CLUB OF THE WEEK PAISLEY PIRATES
This week’s PDE Club of the Week is the Paisley Pirates. We spoke to the club’s media guru Bill Elliot to discover more about their formation and their current set up.
Tell us a bit about the history and background of the club.
The club was formed in 1946 at the end of WW2 and comprised mainly of Canadian ex-pats who were still living locally after hostilities ended.
The club’s home was situated in East Lane, now the site of a supermarket, in the middle of Paisley and often got sellout crowds of 3,000 people on Friday evenings.
The site was also used for other events too, including a professional tennis tournament in the early 60’s and a Muhammed Ali exhibition match in 1965.
Until around the beginning of the 1960s Paisley was one of the top clubs in the UK but as the size of the league dwindled so did the competition and at that time the league folded.
While a Paisley Mohawks side played out of Glasgow Crossmyloof in the 70s and into the 80s it wasn’t until the Lagoon Leisure Centre opened in 1992 that the Paisley Pirates reformed in December of that year.
They won the Scottish League Division 1 at the first attempt in March 1993, going on to play at the Lagoon until the Spring of 2006.
Because of problems with the ice, known as heaving, the Pirates and all the other ice-related clubs using the Lagoon were forced to leave at that time and Pirates opened at Braehead Arena on February 10, 2007, in front of a record crowd of 2,446. To top it off, they beat Aberdeen Lynx 15-2 on the day. How many members does your club have?
The club has approximately 25 players, all amateurs, and around 40 other volunteers.
Match attendances vary from 200 to 350 people.
Tell us about the leagues you compete in.
The club competes in the Scottish National League, the highest standard of ice hockey for amateur clubs in Scotland and comprises teams from Dumfries in the south to Aberdeen in the North.
There is also a Scottish Cup knockout competition and the end of season play- off tournament for the top four finishing teams.
Pirates are the reigning champions, having won the tournament for the first time in their history in March 2019.
In recent times the club has twice won the SNL title, as well as the Scottish Cup in 2016.
Head coach Ian Turley is also the GB under- 16’s assistant coach, while player-coach Adam Walker is the Scotland under17’s assistant coach.
Individual members of the coaching and volunteer staff have also won numerous local awards off the ice.
Is there a social aspect to theclubaswellasasporting side?
There is an active supporters club which organises social fundraising events during the season, although these are limited due to the regularity of fixtures during the year.
The club annually supports a local charity which, for the last two years, has been the Renfrewshire Toy Appeal. The team has a regular mascot Timbers who performs at every home game and on occasion visits local schools.
Timbers w i l l also occasionally put in an appearance within the Braehead shopping mall.
What principles do the club represent and promote?
The club promotes healthy eating and drinking while encouraging regular exercise.
For example, while the players are all amateurs they train twice a week and regularly have two games at the weekend. They are therefore involved in serious exercise a minimum of four times a week.
The club is also sponsored by the Pro Life Fitness Centre, which gives players and fans the opportunity to work out as often as they wish 52 weeks of the year.
Are there any particular difficulties the club faces?
The club faces several challenges every year.
Because of the programme of events with Braehead Arena, it will usually commence its programme of fixtures up to six weeks behind other competitors which places it at a massive disadvantage in terms of fitness levels and match sharpness.
It often leaves the Pirates without ice for periods within the season which causes issues in terms of continuity for players and spectators alike.
Furthermore, the club is a voluntary organisation rather than a commercial operation and therefore is entirely self financing, with the assistance of some grant funding from Renfrewshire Council and a little sponsorship.
The club suffers from the fact that many people believe the club to be a commercial operation, when in fact it’s not. How can people get involved with the club?
Individuals can become involved with the club by attending matches and showing an interest in becoming more active within it.
It should be pointed out, however, that progression is not automatic and members must show an aptitude which demonstrates their ability and suitability for any particular task.
Int e r e s t e d p a r t i e s can contact the club at paisleypirates@ gmail. com and information about the club’s upcoming fixtures and social events can be found on their website at www. paisleypirates.org and their social media channels.
We want to hear from your sports club – no matter your sport – and we will run a special feature profiling your club. Email ben.ramage@reachplc.com or call 0141 309 3335