St Mirren Football Club is saddened to hear of the passing of its former goalkeeper Pat Liney who has passed away at the age of 86.
A Paisley Buddie, Pat was born in our town in July 1936 and began his youth career at Linwood Thistle before signing for junior club Dalry Thistle. Pat almost had the opportunity to join Saints when he was offered a trial at Love Street, but he injured his knee playing for Dalry in a cup match the night before and missed out.
Following a spell in the Army doing his national service, Pat signed for Dundee in 1957 where he would become a bona fide Dark Blues legend as part of their Scottish League winning team of 1961/1962.
But St Mirren was Pat's club and in 1964 he finally had the chance to join his boyhood club where he would make 74 appearances over two years.
In an interview with the Daily Record in 2011, Pat said: "My dad, Danny, and I never missed a Saints game at Love Street.
"We would get the bus from Linwood to Paisley Cross and only a few of us would get off – with the rest staying on to go to either Celtic Park or Ibrox. That used to irk me.
"If dad was working, I would go by myself, even though I was just eight or nine at the time. I would be first in the ground as soon as the turnstiles opened.
"I got a move to St Mirren and the feeling when I ran out at Love Street for my debut was the best in the world.
"It may have been almost 50 years ago but I remember it well. We beat Partick Thistle 3-1 and just to pull on the Saints strip made me as proud as punch. My dad was the proudest man in Paisley."
Our condolences are with the family and friends of Pat at this sad time.
