Paisley Pirates 1950's

Back row (left-right) Beattie, Crawford, Denault, Hatt, Brown.
Front row- Brennan, Corriveau, Fullerton, Lemon and McDonald.

East Lane Ice Arena

During the dark days of the 1940's, when rationing, gas masks and baffle walls were the order of the day, a new exiting winter sports stadium, the ice rink, first opened its doors to large crowds of people. East Lane had never seen such crowds since the days when Abercorn Football Club played on the same piece of ground.

Paisley ice rink brought a fresh breath of air to the East End of the town. It was the most up to date arena in Great Britain and could boast an ice space of 20,000 sq feet, seating for 5,000 spectators, a first class restaurant, cafe, milk bar and a well-appointed shop. The streamlined, shell like building was large. Even the car park could provide 800 spaces. All the privately owned cars in Paisley at the time could have parked there!

The main attraction of Paisley ice rink, to young and old, was the Paisley Pirates ice hockey team. The early teams were mainly Canadians. This brought a kind of North American culture and hero worship to Paisley. After each game, wee Paisley boys stood impatiently at the doors, clamouring for autographs. But it did not stop there. If you were lucky in the scramble, you might be given a broken hockey stick, quickly have it repaired with black electricians tape then play with it in the street and, with double ball bearing roller skates gliding over the tarmac, you became a Paisley Pirate.

The 'Paisley Pirates' were the epitome of the game in Scotland. In season 1953-4 they won The Autumn Cup, The Scottish Cup and The Canada Cup. Their success brought them to the British League, but local supporters could ill afford to travel down South and gradually support waned.

Paisley Pirates Founded

The Paisley Pirates were founded in 1946 and played out of East Lane arena (where Somerfield now stands). The Pirates won the Scottish National League treble - Scottish Cup, Autumn Cup & Canada Cup  in 1954 and were winners of the first British League in 1959. 

The Paisley team in 1966 played in the Northern League as the Mohawks, which they won three years running 1966-69.  The old East Lane ice rink was demolished in 1977 to make way for a supermarket.

The Paisley Pirates name was back again in 1992 at the newly built ice rink at the Lagoon Leisure Centre. Their first game was against Kirkcaldy Kestrels on January 3rd 1992, a game that they won 19-5.

Featuring players such as Mike Bettens, Graham Garden, Craig McWilliam and Richie Lamb, the Pirates won the Scottish League Division one after losing only one game (in Castlereagh). The following season Martin Shields returned as coach and took the Pirates into the British Division One North where they finished in 5th place.

Paisley Pirates 1950's

THE record books will show that the sensational scoring performances of Stu Robertson, Bob Kelly and Ken Head played a major part in bringing the Scottish National League Championship to Paisley in 1951. They won't tell the story behind the headlines, the story of how a struggling club playing to half-empty rinks turned, almost over­night, into a championship sextet drawing packed houses everywhere.

Manager Peter McKenzie, surveying with an anxious frown, rows and rows of empty seats in Paisley's fine auditorium, knew that something just had to be done. So he put on his hat and his overcoat, caught the night train to London and came back with a good, reliable defenceman to steady his ailing back division-Bernie Hill from Harringay Racers.

The capture of Hill killed two birds with one stone. Not only was Pirates' defence strengthened, but fans who remembered Hill when he played with Paisley a couple of seasons before were attracted back through the turnstiles.

Tommy Lauder, fine player though he was and is didn't seem to be getting the best out of the team as coach, so he moved on to shine on Perth's defence, while ex-referee Red Thomson took over the vacant coaching slot.

Thomson proved a surprise packet. A stern disciplinarian, he really had Pirates working, and their climb to the top of the League was swift and sure. Nor did they falter at any time. Skipper Elwood Shell, regarded in the past as joker of the Great Ice Way, turned in the best hockey of his career to inspire the team and earn all-star rating.

As an ironical twist, Bob Kelly was voted " Rookie of the Year." Ironical because, before the team had settled down and while all the coaches in the league were still making up their minds which players, if any, were booked for a slow steamer home, Lauder had high on the list of "suspects" who wouldn't be good enough for the team-Robert Kelly, Esq.

Performances and attendances in other rinks were striking contrasts in some cases. Perth, always well supported, even in their weakest days, found their 1950-1 club, under the guidance of ex-pro Tommy Forgie, their best for several years, but near-neighbour Dundee had a poor squad and poor crowds.

Ayr, whose Keith Kewley team had been highly boosted prior to the season opening, again disappointed their thousands of loyal fans, although it takes more than a lost game to keep an Ayr enthusiast away from hockey. Falkirk , too, were not the power of yore, but Manager McNeil, shipping players out here, signing them on there, eventually came up with a team strong enough to make the play-off finals. Not the least of his captures were two boys from Harringay, winger Johnny Sherban and defenceman Johnny Callanan, and a signing direct from Canada with the goal-lust in his stick, Ken Green.

Fife Flyers collected their share of minor trophies but looked in need of a blood transfusion with too many players who had been around one place too long. Here and at Dundee were the rinks where crowds were just not good enough.

Dunfermline kept in the picture through most of the season with high-scoring forwards and a local, home-grown defence, the Syme brothers, Tuck and Tiny. It must have pleased Viking followers when Tuck became the first native born and bred player ever to make the All-star Team.

With many Scottish players performing in the English League and vice versa, fans of both countries found much to interest them on both sides of the border. This situation will be enhanced during the 1951-2 season, for among former English Leaguers listed for Scottish clubs are Stubby Mason (Fife.), Paddy Ryan (Dunfermline.) Red Kurz (Dundee.) and Hal Brown (Paisley.)

Pete Belanger, Scotland 's star goalie, is expected to join Casey, Johnson, Hodgins and Co. in the English loop, an exchange of personalities which can only be of benefit to both circuits.

Old pictures - http://www.paisleypirates.net/old_pirates_pics/p1.html

Old stats - http://www.paisleypirates.net/Past%20Teams/oldstats48-55.htm

Nottingham Panthers v Paisley Pirates.

In January 1956, a game against the then Paisley Pirates ended in mayhem, as players from both sides were joined by some fans in swapping punches, both on and off the ice and then en route to the locker room. Police eventually cleared away the crowd, ending an incident later described as the "worst exhibition of sportsmanship seen in Nottingham and probably in the whole of British Ice Hockey. One administrator claimed "This could kill the game in this country".

2005

In 2005 the Lagoon Centre in Paisley suffered from major subsidence in its floor which rendered the ice rink unsuitable for ice hockey.

November 2006

Paisley Pirates move to Braehead.

The Pirates have been given a lifeline with the move to Braehead The ice hockey club Paisley Pirates are set to move to the Braehead Arena, with the switch ending their crisis and saving them from extinction.

The Pirates' had been playing at the Lagoon Centre in Paisley before it's recent closure. Club secretary Bill Elliot believes the team would have folded had Braehead management not stepped in. "This is fantastic news for everyone associated with ice sports and skating in the west of Scotland" he said.

Braehead say they'll invest more than £100,000 in the Arena so it can be transformed from an events arena, to accomodate ice hockey. And Elliot added: "Let there be no doubt that if it wasn't for Braehead's commitment, we and other ice hockey teams would have folded.

"We can't thank Braehead enough for what they are doing and we believe once Braehead becomes our home rink it will be start of a successful new era for the Pirates.

"I pay tribute to the players who have shown loyalty to the club and stuck by us in the past few months. Now that loyalty is being rewarded by the fact that we will be playing out of the best ice sports facility in Scotland."

November 2007

During Autumn of this year the Pirates were taken over by a new administration who have set about planning for the long term future at the superb Braehead Ice Arena. The 4,000 capacity Braehead Arena is the top ice hockey venue in Scotland. 

Former Pirates' legend Bobby Haig was brought in as head coach and has began a rebuilding process that will look to the future. He has already made an impact with some shrewd signings and improved performances.

The dedicated Pirates fans have responded in numbers and there is already growing confidence and support for the ambitious new owners. The management team are confident that they can rebuild a new 21st century Pirates Ice Hockey team - with exciting plans for broadcasts of matches on the internet and new sponsorship which will hopefully return the club to former glories and help to promote ice hockey and encourage new spectators to come along to the superb Braehead Arena and watch top class ice hockey. 

With a new dawn about to rise in Scottish Ice Hockey, Braehead Paisley Pirates are determined to be ready for this challenge at the start of the new 2008/2009 season.