In a statement, the Paisley club said: "The cancellation of football during this terrible crisis seems like a small thing when an increasing number of people are dying daily from coronavirus.

"But while this is undoubtedly true, our sport's ongoing absence is a massive financial challenge to all football clubs, and St Mirren are no exception.

"Your board has had to consider what action to take, and quickly, to protect our long-term future and very existence – and we had two immediate aims.

"Firstly, our responsibility as an employer to players, management, and staff. We don't want our people to have to worry about their income at a time of many other family concerns.

"Secondly protecting the club's ability to live within our means and keeping us debt-free, a position we are currently in due to the prudence and commitment of successive boards.

"The challenge is that nobody knows when football will resume and when St Mirren will again have an income from that source. As things stand we don't even know if this season will be completed or when next season will begin.

"Taking all of this into account, and to make sure none of our staff is left financially worse off, we have decided to make immediate use of the UK Government's job retention scheme.

"This will include all our playing and non-playing staff, with the exception of a core group who are required for the continued running of the club.

"The job retention scheme pays our staff who are furloughed 80 per cent of their gross salary up to a maximum of £2,500, but we are committed to ensuring we will make up any difference to their usual pay level. This applies to all members of staff."

St Mirren join Ladbrokes Premiership rivals Hamilton and Ross County in placing players on furlough leave, while Hibernian, Aberdeen and Rangers have agreed wage deferrals with their players.

Some Hearts players have agreed temporary wage cuts with others in talks with the club.