Rather than have me explaining everything, here's the Press Release from The Official Site. If anyone there has a problem with me reprdoucing it, please let me know.
The First Steps
23 Mar, 2003
THE proposed new St Mirren stadium would be a great benefit to the community, says club chairman Stewart Gilmour.
For as well as a new ground for Saints - which would satisfy the requirements of the Scottish Premier League – the plans include indoor football pitches, which can be used by the public.
And Mr Gilmour revealed the club – along with sportscotland - is investigating ways to build a full-sized artificial surface football park beside the new stadium.
This park would be used for football youth development in the Paisley area as well as local youth and amateur teams.
Mr Gilmour said: “Our new stadium project - to sell the present St Mirren Park for a supermarket development and from the proceeds pay off the club’s debt and build a new stadium - is the only viable alternative to the club facing a financial catastrophe.
“But the success of the project would also mean a massive boost for football at all levels in Paisley and the community in general.”
Mr Gilmour was speaking as a drilling rig began to take underground soil samples from the proposed new stadium site in Greenhill Road, Paisley.
The tests are needed as part of St Mirren’s planning application to Renfrewshire Council to build the new stadium.
This application is expected to be lodged with the council – along with an application for a supermarket at Love Street - within weeks.
Renfrewshire Council has already agreed to sell the unused 12.5-acre Greenhill Road site to St Mirren for their new stadium. But the club needs planning permission for their new home and approval to build a supermarket at their present ground.
Mr Gilmour added: “The community in Paisley will have a first-class facility which they can use, the north end of Paisley will be commercially and socially revitalised with a supermarket and a new stadium at Ferguslie.
“And it is not an exaggeration to say St Mirren will be saved from the prospect of administration and the club’s future safeguarded for both its supporters and the town.
“We appreciate the planning issues we have to resolve, but with goodwill from both sides we could have a positive outcome which would benefit the council, the community and the club and its supporters.”
The drilling work being carried out at Greenhill Road is to take soil samples from up to ten metres underground which will give construction experts the geotechnical make-up of the ground and tell them the soil composition to help them design the stadium foundations.
Stewart Gilmour added: “This drilling is the first outward sign of the progress in our bid to have a new stadium built and safeguard the future of St Mirren.”
Back to me talking again. From what i can tell, this all seems to be good news. It seems Morrison's are still keen to go ahead. We owe the council a lot, and it would be bad for them to be responsible for the only professional football club in their area's death. They're willing to sell us the land so will no doubt give planning permission. The only stumbling block is giving prmission for a new supermarket on Love Street.
Also in the last few days, there has been a few questions asked by The Official Web Team to Stewart Gilmour. Here they are.
SMOW - St Mirren Official Website
SG - Stewart Gilmour
SMOW: Do you have any plans to make St Mirren Park SPL compliant again?
SG: We have no plans to make the stadium at Love Street SPL compliant as there's no point because we'll be out of the stadium one way or the other by May 2005.
SMOW: What do you mean by one way or the other?
SG: We'll either be out of business because the Bank will want their money back or we'll be in a new stadium.
SMOW: You do know that a lot of the fans will accuse you of scare mongering?
SG: I'm not and I've said this several times.
SMOW: Do we know how the finances will work out once the ground is sold?
SG: We know how much we'll get for Love Street both from a supermarket and, if need be, for housing.
SMOW: Will we be able to build a new stadium?
SG: If we sell to a supermarket I have no doubts whatsoever that after we clear our debts we'll be able to build a stadium. If we only sell the land for housing then we won't be able to afford to build a new stadium as we have to pay our debts back first.
Back to me. It seems that we have to move within the next 18 months or else we won't survive, whether it be to a new ground or not. Hopefully it will be a new ground, and a debt free Saints can survive.
Story source: The Official St. Mirren Website