June 1881

The club announces on the 5^th they will hold a sports event on the 23^rd and 30^th July with various races, sports, and a 4 aside football tournament. On the 25^th June, Saints took part in the ‘Ancient Order of the Foresters’ Sports event at East Park, the home of fellow Paisley football club, Athletic, at their ground located in Cameron Street. (Now the corner of Mill Street and Gauze Street and the first home of Abercorn)

The 4 aside football competition was reserved only to clubs from the town, and Saints would win the competition in front of 2000 spectators, securing a first prize of 4 gold star medals for H Wilson, J Paterson, J Goold and A Hunter, the first ever won by St Mirren footballers.

Curiously, it was confirmed at this tournament that Saints second team (which had run in tandem with the first team since 1877) played in black and white, the first time the colours had been linked with the club. It is probably reasonable to conclude that these were always the 2^nd team colours, and therefore always associated with St Mirren.

July 1881

Saints Sports Event spread over two weekends, kicked off on the 23^rd of the month, and despite poor weather, attracted almost 3000 spectators on day one, mainly for the football which had a very credible 30 entries including then giants of the sport, Queen’s Park, who would eventually win the tournament the following weekend, when an even larger attendance occurred despite even poorer weather! Unfortunately, both Saints sides (1^st and 2^nd) were knocked out in the early rounds.

Following the event, The Glasgow Evening Times was extremely complimentary that Paisley could attract such a large attendance for what was essentially a 4 a side football tournament, stating the town was attracting more for this than any of their clubs could for a big occasion!

August 1881

Saints are drawn against Johnstone Rovers in the Scottish Cup first round which took place on the 23^rd of the month. The following evening at Thistle Park, the club held their half year financial meeting in the clubhouse, all members were invited to attend. On the final day of the month, Saints and Paisley Athletic were paired together in the Renfrewshire Cup.

September 1881

Johnstone Rovers proved no match for Saints in the Scottish Cup and were duly thrashed 5-1 in Paisley on the 3^rd of the month. The club sold season tickets for the first time, with an advert in the Paisley Express on the 6^th stating they are priced at 2/6, which was half a crown, worth about £10.60 in 2021, with home and away fixtures against Abercorn confirmed for the price, prompting The Athletic newspaper and Paisley Daily Express to both comment that the clubs were on “good terms” again.

On the 20^th September, Saints were drawn against Paisley Athletic in the Scottish Cup, who of course they would also face in the Renfrewshire equivalent, and 4 days later Saints beat the Athletic 5-3 to progress to the next round in the county competition, it was the first ever meeting of the club.

October 1881

A major setback hits the club when Saints are victims of a cup shock at East Park in the town, as recently formed Athletic knock them out the Scottish Cup after winning 3-1 on the 8^th in front of around 3,500 supporters. Saints played almost all the match with 10 men after an early injury. On the 26^th of the month, Saints are advised that their potential opponents in the second round of the Renfrewshire Cup will be either Johnstone Rovers or Pollok.

November 1881

Glasgow jeweler, T C  Barlow, announces the winner of the St Mirren v Alexandra Athletic on the 5^th November 1881 will be presented with a trophy, known as the Barlow Cup. In front of a 3,000 crowd, Saints hammered the Glasgow side 5-1 to secure the clubs first ever silverware.

Four St Mirren players were called up to the Renfrewshire County select for their match against Lanarkshire in Hamilton on the 19^th; full back Wilson, half back and captain John Paterson as well as forwards Wallace and Imrie. The latter of these players would return to Saints as the match was played as a 10-aside after a Lanarkshire player called off late. The other three Saints men played the match, which ended in a 7-2 defeat for Renfrewshire.

In front of a record crowd for Paisley and Renfrewshire of 6,000, Abercorn visited Thistle Park on the 26^th for the highly anticipated derby between the two top clubs in the area, with a tea organised for all the players afterwards in the Globe Hotel. The Abbies were in no mood for hospitality however and raced into a 6-0 lead at half time. Saints scored twice in the second half, but the 6-2 defeat gave Abercorn all bragging rights.

The fall out from the game lasted all week, as claim and counter claim via newspaper letter sections hinted at a strong rivalry between the fans of the clubs, as well as a real element of pettiness as fake correspondents would criticise players pretending to be members of that specific club, but the following day the truth would be revealed by another reader! One letter even suggested that the only way Abercorn could have won by such a margin would be if it was a fix for betting purposes. Even in 1881, paranoia, deflection and conspiracy were all part of the game!

December 1881

Following that numbing defeat to Abercorn, Saints changed formation from 2-2-6 to 2-3-5, with Hunter dropping from attack to half back, and it seemed to have the desired effect as the team won three matches on the spin, scoring 12 times, including a 5-1 Renfrewshire Cup win over Pollok.

January 1882

Saints are drawn away to Johnstone in the Quarter Final of the Renfrewshire Cup, but in front of the “largest crowd ever gathered” in the smaller county town, the Paisley side are well beaten 3-0 by the hosts on the 21^st of the month, which appeared to end the quest for official silverware for another season. However, Saints appealed the outcome, stating R Whyte (a regular ringer it appears before joining Saints was playing for the home team when registered with Johnstone Athletic, and as this was an official match this could not be done. The hearing was set for the 2^nd of February at Fleming’s Hotel in Bridge St, Paisley.

February 1882

Good news for the club as they win the appeal against the Johnstone cup result, with the Renfrewshire FA determining the match be replayed on the 11^th February in Johnstone. Cartvale awaited the winners in the semi-final. In what was clearly now a grudge match due to the perceived injustice of Saints winning their appeal, and once more played out in the local press between supporters, a large Paisley contingent travelled the short distance to Johnstone swelling the crowd to 3,500, however the home side prevailed once more, this time by a score of 4-2.

March 1882

The annual club soiree took place on the 10^th in the Abercorn Rooms within the town, with another sell out witnessing the events in celebration of the achievements of the season. The committee agrees to play a new club from the town, called Stanley Castle in order to help the junior clubs development. A young patchwork Saints side beat the Stanley Park club 6-4 on the 11^th of the month.

On the 25^th, the Paisley Derby takes place at Blackstoun Park at the bottom of Well Street next to the Gas Works, home of Abercorn. An astonishing crowd of 6,500 turns up to watch Saints gain revenge for their earlier derby defeat and win 4-3.

April 1882

The club announces on the 6^th of the month that the annual sports event will take place on the 29^th July.

May 1882

Saints appear in the Abercorn 4 aside football tournament with 25 other teams on the 6^th May. In front of 3000 spectators, Saints lost to the hosts in the final 1-0.

On the 10^th, Rangers visited Thistle Park in a quickly arranged challenge match and win 2-0, the same score recorded on the final day of the month when a Glasgow XI comprising of 9 Queen’s Park players and 2 Rangers men, including the world-famous Dr Andrew Watson of Queens and Scotland, the first ever black international footballer. However even in defeat this was quite an honour to host this match, and further proof of the growing reputation St Mirren was enjoying.