St Mirren’s chief operating officer Keith Lasley hopes Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup triumph over Celtic can help grow the club’s fanbase, and strengthen the community ties he says are vital.
The 3-1 win at the national stadium delivered a first major trophy since 2013 and continued a run of recent success that’s included three top-six finishes in successive year, as well as a return to European football last season.
For Lasley, the Hampden win was another memorable moment but also special as 13,000 supporters cheered on their team. He hopes the bond between club and fans is strengthened and everyone feels the benefit.
“I think moments like this can only galvanise (the support),” he said. “There will be some people at a game today that have had an experience that will probably last a lifetime.
“Hopefully they come and buy a season ticket and connect to the club. That’s what it’s all about.
“That’s what we’re trying to do at this club through our community work, through everything we do with the schools, with moments like this through the football.
“It’s just trying to connect as many people with St Mirren Football Club as we possibly can.
“Hopefully today is another step in that.”
The fan-owned Paisley club has ambition, but Lasley hopes that growth on the park is matched by achievements away from the pitch, where St Mirren can play a role in the local community.
“We want to be more than a club,” he said. “I know it’s a phrase that’s banded about a lot but we hopefully walk the walk in that. It’s not just talk.
“We make a real impact through our charity foundation, through the work we do as a football club.
“It does matter to us. It was really something that was personal to me when I took this role. I wanted to make sure that the club did that, represented the town, represented a set of values, a set of beliefs.
“Hopefully we do that, but we also provide a football team that the whole town and area can be proud of.
“I think obviously today was a culmination of a lot of hard work in the background.
“And we go again, the classic phrase but we’ll take time to enjoy this. When the dust settles, when the head’s clear, we’ll go again.”
The chief operating officer was also full of praise for manager Stephen Robinson, who has been the driving force behind the successes of the past few years.
“The job he’s done since he’s come to this club is monumental, to be quite honest with you, and he continues to do it,” Lasley said.
“He’s got an incessant nature of trying to help build the club, not just the football side, but everything.
“I knew that. I worked beside him for a long time as a coach (at Motherwell). I knew what he was going to bring to this job. That never ceases on good days, bad days.
“Obviously today is a fantastic day, but his nature of just wanting to drive and really push the club to whatever it can be, I think has been a key factor in days like today.”
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