Paisley Pirates Latest News

Paisley Pirates fans are celebrating the announcement that their favourites will be back in action for season 2021/22. The news was confirmed by Pirates’ Off-Ice Operations Manager Jackie Turley, after Pirates’ management had met with Glasgow Clan’s Gareth Chalmers to discuss steps necessary to ensure both clubs would be able to compete in their respective leagues for the new season. It is anticipated that other meetings will take place as the season draws nearer.

“After the uncertainty of the last 18 months it’s great to be planning for a new season, albeit one which will be restricted for a few short weeks,“ she told the “Paisley Daily Express”. “Clan had already announced that it was likely they would be unable to take to home ice until early November and we are in the same position as our partners.” We’d all like to be playing at Braehead Arena much earlier, but this situation remains immeasurably better than that which the clubs were in 12 months ago, when there was no prospect of ice hockey either in the short or longer term, and we know that both sets of fans will look forward to their respective opening nights with huge anticipation following the enforced break.”

“We understand that people will be disappointed to a certain extent by the slightly shorter season, but on the other hand, the prospect of being part of something special at Braehead Arena, being part of a new era for the sport in the area, offers a much more extended period of activity to look forward to and enjoy in the long term. So we hope that players and fans alike will feel able to wait that little bit longer for their favourite sport to be back at Braehead Arena, and be part of that very special atmosphere, rather than maybe wander off to other teams starting earlier by a few weeks and miss out on a special experience which we believe will continue for some considerable time, rather than just a few weeks. 

“I’m told that when Pirates first opened the Arena in February 2007, very late in that season, players and supporters felt the very unique atmosphere generated, indeed we played in front of a crowd of almost 2,500 in our inaugural match, which is still an SNL record attendance. Pirates have been one of the top clubs in the SNL since that opening and we’ve every intention of keeping it that way. We want players and supporters to have the opportunity to be part of something special. We want them to be part of this new age for ice hockey at Braehead Arena and by coming along to play for and/or support their new look teams they can do just that!”