Paisley Pirates’ boss Ian Turley has paid tribute to the many individuals and groups who have contributed to the club’s success this season.
The Pirates won the SNL title and finished runners-up in the Scottish Cup and end-of-season play-offs, but Turley was keen to say ‘thank you’ to the people who made it possible.
“We have a squad of twenty players, and I can only say how much it has been a privilege and pleasure to work with them,” said Turley.
“The bit that people see is the players performing on the ice – the bit they don’t see is the late night training sessions and full commitment away from their families for eight months of the year.
“They don’t get paid for playing, nor do they get any help with their kit or travelling costs to and from games either at home or away, and all of that takes a lot of commitment and I’ve got only the highest regard for the guys who were prepared to do that week in, week out, for the club.
“We also have a mass of volunteers, who do all the match night jobs willingly to contribute to the club – from the people on the gate, the folk who do all the presentation stuff and all the others who don’t really see as much of the game as they would maybe like but do their job willingly to help the Pirates.
“All of them have my utmost admiration for doing it to help their club, and I want them to know just how much it is appreciated.
“Our supporters also deserve a huge thanks for getting behind the team in the way that they do. Knowing that so many folk have given up their time and probably spent quite a bit of money to get to the game is hugely appreciated too.
“I also have to thank the sponsors who gave us much needed support over the course of the season – all of them helped in various ways, and, of course, Renfrewshire Council, who have provided ongoing support through its Local Area Committees.
“Finally, I want to say a word about our management team. We’re a very well-run organisation. Jackie and her team put in a power of work behind the scenes and put in more hours in the week on behalf of the Pirates than they do in a full-time job.
“Running the Pirates is a 24/7 commitment, you don’t get days off very often, and it’s so much easier being the coach at this club when you know that all the million and one other jobs are all being dealt with.
“You could say that we are a big club in every sense of the word, with an organisation and history that many other teams would love to have, and that’s down to Jackie and her team making it that way.”
(Image permission: Al Goold Photo)
