Delighted St Mirren Women head coach Kate Cooper believes the Paisley club’s historic new sponsorship deal with Kibble will help secure their long-term future.
And she is confident the funding will see the Buddies take the next step as they continue to grow on and off the pitch.
Renfrewshire Live Sport can exclusively reveal today that Paisley charity Kibble are backing the in-form SWF League One team in the form of a record-breaking three-year sponsorship deal.
It will help fund the team that has grown exponentially in the last year, having enjoyed their first pre-season trip to Europe at the start of the season and played at the SMiSA Stadium in November. Cooper feels the commitment shown by Kibble will put the club on a firm footing for many years to come, as well as give her playing squad a massive confidence boost.
She told Renfrewshire Live Sport: “This is an absolutely huge step forward for the club. More than just money, this sponsorship gives us stability and allows us to build more for the future.
“A regular income has always been a challenge, especially for women’s football. We’ve had a hand-to-mouth existence, particularly after the pandemic when you’ve just had to try and get by each month.
“This support gives us the stability we need and allows us to focus our time and energy on taking the next step up as a club.
“If you know you have the money coming in every year, it makes planning so much easier.
“Building our brand and meeting the criteria for the league are hugely important for us and this really does secure our future.
“It also gives our players a huge confidence boost. The women’s game often feels quite fragile, with teams sometimes struggling just to survive.
“This tells our players, sponsors and other businesses we are here to stay. That’s a very welcome feeling after some very tough years.”
Cooper is delighted to be working even more closely with Kibble, who are part-owners of St Mirren FC alongside the St Mirren Independent Supporters Trust (SMiSA).
She hopes the club can help even more youngsters in Renfrewshire reap the benefits of football, with current player Kirsty Ross an employee with the charity that helps children and young people recover from trauma through care, support, education and employment.
Cooper said: “Kibble are already heavily involved in the St Mirren family and we can’t wait to expand that relationship further.
“One of our main aims is for our women to be examples and role models for young girls and we can give more girls that opportunity.
“Sport can bridge the gaps some young people face. It gives them an environment where there’s no judgement, just a space to be the best you can be.
“It’s a great boost for all our players but especially Kirsty, who has had a very long career with Kibble and is now their activity co-ordinator. It shows that they recognise her hard work and the role model she has become.”
Mark Macmillan, director of corporate services at Kibble, feels the charity’s sponsorship of the women’s team marks the next step in their growing partnership.
He added: “We recognise the valuable role played by St Mirren Women’s and Girls’ Academy in motivating a younger generation of players and we want to support the work they do.
“Through our sponsorship, we aim to support the team’s aspirations and encourage more girls to join the youth team and hopefully progress through to the women’s team for many years to come.
“We want to help St Mirren to continue to provide first-class youth development and further increase opportunities for young people to enjoy sport and fitness, experiencing the benefits of regular exercise while learning about skills in teamwork, patience and problem-solving.”
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