board Members and even a player has been in touch with the account which is incredible really.

And just on from making the account, it really allowed me to connect with St. Mirren fans, and I would personally like to thank Willie, Alan and many others for welcoming myself and the group into the Court Bar and allowing us to travel on their Supporters Bus whenever we need to. Absolutely greatly appreciated, and to all the gang at the Court Bar, you know who you are so thank you for your welcoming. You've made it much better for us supporting St. Mirren.

We even got custom 'Irish Buddies' Coasters from Alan earlier this year which was an incredible gesture, but I think that sums up the club, it shows that we really are a community club that not only do we care for the club, but we also care about each other as supporters and those connected to the club.

Along with my two other mates (Cathal & Daire) who travel regularly, we have made friends for life in Scotland since coming over, and like I said it's been an absolute pleasure.

I've even got a couple of friends that support Shamrock Rovers, Drogheda United and Treaty United keeping an eye on the club now, and they're also interested in coming over next season to see what all the 'fuss' is about.

I'll hopefully get to meet a few more Buddies during the 2024/25 season. Thanks for reading this post. Hopefully I didn't bore you too much.

Come On You Saints!

We have just completed our fifth season of our 'Community Season Ticket' initiative. Since 2017 SMiSA have purchased from the club a number of season tickets and then distributed to community groups and charities in Renfrewshire and surrounding areas.

This season we have gifted 380 tickets to persons who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to see our fantastic team, and what a season we all had. These groups include:

• The 8^th Paisley Boys Brigade
• The Star Project
• Pachedu
• Charleston Square
• Homestart Renfrewshire
• Renfrewshire Women’s Aid
• Renfrewshire Carers
• Langcraigs Primary School
• St Mirren YFC
• St Mirren Disabled Supporters Association
• Community Networks Renfrewshire
• CHSS Renfrewshire
• Neilston BB

 My two favourite ticket donations show the extreme difference these tickets make and how far they go. One week in April we gave all our tickets to the 33^rd Paisley Brownies and four weeks later we gave to Afghan United, a group of refugees who were staying locally in temporary accommodation Paisley.

It’s just wonderful the difference these tickets make. Tickets have been offered to groups and they comeback and say, “we don’t need them now, our volunteers and or group members have bought season tickets”.

This is all down to the SMiSA members’ donations that allows us approach the club each season to buy these seats in the Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand.

If you are already a SMiSA member or you are going to join your money does so much to help the club, help SMiSA and help local communities. A big win for everyone.

If you’re not a member please join now by visiting www.smisa.net/signup

Jim Cumming

SMiSA

St Convals 2004 Attending Game via. SMiSA Community Season Tickets

Well we did it and we’re on our way to Europe for the first time in 37 years!  A superb achievement from all at the club and now all Saints fans are looking forward to 19^th June and the draw. A nearby sunny climate would be ideal but a wet weekend in Wales would be a decent draw just to see St Mirren play in Europe again.

Season tickets are currently on sale and I’d like to remind SMISA members of your terrific support via SMiSA’s Community Season ticket scheme. From our pot of members contributions we purchase season tickets for the Tony Fitzpatrick stand. These tickets go to deserving organisations/charities in the Community and you can apply for our scheme by completing our application form at https://www.smisa.net/community-season-tickets. This is yet another way we can encourage new members to join SMiSA and also purchase their own season tickets so please share our scheme to any local organisations you may be involved in and thanks for what you do to support this initiative.

A couple weeks ago we further supported the St Mirren FC Academy with a donation of just under £25,000 through our SMiSA Academy pot. This money will be crucial to allowing Allan McManus and his team to attract/retain academy players for next year. Please dont underestimate how important this support from SMiSA is. We know the Academy team are very grateful for SMiSA’s support and this year the support of SMiSA to the club will be even more important if we want to remain in the Top 6 by end of NEXT season. You can read Allan McManus’s recent Academy Update by clicking here.

We have been contacted by a couple of members regarding the “Buy a Brick” initiative run by the club. To be viable the club needs at least 8 supporters nominations to have bricks made up. If you are thinking on this as a present or to mark the occasion of playing in Europe then contact [email protected] If we can get sufficient numbers we will pass all details to Commercial Manager Campbell Kennedy.

Following the 2024 SMiSA AGM and after the re-election of Dougie McMahon and Jim Cumming to the SMiSA Board as well as John White stepping down, discussions have been held regarding Board roles followed by approval from the elected SMiSA Board which has resulted in only one change. I (Alex Dillon) will remain as the SMiSA Chairman, Dougie McMahon will remain as the SMiSA Vice-Chairman and Jim Cumming will also remain as Treasurer. SMiSA Board member Willie Bell proposed fellow board member Jack McSkeane as secretary. This was unanimously approved therefore Willie will no longer take up the role as Secretary and Jack will take his place. Willie Bell will remain as a SMiSA Board member.

Finally it’s great to see us break the 1300 members barrier once again. We have a long long way to go to where we believe we should be with membership, given 4000 potential season ticket holders we believe 2000 SMiSA members is not unreasonable. We are looking for some volunteers to plan and support recruitment initiatives, if you are up for giving some of your time every fortnight for 90mins then please email [email protected] and we will be in touch. SMiSA are looking to move onto the next phase following “Buy the Buds”, and the SMiSA Board are well underway with the planning of our next campaign. Keep an eye out for some exciting developments over the next month or so – we will be asking members to choose/approve a refreshed SMiSA Logo, along with some other changes which we are developing alongside our Club Board representatives.

Now, let’s look forward to supporting Scotland in the Euros and even more importantly, the draw on June 19^th !

Alex

With the 2023/24 now come to an end, Academy Director Allan McManus would like to provide SMiSA members with an update to summarise their season, and to thank members for their continued support. Over the past year, SMiSA have invested around £50,000 into the St. Mirren Academy, something we are extremely proud of! The SMiSA Board would like to thank Allan and the rest of the Academy Staff for their outstanding commitment to bringing through the next stars, and for making our Academy one of the best in the Country.

Check out Allan's update below...

Another season comes to an end for the first team and what a huge achievement to guarantee European football. What an unbelievable season for everyone connected with the club. The Academy still continues to run until the last week in June for all our younger players. The Academy program continues to grow year on year and we currently carry approx. 50-60 young players in our pre academy. The main academy now has 7 teams from U10-U16 years with playing numbers at approx. 110 players. Our U18s run in tandem with the first team season and this season we will have approx. 14-16 full time players. For the season ahead we will make some changes and adjustments to our program and look to create an additional games program that allows us to play additional matches during the week with that team being made up of our younger full time players and some of the first team players and boys who are out on loan.  This is another step forward in our joined up approach.

The manager has been a huge driving force in making sure that we are aligned in our thinking which gives our younger players a better knowledge and understanding of what is required at first team level. The standards and expectations for all of us go up as the first team continue to set the bench mark.  As an Academy we now have to live and breathe as a top 5 European club. We have some of the best staff in the country in my opinion and hopefully during the summer we will add to that in order to keep taking the Academy forward. As we are all well aware, as the Academy grows so does the expenditure.  We are very fortunate that the club continue to invest substantial amounts every year into the Academy and it continues to be an integral part of our football club. We are hugely thankful to the board for their continual support in the Academy as we are the Kibble who also continue to invest heavily in the Academy.  However, without the support and investment by SMISA year on year then the Academy simply could not function at the level that we currently do. I am very fortunate to have a fantastic relationship with SMISA and in particular Dougie McMahon who myself and Keith Lasley liaise with on a regular basis to make sure that there is constant feedback and dialogue on what’s happening at the Academy and how best we think the finance should be invested within the Academy. I have always made it clear that we have an open door policy at the Academy and are happy for people to come down and see what we do, watch our teams, and ask any questions on the Academy. Its important that people can see where the money is being invested.

This season the money has been spread over different areas from purchasing kit and equipment: new footballs which cost thousands of pounds, mannequins which are used in training and can be used by both Academy and first team. Some of the finance has/will go towards funding some of the trips that the players have been on. Last summer some of the players visited the Milk Cup in Ireland and a tournament in Manchester which we will revisit this summer. There has been works carried out to upgrade the portacabins and ongoing maintenance to the fencing surrounding the facility. This is a huge level of investment from SMISA and we are so grateful for that. As I highlighted earlier without this support then the Academy simply could not function at the level it does. For this continued level of investment, myself and all the staff are hugely appreciative of everyone connected with SMISA for all the support we have had and hopefully we will have going forward. It really is exciting times ahead for everyone connected with the club. Once again thanks to everyone at SMISA for your continued support.

Allan.

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