St Mirren Park (Scotland U21 v Norway U21)

Last Wednesday I went straight from work to St Mirren Park to see Billy Stark's Scotland Under-21 team take on their Norwegian counterparts. The 4pm kick-off time was slightly inconvenient but it also made it possible to see both the youngsters and the full Scotland team in action in one day. Craig Levein's men were playing Denmark in a friendly, or 'international challenge match' as they are called these days but I had already decided that one game was enough on a school night. The horrendous weather helped me not to change my mind!

I was pleased to hear that all home qualifiers for the Under-21 European Championship will be played at St Mirren Park, which means regular international football at my doorstep including the crunch match against my home country on 29th February 2012 (I do not think I have seen many games on 29th February by the way). I can recommend the U21 games, you will see some good football and they are great value and it was a shame only 1,654 fans turned up. Tickets for the game on Wednesday were only a fiver but I was lucky to get a free ticket from a Scotland fan outside the ground who did not want any money for it.

It was a great Scottish performance but it was marred to an extent by Steven Saunders' Achilles injury early in the first half. Hull City's Tom Cairney scored the opening goal in the first half. Aberdeen's Ryan Jack made it 2-0 after 30 minutes into the second half and three minutes later Dundee United's Stuart Armstrong scored the third. A convincing win for Scotland and hopefully they will be able to build on this for the upcoming qualifiers.

For pictures of St Mirren home games at St Mirren Park see this post and this one. For last year's U21 game against Sweden at St Mirren Park see this post.


Wednesday 10th August 2011
Scotland 3 Norway 0
Vauxhall Under-21 International Challenge Match
Goals: Cairney 20, Ryan 75, Armstrong 78.
Att: 1,654

St Mirren Park (Scotland U21 v Sweden U21)

Last Wednesday I made the short journey to St Mirren Park where the Scottish under-21 team were hosting a friendly (or 'challenge match' as they are called these days) against their Swedish counterparts. On the same night the Scottish first team were ripped apart in Stockholm 3-0 the U21 team fared slightly better and managed a creditable draw against the Scandinavians.

The atmosphere in St Mirren Park left something to be desired especially in the first half. I know it can be quiet on Greenhill Road but I had never heard it as quiet as this! Helsingborg's Denni Avdić scored for Sweden on sixteen minutes. The Scandinavians looked the better side but they were not able to add to their tally before the half time whistle. After the interval (and a fifteen-minute for a steak pie that was sold out) Scotland created more chances and the reshuffled side looked a lot more dangerous. In injury time Dons player Chris Maguire, who had an excellent game, had an impressive run forward and provided Hibee David Wotherspoon with the only Scotland goal of the night.

For pictures of St Mirren Games at St Mirren Park see this post and this one.

It was pay-at-the-gate tonight.


The main facade of St Mirren Park.


A healthy crowd in the West Stand.


The national anthems before the match. The South Stand was not open tonight...


...and neither was the North Stand.


Celebrations after Avdić's goal for Sweden.


Sweden U21 manager Jörgen Lennartsson.

Wednesday 11th August 2010
Under-21 International Challenge Match
Scotland 1 Sweden 1
Scotland: Wotherspoon 90+1.
Sweden: Avdic 16.
Att: 2,726

St Mirren Park (St Mirren v Celtic)

Panorama view from the South Stand.

A forgettable game for the St Mirren supporters and probably for the Celtic supporters too. I brought my camera to have a go at a panorama shot, which I took from the South Stand. The most entertaining part of the day was the family who were loudly cheering the first Celtic goal being removed from the stand and probably from the ground as well. The dad's arguments that he 'did not know it was a St Mirren stand' and that 'at Parkhead everyone can sit together wearing their own colours in the family stand' unsurprisingly fell on deaf ears...

For more pictures of this ground click here.

The West Stand.

The Main Stand.

The North Stand housed the Celtic Fans.

Saturday 26th September 2009
Scottish Premier League
St Mirren 0 Celtic 2
Goals: McCourt 27, Maloney 78.
Att: 6,164

St Mirren Park (St Mirren v Celtic)

This was my first visit to the new St Mirren Park which opened in January 2009. Celtic demolished the Saints 7-0 in the SPL, exactly 7 days before this Scottish Cup quarter final. This rather unexpected win over Celtic remains only the second win for St Mirren in their new ground so far. Billy Mehmet's penalty was enough for the Buddies to seal a spot in the semi finals at Hampden Park.

For more pictures of this ground click here.

Approaching New St Mirren Park.


The Celtic Fans were housed in the North Stand.


The South Stand, which is the 'family stand'.


The Paisley Panda was happy to pose for a picture. Sky Television were present as well. The Main Stand can be seen in the background.


The Celtic huddle just before kick-off.


The final whistle, the Saints are going to Hampden!

Saturday 7th March 2009
Scottish Cup quarter final
St Mirren 1 Celtic 0
Goals: Mehmet 55 pen.
Att: 5,925