St Mirren director Alan Wardrop has confirmed he will step down from the club board after more than six years in post.
The lifelong Saints fan made the step up in July 2016 after being invited into the position by then chairman Gordon Scott.
Wardrop, one of SMISA’s current four representatives, has played a big part in helping the club move into full fan ownership and said it was a “proud” moment to be so heavily involved in his boyhood club’s recent success.
The recently-retired financial advisor will formally step down as a director on Saturday, November 19.
Wardrop said: “After six and a half years on the board, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the very difficult decision to stand down as a St Mirren director.
“I remain and always will be a St Mirren man and will continue to support our club as best I can in the future.
“As a long time SMISA member I would like to express my sincere thanks to SMISA for their endorsement and support.
“I would also like to thank former chairman Gordon Scott for his original invitation to join the board which fulfilled a lifetime ambition and made an ordinary supporter and his family very proud.”
Wardrop was the mastermind behind the 1877 Club in the main stand of the SMISA Stadium, of which he is now the matchday host, and has also contributed several items to the mini-museum inside the club from his personal collection of memorabilia.
When SMISA became majority shareholders of the club in July 2021, they asked Wardrop to remain on the board as one of their representatives and he willingly agreed.
A SMISA spokesperson said: “Everyone at SMISA would like to thank him for all his time and effort on the board, both before and after he agreed to become one of our representatives.
“Everything he ever did was undoubtedly with the best interests of St Mirren at heart.”
St Mirren chairman John Needham added: "It’s with mixed emotions I announce Alan Wardrop has intimated he wishes to step down as a director after over six years service on our board.
"Pleasingly, whilst he will no longer be part of the board, he has indicated willingness to continue his involvement in our St Mirren Charitable Foundation and running the 1877 Club.
"Alan has been a dedicated and hard-working member of our board throughout his tenure, firstly as an independent director then co-opted as a SMISA nominated director during the past 15 months. I have enjoyed working with him and witnessed his significant personal commitment first hand.
"On behalf of the board I want to record our thanks for everything he has done, and continues to do, for the club. As part of the St Mirren family, Alan has been a loyal fan all of his life and leaves with our best wishes for the future."
Wardrop’s decision follows swiftly on from Paisley MSP George Adam’s announcement he was standing down as SMISA’s chairman.
Adam revealed it had become too difficult to balance the role along with his work as an MSP and a Minister for Parliamentary Business in the Scottish Government.
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