Sonny

Aye Bluto I have many memories of sitting in that chair behind these corner windows. Always liked it in the summer when the windows were open a wee bit and I would sneak a look up Causeyside St. I have no idea about any plans for it and will maybe show some close up shots of the poor kids and statue at a later date.

The next picture in the series should need no introduction as everyone knows the building. Those of a certain vintage would also have spent some time inside this building when still at school. I am so sorry to see it is up for sale but as long as its put to good use and not pulled down like so many other great Paisley buildings. PICTURE 2

I am a photographer and not a historian. All I can tell you about PICTURE 1 is that Salmonbuddie and Dirty Sanchez are correct. The building was originally built for the Nethercommon Carpet Factory. Dont know anything else about it. Anyone else know anything? Here is a picture of it when it was a carpet factory. Dont know the date of the photo.

Bluto is correct so I expect him to identify the picture when it appears.

You'll find out in due course!

The old PDE competition should give you an advantage in this thread Bluto. Can anyone say what this building was before it became a block of flats?

I have been working on a wee project of photographing old or unusual buildings in Paisley as Paisley has some absolutely great architecture. I am also photographing places of local interest. I thought I would post one of the images every few days. These images will initially have no information. However, to test your local knowledge, I would be grateful if someone else could identify and provide the name and location of the building; mention anything about its history or any memories you may have with the building or place. For the FFF's it may bring a tear (or remind you why you left). For everyone else it may bring you a smile, some good memories or improve your local history. Some images will be very easy and beyond identification and other images may be more taxing. The first image (in this long series) should not be too hard for most of you to identify - PICTURE 1

You are off your trolley if you think Howard is better than Samson. I assume you don't go to many games.

Bobby Barr, the dancer, is a she and nowhere near 90 but could still probably get into Livi's defence.

Try this... Scotsman Edit: Thats not working either..you will just have to look it up!

I have seen McQuade play a couple of games and he simply doesnt look anywhere good enough for the SPL. McShane has shown more potential in a lot less time than McQuade has ever done and is 5 years younger. In this League you dont have the luxury of giving someone 5 games to see if they are any good. McQuade shows DL every day in training what he is capable of and since he isn't picked I think that tells its own story.

The folk that spout pish are the ones who do nothing about a situation. They just love sitting on the sidelines and let their bellies rumble because their heads are empty. They have nothing constructive or respectful to say. If there are facts that should be made known to the world then say it intelligently and coherently. Else shut the f**k up.

Yes please.

I share in your idealism. I have been a supporter for more years than I care to remember but my £10 a month to the CiC is a lot more than just for the club. I no longer live in Paisley but was brought up just off Well St then Glenburn. I am truly saddened at the current state of a town which was once a great place to live and gave me many happy childhood memories of a vibrant town full of great people and if my £10 can help any local people then I am happy to contribute. Ownership of St Mirren is just a bonus. I'll maybe look a little bit more into what a Cummunity Organisation gets for its £500.

Hi Stuart. In North Ayrshire my cost of £20 is set by the Council for use in all its premises (£8 per hr) for the kind of group I operate (non-profitmaking spiritual/personal development). Other kinds of groups can pay more. I currently use a Community Centre (about to close down) run by a Committee and they can set their own rate and these Centre rates can vary from venue to venue however there appear to be few lets available due to demand. In East Ayrshire the situation is different. I did have the use of one NHS/Council venue for free (as other parts of the building are open 14 hrs a day) however it is a bit small for my needs and very, very heavily booked. Another Council run venue now want £10 per hour however that went up to £35 per hour at weekends. I did use this for a while (not weekends) but got fed up with them changing rooms, cancelling at short notice etc. Over the last 12 months in North Ayrshire there has been an uproar about the price of hall lets as the Council wanted to raise them to such a high level that most small organisations would fold (£20 per hr). The Council argument of course is heating, lighting and minimum pay for a caretaker cost more than they charge for use of the hall which is understandable in this economic climate. These current levels are being held at the moment but we expect an increase although hopefully not as much as what they tried to impose last October when all hell broke loose. I do not know about Paisley but you seem fortunate in Lanarkshire to be able to get free or good rates (except pitches). My Group is about helping people and no profits are made and I would love to have unlimited or substantial use of a venue for only £500 per annum. If the CiC are offering this deal then I may seriously think about starting a Group at Greenhill Rd.

Fair enough and well done for getting a hall so cheap. The Community Centre that I currently use is closing down in 12 months and I am searching for a new venue and do not expect to be paying less than the £20 that I have been quoted so far for the use of Council facilities. I take the point about providing free rooms if facilities are used but I doubt if the Church will be using the bar or looking for refreshments but I may be wrong. Two years ago I had one group in a licensed Club in Kilmarnock and they charged £20 for the evening with the Lounge Bar through the wall from my booked room. No discount there! I would imagine that a Church would also have various other interest groups requiring separate accommodation or using other times outwith Church services to host sub-groups like youth clubs, womens guild, etc etc. As I say £500 per annum would seem incredibly cheap and great value but maybe its just Ayrshire that is expensive!

I would doubt very much if £500 gave unlimited use of facilities - if it did we would be overrun with organisations signing up. I run a group and we pay £20 a night for 2.5 hrs use of a small hall. That is cheap. However over the year that equates to 50 weeks times £20 = £1,000 for my group. I have sometimes wanted to book a Saturday or Sunday during the day for an event but simply cannot afford the huge increase in day costs. I doubt the Church will be getting full use for £500 per annum. I would guess it provides a discount on rental and preference for bookings. If it does give unlimited access then I will transfer my group from Ayrshire to Paisley!

Just noticed the Record states Killie signed Harkins for free but it was either the Herald or Scotsman the other day stated they paid a fee.

I read they had to pay a five figure sum for him.

I would steal all the initiatives that Spartans have that we are not already doing - they are doing some great work there (teams of all ages including 'senior', girls, womens etc.) We should also be promoting the facilities for meetings for organisations or clubs like Paisley Photography Club, Rotary Club, Cycling Club etc and even use smaller rooms for things like MP and Counsellor surgeries or for other users who require cheap accommodation. For example I run evening classes and all day workshops in Ayrshire but have often struggled to find accommodation with parking and half decent facilities. I know folk who run Yoga and dance classes who struggle like me to find suitable accommodation. The car park is a big waste of space most of the time but that may change once things get moving. We could have Car Boot Sales at weekends or Farmers' Markets etc in the meantime. I also think we should be tying in to Groups who may not use our facilities all the time but who could use it now and then for ceremonies, competitions etc. eg Boys Brigade Companies, Scouts etc. Or building better relationships with local Junior Football Clubs by offering some coaching or sports science training or physiotherapy services etc. The options are endless but the stadium has to be in use 14 hrs a day every day and we have also got to have people who can go out into the community to provide a service that ties in people with the club as well as bring people to the Club that wouldn't normally come.

Are you kidding? He couldn't cut it at Morton or QoS but you want him to team up with Thompson in the SPL? He was rubbish first time round and nothing suggest he has suddenly developed into an SPL striker.

No I dont have privy to anything that is not already out there. The CiC offer is the only game in town so its the only one I can consider and its the only one that is allowing the fans to be involved. The selling consortium rejected the other offers so its not a point for any further discussion and was irrelevant to the supporters anyway in that they had no influence one way or another. If the consortium had accepted another deal then we would just have had to accept it as well. No discussion. No debate. No involvement. The objective of the CiC is very admirable - helping the local community as well as the club - and many who have got to know RA vouch for his enthusiasm and ideas and believe him to be honest. Any outstanding issues anyone may have can be addressed personally to the man in a one-to-one meeting. Not many take overs would offer that level of personal discussion. At the end of the day you either buy into a dream or you dont. For any dream to be realised an amount of faith is required. Div alluded to the need to keep momentum going. In any situation you have to make a decision then back it to the hilt until you find further challenges then you review and change accordingly. Doing nothing but fretting on the sidelines creates negative energy and nothing changes. I suggest that anyone who has unresolved questions either posts them on the Q&A thread or takes up RA's open offer to meet. Make a decision and if its a yes then go for it with enthusiasm.

I sent mine off. I buy into the whole Community thing as much as helping SMFC. Yes there are risks and uncertainties but nothing in life is guaranteed. We have got to give it our best shot and resort to Plan B if Plan A doesn't work out. At the moment the CiC looks on paper to be the best deal for everyone concerned. Lets go for it!

Tuffey has just been released by ICT as he didnt get a game last season due to Esson being first choice.

As a supporter and season ticket holder for 40 years I have been looking at all this with interest but have not commented before now. Nothing in life provides future-proof guarantees. There are always uncertainties with anything whether thats a job, marriage or a CIC buyout. Ultimately you can only make decisions by studying the information you currently have, seek advice or opinion elsewhere but finally you have to trust your instinct and make a choice. The good thing about any choice is that if it isn't the correct choice you can make another choice at a later date. Always. After perusing the information and opinions placed before me, I like the whole idea of the CiC model. I like the fact that the ethos is more than just the football club but is also about people out there in the community. A community spirit is something which Western society has little of. Providing opportunities to those disadvantaged or those that require support or providing frameworks for new ventures is a great goal which should also bring many benefits to the club. My knowledge, to date, and instinct tell me to endorse it. There are those who obviously have reservations (no pun intended, Yul). However they are making a mockery of this important debate by not addressing their reservations in an open and honest way so that issues can be addressed and dealt with. This sniping away in whispers from the corner does no-one any good and nullifies any serious points the snipers may have. If the snipers have valid points then lets hear them in an open and constructive way because at the moment they are just turning people off. And if their points are ultimately justifiable then THEY should be blamed for their childish behaviour with no 'I told you so' chest beating as they are NOT telling us coherently what these reservations are. This situation reminds me of Ian Gray's performances against Alex Salmond every week where all he ever did was moan away in a quiet voice without ever offering valid points or suggesting solutions. It gets boring. If the dissenters have something to say then say it and give us alternatives to consider or else shut up. You are helping no-one at the moment especially your own credibility. If you have valid points please make them sensibly so they can be discussed and answered by 10000hours and provide more information to the knowledge base for decision making. At the moment you are doing a dis-service to your fellow supporters.