Saints new stadium in safe hands on Thursday?

Dec 1 2008 by Lynn Jolly, Paisley Daily Express

A VITAL safety certificate for St Mirren’s new stadium is expected to be granted on Thursday.

The club needs the paperwork before it can move into its new home at Greenhill Road in January.

And Renfrewshire Council’s Regulatory Functions Board should sign off the General Safety Certificate, which is needed for sports ground stands which hold at least 500 spectators.

One certificate is needed for each of the four stands, and council staff, local police and the fire service have met regularly to make sure everything is in place.

Paisley South Councillor George Adam, who is fanatical about St Mirren, inspected the new stadium last week along with other Board members.

He told the Paisley Daily Express: “As a St Mirren fan I was dying to see the new stadium, but as a member of the Regulatory Functions Board I was there on an official capacity.

“I would like to put all my fellow Buddies’ minds at rest by saying the new stadium is excellent. St Mirren and Barr Contstruction have provided a stadium that the people of Paisley can be truly proud of.

“I even managed to work out where my new seat should be much to the annoyance of my wife Stacey, who was very jealous at the fact that I saw everything before her!”

The construction team building the stadium and club vice-chairman George Campbell took councillors on a tour of the new facilities, including the stands and offices.

Councillor Adam added: “The facilities available are excellent. Although it will be emotional for us all to leave Love Street I believe that when we create new memories at St Mirren Stadium we will all fall in ‘Love’ with our new home.

“We now have a brand new Stadium that will offer our town’s football team opportunities that they would never have had.

“This is good for St Mirren fans and the team. The new stadium along with the new training facility at Allanton Playing Fields will put the club and Paisley back on the football map.”