St. Mirren Park

St Mirren Park
Greenhill Road

View from the South Stand, looking towards the Railway End and the West Bank (left).
Location in Renfrewshire
Location Greenhill Road, Paisley
Coordinates
Broke ground 2007
Opened 2009
Owner St Mirren F.C.
Surface Grass
Architect Barr Construction
Capacity 8,023

St Mirren Park, more commonly know amongst supporters as "Greenhill Road", is a stadium constructed in Paisley, Scotland and is the new home of St Mirren F.C., who moved there from their previous stadium, also named St Mirren Park but more commonly known as Love Street, which has been sold to the retail chain Tesco.[1]

The capacity of the new stadium is 8,023 all seated,[2] and it is located close to Greenhill Road.[3]

The Stadium was officially opened on 31 January 2009 by club chairman Stewart Gilmour, and First Minister Alex Salmond, prior to the first match at the new ground, St Mirren vs Kilmarnock. The game finished 1-1, with the first goal at the new stadium being scored by Kilmarnock striker Kevin Kyle. It was former Inverness striker Dennis Wyness who scored St Mirren's first goal at St Mirren Park, in the same match.

St Mirren have yet to lose a Scottish Cup match at the new St Mirren Park, a run that includes their first win over Celtic since 1989, when Billy Mehmet scored a penalty in a famous 1-0 victory for the Saints in the Scottish Cup quarter-final tie.

On the outside of the stadium, promotional plaques have been constructed on the wall including fans names and loved ones. In the undercroft areas under each of the home support sections, large plaques dedicated to the members of the club's 'Hall of fame' have been erected by members of the supporters association and the website team, detailing player profiles and stats. Also, mini outdoor pitches are located next to the car park for small-sided football games.

St. Mirren Park has become the regular home of the Scotland national under-21 football team.[4]

Contents

Stands

The Stadium has four stands with a total capacity of 8,023. The North Stand is used by away fans but for larger away supports part of the West Stand can also be given to away fans.[5]

Attendance Records

Record Attendance:

7,542 v Kilmarnock, Premier League, January, 31 2009

New Developments

Since the ground's opening some supporters have begun campaigning with local transport authorities to change the name of the adjacent railway station Paisley St. James to Paisley St. Mirren. As of August 2011, following station improvements, the signage of the station was updated to read as "Paisley St. James, Alight here for St. Mirren Park", as a compromise between supporter groups and the local transport regulators SPT.[6]

References