AMERICAN FOOTBALL STIRLING CLANSMEN

Valiant to the end is the best way to describe the Stirling Clansmen’s 2022/23 season. Wracked with injuries, the team struggled through a season which saw them face a veritable valley of death in the BUCS Northern division.

Ending the season with a combined score of 379-8 secured the team’s demotion from the Premiership level of BUCS American Football down to Division one for 2023/24.

The season started with an away game against Leeds Beckett Carnegie. The game ended when the teams came to a decision to let the clock run out, resulting in a final score of 52-0.

The Clansmen then welcomed the newly-promoted Newcastle Raiders to Stirling in what would be the most competitive game of the year for the team. The Clansmen managed to score their only points of the season on a run by Finlay Ramsay. The game ended in a final score of 26-8, Newcastle benefiting from many special teams’ mistakes, mistakes which would become a common theme for the season.

Next the Clansmen hosted longtime rivals the Durham Saints in a game that ended in controversy. The final score was 52-0 for Durham. This was the only time the teams would play each other during the season.

Then it was the turn of Leeds Beckett to make the trip to Stirling, putting up a score of 69-0 on the team.

Matt Mariota, brother of NFL QB Marcus Mariota, showed his pedigree as a runner, despite the best efforts of the Clansmen.

The Clansmen travelled down to Newcastle in eager anticipation of another close game and a possible win to avoid relegation. They would be sabotaged by more special teams’ mistakes. The game ended in a final score of 52-0, ensuring relegation.

The last two games the Clansmen played were against Nottingham Gold, last year’s runners-up in BUCS.

The bravery shown by the small squad against a team that had easily quadruple the number of available players isn’t reflected in the scores of 68-0 and 61-0. The team ending the last game of their season with only 15 ‘healthy’ players.

Many players showed incredible amounts of courage during the season, with guys playing both ways and never taking a snap off until they were forced to.

This fighting spirit is what the Clansmen will aim to bring into Division One next season, hopefully with a few more wins to go along with it.