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You could build up a sweat in Paisley just reading about all our sporting activities.
Football
Renfrewshire’s best-known sports team are St Mirren, who play from the 8,000-seater Simple Digital Arena in Greenhill Road. The Saints were founded in 1877 and have won the Scottish Cup three times and Scottish League Cup once in their long history.
Fun fact – St Mirren were the first British club to win a trophy in Europe. In 1922 when Barcelona opened their new stadium they invited the Saints over to take part in a tournament….which they won.
If you prefer playing the beautiful game as opposed to watching it, Paisley has a great selection of football pitches where you can play 5-a-side including Powerleague, Pro5’s and Ultimate Indoor Soccer. Renfrewshire Leisure also manage 19 playing fields with over 50 football pitches available for booking – there really is no excuse to be lazy.
Ice Hockey
In 2017, Paisley was named as one of the top 42 hockey towns in Europe action by Canadian online travel agency Flight Network.
The Glasgow Clan is Renfrewshire’s professional ice hockey team and are based at the intu Braehead Arena. They compete in the Rapid Solicitors Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), the UK’s premier ice hockey league, which consists of ten teams representing all four Home Nations.
The Clan’s season runs from September until April – head along to Braehead Arena to get in on the action.
Paisley Pirates are Renfrewshire’s original ice hockey team founded in 1946. They are the 2016/17 SNL Champions and the 2016 Scottish Cup Winners. The Paisley Pirates also play at into Braehead Arena and tickets are available the week before each match.
If you are looking for a packed game on the ice – Paisley is the place to come.
Golf
In a relatively small geographic area, you can play a dozen high-quality golf courses of varying types from low-lying parkland courses, to moorland-edge upland courses, with wonderful views over the Clyde estuary. These include courses at Renfrew, Elderslie, Erskine and Mar Hall, Ralston, Gleddoch House, Cochrane Castle and more.
Rugby
Rugby might not be the first sport that springs to mind when you say Paisley but the town is home to the Paisley Rugby Club based at the Anchor Recreation Grounds (opposite Powerleague).
There you will find a team of young and ambitious players who play in the West League division three. The team is always open to new players so whether you haven’t passed a ball in years or you just never have they want you to come down and give rugby a try!
They also have a very healthy rivalry with their local opposition from Bishopton!
Cricket
Cricket is a great family-focused and friendly community game and, perhaps surprisingly, Renfrewshire has not one but three cricket clubs who are always on the look-out for new senior and junior members.
Go along and support your local team and who knows you might even be tempted to pick up a bat. Cricket clubs in Renfrewshire include Kelburne, Ferguslie and Renfrew.
Cycling
Renfrewshire provides a range of excellent cycling routes, on road and on traffic-free paths which have been specifically designed for the ‘non expert’ cyclist, with many suitable for families with children.
The National Cycle Network has routes across the whole of the UK and two of them run through Renfrewshire.
- The Lochwinnoch Loop Line, which forms part of National Routes 7 and 75 and runs between Paisley and Lochwinnoch; and
- The Paisley and Clyde Coast, which forms part of National Route 75 and runs between Paisley and Bridge of Weir/Kilmacolm.
Renfrewshire also has two Cycling clubs, the Johnstone Wheelers and Paisley Velo Cycling Club.
Both welcome new members – it’s as easy as riding a bike!
Athletics
Now one of the best running clubs in Scotland, the Kilbarchan Amateur Athletics Club is attracting top athletes – British distance runners Callum Hawkins and his brother Derek both trained with Kilbarchan Amateur Athletics Club.
The club, which was founded in 1974, stages a number of events throughout the year and has now grown in such popularity that the main training bases are now in the neighbouring towns, Johnstone and Linwood.
Gyms and leisure centres
And if all that isn’t enough for you, fitness fanatics of all shapes and sizes can choose from a wealth of gyms throughout Renfrewshire including Renfrewshire Leisure’s Lagoon, On-x and Renfrew Leisure Centres, the David Lloyd leisure club, PureGym and Excercise4less.
And more…
These only scratch the surface of the sports activities you can do in Renfrewshire.
At Castle Semple Visitor Centre in Lochwinnoch, you can hire mountain bikes and set out across the rugged hills of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, the largest of its kind in Scotland.
Alternatively, you can swap pedals for paddles and kayak, windsurf or sail across the waters of Castle Semple Loch. Why not take up the reigns at the five star Ingliston Equestrian Centre and Country Club? With some of the best countryside overlooking the Firth of Clyde, you could always just go for a nice walk.
