East Kilbride Pirates
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| Year Formed | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Team Colours | Black and Red |
| Home Field | Palace Sports Ground, Hamilton |
| Conference | BAFL Premier |
| Chairman | Ian Smith |
| General Manager | Vacant |
| Head Coach | Vacant |
| Reg. Season Record | - - |
| Playoff Record | - |
| Overall Record | - - |
| Playoff Appearances (-) |
|
| Conference Championships (4) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 |
|
| BAFL Runners-Up (2) 2001, 2003 |
|
The East Kilbride Pirates are an American Football Team based in East Kilbride, Scotland.
They currently play in the BAFL Premier Division and are the oldest surviving American Football team in Scotland.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] The Formation (1985)
The East Kilbride Pirates were formed in 1985, following a notice appearing in the local newspaper asking any interested parties to attend training. The club was named in a competition through the local newspaper, the East Kilbride News. The winning name was a strange choice, given that East Kilbride is miles from either the West or East coast and therefore unlikely to have any historical connection with pirates. 1985 was a formative year, and the Club played three unkitted games, winning 2 and losing 1.
[edit] The Early Years (1985 - 1995)
For the 1986 Season, the Pirates merged with the nearby Rutherglen Ironhogs, producing a suitably sized squad to take part in the British American Football League (Anglo Conference). Things started brightly under Head Coach, Steve Gulley, a player with the Club, as a 13-0 win was recorded over the Clydesdale Colts in the first kitted game. Unfortunately, this was to be the last win of the year, as the team ended up with a 1-6 record.
1987 saw a new Head Coach with the appointment of Bill Walsh (no, not that one!), an American working in East Kilbride. Bill's influence was apparent as East Kilbride went 4-4 to finish second in Division One of the new, Budweiser American Football League.
With Coach Walsh's return to the States, a new Head Coach was appointed in 1988. Another American, Nick Fantini was in town on a 12-month exchange visit, and he agreed to take over the reins during his stay. Unfortunately for both Nick and the Club, the previous year's success had resulted in promotion to the Premier Division of the Budweiser League. The higher standard of football quickly became obvious, as the Pirates tumbled to a 0-10 Season. Included in those 10 losses was a 110-0 defeat at the Granite City Oilers. To date this is still the second heaviest defeat suffered in domestic American Football games in the United Kingdom (only Mersey Centurions 148-6 defeat of Halton Demons in a 1989 BNGL game was more emphatic).
Nick returned home after this Season, but he was to return later. The Head Coach's cap was passed to Alastair Rodger, a Scottish coach who had previously worked with the Clydesdale Colts. Another change in the league set-up saw the Club compete in the Combined Gridiron League (Premier Division) in 1989.
1990 saw the arrival of the British National Gridiron League. The Pirates had a 0-9 season, but this year was to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. During a game at the Dundee Whalers, Pirates' linebacker Kenny Hodge received injuries from which he later died. This was the first ever fatality in American Football in Britain, and if any good can come from such a set of circumstances, then the tightening up of player insurance and ambulance cover which followed was one such benefit. After much soul searching within the Club, the Pirates decided to carry on. The Player of the Year Award was renamed in Kenny's memory.
1991 saw the return of Nick Fantini as Head Coach, with Nick having returned to Scotland. A 3-5-1 season ensued, but the Club was again rocked by the loss of another player. Cornerback Barry Nunn died from a congenital heart disease, and although his death was not football related, the loss was just as great. A new Most Improved Player Award was created to commemorate Barry.
In 1992, with the team still in the BNGL National Division, things started to improve on the field. A then Club record 44-0 win over the now defunct Glasgow Cyclones, and a 34-12 victory at Granite City Oilers being two of the main highlights in a 5-5 year.
On to 1993, and the BNGL Premier Division. Last year's progress continued, and a first ever winning season of 7-3 was recorded. Highlights included a nailbiting win at the Edinburgh Eagles to clinch a playoff spot. Involvement in the playoffs was short, with a heavy defeat in England at the hands of a very strong Lancashire Wolverines side.
The BAFA Senior League arrived in 1994, with East Kilbride in Division 2. In an attempt to improve their standing, the Club arranged to import an American quarterback, Craig Van Ness. Unfortunately, Craig damaged his knee in a skiing accident just before coming to Scotland and was not able to do himself justice. After a month here, he returned to the States. Dunoon based QB, Graeme Henry took over and steered the team to a record of 4-4 in a season shortened by other Clubs failing to fulfill their fixtures.
[edit] The Scottish Gridiron Association (1995 - 1998)
The 1995 Season was the first of the independent Scottish Gridiron Association, and the Pirates finished as Conference Champions with a 6-3-1 record. A loss at Dundee was overturned by League officials and the game awarded to East Kilbride after the Whalers were found guilty of fielding ineligible players. The 6 wins also included an awarded victory over Denny Broncos and an unfulfilled fixture at Granite City was declared a. Despite falling at the first hurdle in the playoffs, this was a highly successful year considering the small squad used. An unprecedented number of injuries compounded the problem, but with many players playing both ways, a difficult year was completed with some success.
Following this relative success, a number of veteran players announced their retirement. Their places were filled by no fewer than 6 of the Junior squad who moved up to join the Seniors, in addition to the new players recruited from Rookie Trials. This left a very inexperienced squad, and despite the late addition of a number of players from the Clydesdale Colts, who were "taking a year out" (but never returned) during 1996, a disappointing Season followed. The Pirates finished with a 2-7 record.
For 1997, East Kilbride lost the services of the former Colts, but these players were more than replaced by the arrival of a significant number of Glasgow Lions players following the demise of what was Scotland's leading Club. The inclusion of both their playing ability and coaching knowledge was a huge benefit to the Pirates who proceeded to go throughout the 1997 Season unbeaten to capture their first Scottish Title. (SGA Bowl III at Caird Park, Dundee)
The Pirates retained their SGA Title in 1998, defeating Dundee Whalers in the Bowl game, just as they had done 12 months earlier. (SGA Bowl IV at Loch Inch, Glasgow)
[edit] Return to British Competition (1999)
1999 saw the Pirates return to the British Senior League, where only they and the Strathclyde Sheriffs represented Scotland. While the Sheriffs competed in Division 2, East Kilbride were thrown in at the deep end, as part of Division 1's National Conference. A mixed season followed, with the Pirates winning three of the seven games actually played. This, along with an awarded game saw the Club finish with a 4-4 record, and miss a place in the Bowl game by the narrowest of margins.
2000 saw the BSL realign Division 1, with the Pirates being moved into the Northern Conference. After a slow start, the Pirates went on a long unbeaten run, which only ended in the Play-off Semi Finals. Despite finishing the regular season with a 6-2 record, the lack of home field advantage proved too big an obstacle to overcome.
Another year, another step forward with the Pirates reaching Britbowl 2001 at Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield. The title of Northern Conference Champions was also picked up along the way. What was initially expected to be a rebuilding year exceeded all expectations. The "void" game against Cheshire came about following a serious accident to one of the Romans' players on the eve of the game (thankfully he recovered fully). Also, the away game at Nottingham scheduled for 15th July was conceded by the Caesars.
2002 again saw several changes in personnel and the average age of the side dropped even further. However, the quality of incoming players was again very high. An unbeaten regular season saw the Pirates finish as the Number One ranked side in Division 1. We should have played Chester Romans in the first round of the play-offs but the Romans conceded the fixture. The much anticipated semi-final against the PA Knights was played during torrential rain in a mudbath at Brancumhall, and it was the visitors who came out on top after an almighty struggle.
[edit] Recent Times (2005 -)
The 2006 season saw another influx of young players for The Pirates, from the nearby Youth and University league teams. They started poorly, recording only one win from their first 4 games, largely due to a season ending injury to QB Matt McCusker in the opening game at Gateshead, however the season was to turnaround in emphatic fashion as Ross Templeton took the snaps and lead the team on to five wins out of their remaining six fixtures. A quarter-final win after the long journey to Finsbury Park, London would have set up a much anticipated semi-final against Gateshead but despite a brave performance, The Pirates were deafeated. After the close of the 2006 season, BAFL again realigned the league structure, placing the Pirates in the newly formed BAFL Premier League
[edit] Regular Season Record
| Season | W | L | T | Scored | Conceded | Conference | Finish | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 2 | 1 | - | 43 | 66 | None | - | - | - |
| 1986 | 1 | 6 | - | 33 | 343 | BAFL (Anglo) | - | - | - |
| 1987 | 4 | 4 | - | 124 | 134 | Budweiser AFL Div.1 | 2nd | - | Promoted to Budweiser AFL Premier League |
| 1988 | 0 | 10 | - | 24 | 484 | Budweiser AFL Premier League | - | - | - |
| 1989 | 8 | 2 | - | 60 | 208 | Gridiron League Premier | - | - | - |
| 1990 | 0 | 9 | - | 46 | 338 | British National Gridiron League | - | - | - |
| 1991 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 138 | 259 | British National Gridiron League | - | - | - |
| 1992 | 5 | 5 | - | 206 | 126 | - | - | - | - |
| 1993 | 7 | 3 | - | 194 | 120 | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 | 4 | 4 | - | 78 | 155 | BAFA Senior Div.2 | - | - | - |
| 1995 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 138 | 168 | SGA | 1st | - | - |
| 1996 | 2 | 7 | - | 90 | 312 | SGA | - | - | - |
| 1997 | 7 | 0 | - | 278 | 33 | SGA | - | SGA Champions - Won SGA Bowl III | - |
| 1998 | 5 | 0 | - | 262 | 12 | SGA | - | SGA Champions - Won SGA Bowl IV | Defeated Dundee Wailers |
| 1999 | 4 | 4 | - | 74 | 123 | BSL Div.1 | - | - | - |
| 2000 | 6 | 2 | - | 329 | 60 | BSL Div.1 Northern | - | Defeated Semi-Finalists | - |
| 2001 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 208 | 76 | - | - | Defeated Britbowl Finalists | Lost to London Olympians |
| 2002 | 10 | 0 | - | 393 | 41 | BSL Div.1 | 1st | - | - |
| 2003 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Defeated Britbowl Finalists | Lost to London Olympians |
| 2004 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2005 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2006 | 6 | 4 | - | 169 | 175 | BSL Div.1 North | 3rd | Defeated Qtr. Finalists |
[edit] 2006 Season
Game 1: at Gateshead Senators, lost -
Game 2: at Nottingham Caesars, won -
Game 3: vs Gateshead Senators, lost -
Game 4: vs Coventry Jets, lost -
Game 5: at Doncaster Mustange, won -
Game 6: vs Doncaster Mustangs, won -
Game 7: at Staffordshire Surge, won -
Game 8: at Birmingham Bulls, lost -
Game 9: vs Yorkshire Rams, won -
Game 10: vs Birmingham Bulls, won -
Qtr Final: at London Blitz, lost -
[edit] 2007 Schedule
Game 1: 06/05/07 at Gateshead Senators 2pm
Game 2: 13/05/07 vs Birmingham Bulls, 2.30pm
Game 3: 27/05/07 at Bristol Aztecs, 2.30pm
Game 4: 10/06/07 at London Olympian, 2.30pm
Game 5: 17/06/07 vs Coventry Cassidy Jets, 12pm
Game 6: 24/06/07 vs Southern Sundevils, 2.30pm
Game 7: 15/07/07 at Coventry Cassidy Jets, 2.30pm
Game 8: 05/08/07 vs London Blitz, 12pm
Game 9: 12/08/07 vs Gateshead Senators, 4pm
Game 10: 19/08/07 at Birmingham Bulls, 2.30pm
[edit] External links
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