Ice hockey fans in Renfrewshire have been handed a massive boost after the Clan revealed they were “confident” they’d become the new operators of the Braehead Arena.
The Clan have been working hard to convince London-based Global Mutual, the new owners of Braehead Shopping Centre, the popular club should become the new operating company of Braehead Arena.
The potential successful takeover of the facility is also hugely important to Paisley Pirates, who depend on the local ice rink as their home venue.
The Pirates and Clan both face being frozen out of action at the start of the new season if Braehead Arena was to cease functioning as a rink.
But the Clan revealed they are now planning for kick-off in a new Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) season.
The Braehead club are even taking part in the EIHL’s fixtures meeting today, such is their belief that they’ll be able to call Braehead home come the start of the new season in September.
A Clan spokesperson said: “Negotiations with Global Mutual continue to be very constructive and positive towards our ambitions of becoming the new operators of Braehead Arena.
“We are confident the coming weeks and months will be a very exciting period for the Purple Army.
“In light of our positive negotiations with Global Mutual, we have this past week moved to setup Glasgow Arena Ltd, which, if our bid is successful, will become the new operating company of Braehead Arena.
“We are currently very busy behind the scenes at Clan Towers making exciting preparations for the future on the basis that our ambition to take over our home are agreed and finalised.
“On Saturday we announced that we are also currently searching for a ticket platform after the previous arrangement ended, following the collapse of Broadway Retail Leisure Ltd (the previous operators of Braehead Arena).
“We are also able to confirm that the Clan will be participating in Tuesday’s EIHL fixtures meeting.
“The Clan will join the other nine clubs to assemble a 2021/22 season schedule for an exciting return of EIHL level hockey in
September.
“Our aim remains to return to the ice at Braehead Arena for a 2021/22 season and welcome home the Purple Army.”
Jackie Turley, Paisley Pirates off-ice operations manager, has previously described the Clan taking over Braehead Arena as simply a “no brainer”.
She also believes the Pirates would be unable to operate at all without having a home rink in such close proximity to the
town.
Turley previously told the Express: “The option the Clan have put forward, as far as we’re concerned, is the only one that will safeguard the future of all the ice hockey clubs playing at the arena.
“For us it’s an absolute no-brainer. Anything else that suggests the ice will be taken away quite simply means that we, the Clan and all the other local clubs are finished and a wonderful opportunity to develop the arena further would be lost.
“There is no other ice rink suitable for ice hockey within a 30-mile radius.
“We’re working side by side with our partners to defeat any notion that ice hockey will only have had a brief history at Braehead.”
