St Mirren’s coffers are set to be boosted by a significant share of a £2 million-plus UEFA windfall to help ease the financial blow of the majority of fans being locked out once again.
National associations usually bank cash from UEFA in October so they can write a cheque to clubs not involved in European competition.
The money is intended for youth development schemes, and while it has not yet been paid this year the SFA have been told it’s on its way.
And that means a welcome £250,000 each for several top flight sides with the Buddies bagging the cash alongside Aberdeen, Dundee United, Motherwell, Hibs, Ross County and St Johnstone.
Livingston aren’t eligible as they didn’t have an accredited academy last term, while Dundee and Hearts also miss out as they were in the Championship last season.
The total sum of £2.32 million is a big boost after the Scottish Government restricted crowds to just 500 from Boxing Day and national clinical director Jason Leitch warned it could be for more than the initial three-week period.
The payout is just more than half of the £4 million windfall received in 2018 when Celtic last reached the Champions League, with 11 clubs banking £370,000 on that occasion.
Eighty per cent of the total cash distributed by UEFA goes to associations with a representative in Europe’s premier competition.
Rangers and Celtic were both eliminated at the qualifying stage this season, but it should mean extra money next year with the Scottish Premiership champions almost certain to go straight into the group stage.
