Game 2 of the Premier Division season ended in defeat for the Pirates in the heavy Hamilton rain. Despite scores from Lee Collins on offense and a 62 yard interception return from Steven Kane on defense, the Pirates went down 46-12 to the Coventry Jets. For full details, see the Reports Page.

Pirates Get Season Off to Ideal Start

The Pirates opened their 2008 Premier Division Account with a bang as they defeated the Gateshead Senators 34-8. Two scores in he first quarter from Rookie Running Back Blake Kyle were followed in the third quarter by an 80 yard rushing TD from 2007 MVP Craig Towler, before veteran QB Darryn Trainor and Lee Collins added two more scores from short distances to complete the rout. For full details, see the Reports Page.

 Pirates Announce New Partnership with Major Sports Nutrition Firm

Scotland’s Number One American Football Team are delighted to announce a brand new sponsorship with Extreme Nutrition, a Scottish based sports nutrition and supplements supplier.

The three year deal, which sees Extreme Nutrition purchasing brand new shirts for the team, as well as providing Pirates players with nutrition and training advice and Extreme Nutrition products at trade prices, is the first such deal for the Pirates in over five years and it comes as a huge boost to the club as they prepare for their 2008 Campaign.

Pirates Chairman Matthew Davies said “We are absolutely delighted at having found a partner in Extreme Nutrition who are not only willing to provide financial support to the team, but who are so capable at assisting the team both on and off the field. Many of our players already used Extreme Nutrition products and when I approached Doug [Black, Managing Director of Extreme Nutrition] about the possibility of working together, I was staggered by not only how knowledgeable and well trained the staff are, but how keen they all are to help us out.”

The Pirates currently boast ten players in the Great Britain Lions squad and are set for one of their most challenging seasons to date. Last year, after a slow start, the Pirates won their final two games, finishing sixth in the British Premier Division. Davies continued: “For all amateur sports teams, funding is vital and with all of our opposition coming from south of the border, travel costs are extremely high. As such, partnerships like this are crucial to our teams survival and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank Doug and all of the staff at Extreme Nutrition for their generosity. The future looks bright for the Pirates and we’re delighted to have such a strong partner to build with over the coming years.”

Another huge advantage of the Pirates new deal is the additional £1000 which the team have managed to secure from Sports Scotland, through their Sportsmatch scheme. This allows amateur sports teams to bid for funding to match that which they are able to secure from businesses and has been earmarked for coaching development and the purchase of new protective playing equipment which will allow new players to try the game without the financial commitment of buying their own kit.

You can see the Pirates in action wearing their brand-new kit when they open their season against the Gateshead Senators on May 25th at Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds. For more informsation on Extreme Nutrition, visit www.extremenutrition.co.uk.

Pirates Delight at Annual Ceilidh

On Friday 11th April, Scotland's Number One American Football Team hosted their Annual Pre-Season Ceilidh with over 100 guests in the Dining Room of the beautiful Glasgow University Union in the West End of Glasgow. Pirates players, friends, family, sponsors and partners danced the night away to the Louden Ceilidh Band, followed by a disco. The team also gave guests a chance to have a first glimpse of the new range of Pirates merchandise, to be provided in conjunction with new partners Sports Central.

Pirates on the BBC!

The success of Pirates players Ryan Hunter and Robert Beveridge in being selected for the NFL International Players Program has not gone unnoticed. Click here to see an interview with Ryan which aired on BBC's Reporting Scotland.

Awards Night Marks End of 2007 Season

Brick on Bath Street, Glasgow was the venue for the annual East Kilbride Pirates Player of the Year awards on Saturday 3rd November, following the conclusion of the British American football season. Despite a tough year against the best opposition in Britain, the Pirates finished with a flourish to secure 6th place in the British Premier League, equal on points with the team in 5th place and narrowly missing a playoff spot.

The night was well attended, despite a number of the Pirates being invited to attend a training camp with the Great Britain squad. The big winner of the night was Craig Towler, who walked away with the Most Valuable Player award after a remarkable season where he made the switch from Wide Receiver to Running Back, scoring several game winning touchdowns in the process.

The other winners on the night were:
Most Improved Player: Ronald Gaffin
Lineman of the Year: Neale McMaster
Offensive Player of the Year: Kenny Muir
Defensive Player of the Year: Steven Wilson
Rookie of the Year: Blair McTague
Players Player of the Year: James Dorman

With the success and publicity caused by the recent NFL game at Wembley Stadium, there’s never been a better time to get into American Football. To find out more about the Pirates, including how you can play for Scotland’s number one team, email info@piratesfootball.co.uk.