East Kilbride Pirates mark 40th anniversary after advert in EK News launched club
East Kilbride Pirates have marked 40 years since the club burst onto the local sporting scene — with the town's American football team celebrating the milestone with a special 'homecoming' game last week.
Launched in March 1985, the Pirates have come a long way since their first-ever training session at Ballerup.
The team was formed thanks to the East Kilbride News with a notice appearing inviting like-minded locals to get in touch with founder Alex Stewart, and the then-unnamed Pirates were born.
The name followed shortly after, thanks to a competition in this very paper. The winning entry came from a local 10-year-old, Paul Carrigan — and the Pirates would love to know where Paul is now, so they can get in touch to thank him.
A playing squad quickly came together. While they waited for their first full kit to arrive, the team played three 'unkitted' games that first year — starting with a heavy defeat to the Ayr Burners, before bouncing back with wins over the Johnstone Crusaders and Stirling University.
Fast forward four decades and the club has never been stronger.
With several league titles under their belt, what began as a single adult team has grown into eight different squads offering both contact and flag football for players aged seven and up — including two women's flag teams.
Over the years, Pirates players have gone on to represent their country at all levels. Earlier this month, Tate Garrett and Justin Goodall from the club's U16s lined up for the GB Lions U17 squad in Derby. And there's more to come — Leah McKendrick, who plays for the U17 flag and U19 contact teams, has been selected for the GB U17 girls squad heading to Austria next month for the European Championships, while Abi Coleman, from the women's flag side, has been called up to the GB women's contact squad competing later this year.
The 40th celebrations culminated in a double-header of action at GHA Rugby Club in Giffnock on July 20.
The U19s were up first, facing off against the Edinburgh Napier Knights U19s. Despite a strong effort, the young Pirates lost out 14–42.
In the senior game that followed, the Pirates fell short in a tight contest, losing 6–12 to the Manchester Titans.
Current club chair Amanda McDonald, now in her fourteenth year at the helm, said: 'This is a really special landmark for us. We're one of the longest-surviving clubs in the UK, and the oldest in Scotland. Sunday's final home game of the season was our 40th anniversary homecoming, and we invited all former Pirates players to come along — with free entry if they're on our all-time roster.
'It was a fantastic chance to reconnect with old teammates and cheer on the current squad as they took on the Manchester Titans.'
A highlight of the day came at half-time in the senior game, when club founder Alex Stewart was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame by Club Committee member and historian and Hall of Famer Bill Campbell — marking ten years since the Hall of Fame was launched, and 40 since Alex placed that very first notice that brought the Pirates together.
Although the Pirates now train primarily in Hamilton and play home games at GHA Rugby Club in Giffnock, they've stayed true to their East Kilbride roots — with women's flag, U17, and U19 teams still practising at Calderglen High School in the town.
Amanda added: 'One of our biggest challenges remains costs — with everything becoming more expensive.
'In our 40th year, it would be amazing if any local businesses interested in sponsoring us, and helping us reach our 50th anniversary, could get in touch.
'Our U16s are playoff-bound and hoping for U16 Britbowl in Sheffield, which would mean an expensive trip. And our senior team continues to compete in the Premiership — the only team in Scotland to do so — which means long and costly travel.'
The club is always on the lookout for new players too — so if you fancy giving American football a try, now's the perfect time.
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