Irresistible force meets immovable object this Sunday evening at Braehead Arena as Paisley Pirates play their first match on home ice against North Ayrshire Wild in the Stuart Robertson Cup, following two away wins at Kilmarnock and Solway. Both clubs are unbeaten in the competition so far, and with only the top team from each group qualifying for the two legged final, a tight match is expected in a contest which faces off at 5.00pm, the new regular start time for Pirates’ Sunday home matches.
The home side has a more cosmopolitan look to it this season, as in addition to having most of last year’s side back on the bench, Pirates have also signed Austrian Felix Huber and Finnish forward Sami Harju. Both sides have former players from their opponents in their ranks, so the fixture is sure to have its usual degree of needle as the teams go for the bragging rights associated with local derbies such as this one.
Head of Off Ice Operations Jackie Turley commented, “We’ve been waiting a long time for our first match at home and I know our fans are keenly awaiting this Sunday to come round, particularly to get a look at our continental players who are allowed to play now after a change in the rules. It will be the first time for a number of years that players from other countries will have been seen in a Pirates jersey, so we know that this will raise interest locally. The Wild have made a good start to their season as well so we expect there will be a fair old atmosphere if their support turns out in numbers.”
She went on,” We’ve attracted a few more companies to the club as sponsors this year and we’ve also introduced an opportunity for fans to get involved by giving them the opportunity to sponsor the match puck for the first time. This week it is long time supporter Bill Elliot from Houston, and we hope other supporters will take the opportunity to support the club financially without breaking the bank in the process. Anyone interested can speak to me at any game or email the club at paisleypirates@gmail.com for more details.”