St Mirren FC are poised to rename their stadium in a show of support for Paisley’s bid to become UK City of Culture in 2021.

Councillors will make a decision on approving the two-year sponsorship deal on Wednesday, and if they do, St Mirren Park will become the ‘Paisley 2021 Stadium’ in the lead-up to the announcement of the winning culture bid in 2017.

The deal would be worth £30,000 per year to the club, with Paisley UK City of Culture 2021 advertising and branding also appearing inside the stadium and on the club’s digital media channels.

Councillor Mark Macmillan, leader of Renfrewshire Council, told the club's website: “We are delighted to have the support of Paisley’s football club, Saint Mirren FC, for our bid to bring the UK City of Culture title to the town in 2021.

“The club is part of the bedrock of Paisley’s history and an essential part of the cultural life of the town and its people.

“We launched our campaign and our new UK City of Culture bid branding at a huge open-air party in the centre of Paisley and we had a great response from local people who turned out to support it.

“The support of our local club would be a huge boost for our campaign to encourage people in Paisley, Renfrewshire and beyond to get behind our bid which will mean so much for the town.”

St Mirren chief executive Brian Caldwell said: “St Mirren FC is proud of its roots in Paisley’s history, dating back to the founding of the club in the town in 1877.

“These proposals would see our stadium playing a key part of the City of Culture campaign and I am certain that our fans will get right behind it.

“The club already has many strong links with the local community. A successful bid to become UK City of Culture will bring many benefits to the town and local people, so we are really excited about lending our support to the Paisley campaign.”