LIKE all good fathers I have brainwashed my son.

Young Struan is allowed to make his own choices, to a degree, in life but there was never any chance that he would not grow up a supporter of St Mirren.

Sorry, but that’s the rules in the Thompson family. Always has been, always will be and, to be fair, he’s happy to come along for the ride.

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I have lived almost all of my days in and around Paisley, which is where I grew up. Lots of my pals followed other teams, Rangers being the main one, but I was a Buddie and proud to be so.

St Mirren were the first team I saw play live. I wanted them to win more than anyone else. I even played for my team and won a trophy with them.

And now Struan is doing well at the club academy with the under-11 squad.

So forgive me when I call them ‘we’ and ‘us’ because that’s what St Mirren football club means to me.

And we are coming back to the Premiership. It’s now a matter of when and not if. St Mirren are 14 points ahead of Livingston and both teams have seven games to go. The Championship title is in the bag.

I am biased. Of course. However, I also truly believe I am right to say that a strong St Mirren will become a fine addition to the Premiership and a good thing for Scottish football as a whole.

We have a great training facility. The stadium is modern and fresh. We’re just off the motorway. And I’ve always got the impression that away fans rather like their trips to Paisley and why wouldn’t they? It’s a wonderful place.

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A year ago, in this column, I admitted to being pleasantly astonished about how Jack Ross had taken St Mirren from the bottom of the table, cut off from the rest, to safety. It was a remarkable piece of football management.

And now look at us. This is one of the all-time great seasons for the football club. Not a single wobble over eight months as Ross’s exciting team have dominated the league.

Before a ball was kicked, I was like most fans in that I felt a play-off place was possible but that probably was about it. I should have listened to the great Tony Fitzpatrick.

The St Mirren legend is chief executive and chief cheerleader. He’s the world’s most positive man, and most probably the nicest as well.

I remember when he was appointed him speaking about wanting us to be back in the Premiership and challenging at the good end of the table. I thought that even for Tony this was over the top.

Okay, I don’t think we’re going to win the league next season; however, we will be there and it’s reward for all the good work which has been going on behind the scenes.

Tony has been fantastic, of course, and I love the way he dreams big. That’s what football should be all about.

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I was sceptical about fan ownership but so far it’s been a success. And the chairman, Gordon Scott, can be proud of himself. Although when I met him the other day at a function, he told me that he’d stopped enjoying going to the games because we are so close.

The day we win the title will be great. But after that trophy is lifted, and the night out, the hard graft really begins because as good as this team is, it’s not good enough to stay in the top league.

Ross is clearly smart and will realise that he needs to strengthen all over the pitch. What gives me hope is that so far his signings have been superb and so he knows how to spot a player.

Lewis Morgan is off to Celtic and good luck to him. He’s a terrific player and I really hope he makes it.

However, Stephen McGinn will stay; an outstanding captain, leader and communicator. Jack Baird has had his critics but has cut out the silly mistakes and has been outstanding. And my guess is that Kyle Magennis will be the next one to win a big move and earn the club some money.

The academy has been a conveyor belt of talent. Kenny McLean, John McGinn, Stevie Mallan and now Morgan have all come through the system and look at them now. It’s hard to not to feel proud.

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It is also difficult not to come back to the manager and the job he has done.

Jack Ross is coveted and will be one of the favourites the next time a big job comes up. I just hope we get at least one more season out of him at the very least.

He has brought a confidence and consistency to the team, he isn’t scared to give young players a chance and has brought back the crowds and feel-good factor to a football club which had been put through some difficult times.

If St Mirren can keep Ross, then I give them a chance of staying up. That would be as big, if not bigger, an achievement than what he did last and has done this season.

And we are trying to become the UK City of Culture for 2021. Paisley is the place to be, I’m telling you.