TWO St Mirren legends are backing a bid to take the club into fan ownership.

Barry McLaughlin and Ricky Gillies are throwing their weight behind the joint offer by the St Mirren Independent Supporters Association (SMiSA) and former Saints director Gordon Scott to buy a majority shareholding in the club.

As it stands, 750 supporters have signed up to the #BuyTheBuds campaign, meaning the bid now sits just 250 signatures short of its 1,000 target set for June 19.

If the required number of people pledge their support, Mr Scott would be appointed club chairman and SMiSA would have a seat on the board.

The group would then continue with a long-term fundraising plan so that it would be in a position to buy Mr Scott's shares further down the line.

Barry and Ricky - who starred for the Buddies throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including the First Division title-winning side of 1999/2000 - are urging their fellow fans to help transfer ownership into the hands of those who have stayed with the club through thick and thin.

Former Saints captain Barry, who now works as a business advisor with RBS, said: "St Mirren is a community club and most of the fans are from the local area.

"Going forward you want to see the club being run by people who care for the club and are not looking to profit from it.

"Gordon Scott has St Mirren at heart and I am looking forward to seeing what he and the new board can bring to the club. The club has been going for 140 years, we want to see it going for another 140 years and to be kept alive for generations to come."

Professional Footballers' Association Scotland agent Ricky said: "I think all football clubs at St Mirren’s level should be run by the fans. They are the ones that will be there until doomsday.

"I’ve got a great interest in St Mirren - my wife and family are fans - and they are a great club, the best I was ever at.

"You do not want people who are only there to make money, who just want to bring players in and move them on to other clubs, as St Mirren won’t see that money.

"The perfect solution is for the club to have business people on board but for the fans to have a real democracy and be represented in the boardroom and work together on what is best for the club."

Supporters can sign up to the #BuyTheBuds bid for £12 per month. Full details are available at www.smisa.net.