User:Mdart40/sandbox/Edinburgh Napier Knights

The Edinburgh Napier Knights represent Edinburgh Napier University in the sport of American football. As of the 2015–16 season, the Knights compete in the 2A Scottish North conference in the second tier of the British Universities American Football League (BUAFL).

History
American Football has been played at Edinburgh Napier University since 2003 when a group of students and coaches drawn from the local senior team, the Edinburgh Wolves, set up the first team that was accepted into the British Universities American Football League for the 2004–05 season.

Edinburgh Timberwolves (2003–2006)

The Timberwolves were a team drawn from two principle universities - Edinburgh and Napier, and began their inaugural season in the University American Football League with a 2–6 season under Head Coach David Glendinning.

The second season for the Timberwolves saw Head Coaching duties shared between another pair of Wolves coaches; Mark Bramwell & Campbell Lewis, and this pairing oversaw an improvement in results to 4 wins and 4 losses.

Season 2005/06 proved to be the most challenging season for the team as poor player numbers saw the latest Head Coach, David Molloy, resign and the season falling incomplete. The Timberwolves were awarded a 3–5 record for the year but would face starting the following season under league probation for failing to fulfil all of its fixtures.

Napier University Mavericks (2006–2010)

The start of 2006/07 season saw the team reborn as the Napier University Mavericks under team president Dan Cameron.

Cameron was faced with the additional problem of the breakdown of the partnership agreement with the Wolves senior team who had previously supplied equipment and staff to the club. At this time, another senior team the Dundee Hurricanes stepped in, and the teams Head Coach for the following 3 seasons Stu Adams would lead the ‘Mav’s’ to 3–5, 3–4–1, and 3-5 records.

As the team grew it became clear that it was preferential for both Universities to support their own teams, and so the Edinburgh University Predators were formed in time for season 2009/10 and would see both coaches Cameron & Adams swap allegiances to the other side of the city.

Incoming president Jamie Charles then re-opened links to the Edinburgh Wolves and asked Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston to take charge. The Mav's struggled throughout this season through player numbers and injuries and after starting well limped to a 1–6–1 record. However most of the success story of this season was happening off the field.

Edinburgh Napier Knights (2010–present)

A new Napier team was ready to be launched for the start of 2010–11. Wolves Assistant Head Coach Pete Laird, a previous College Bowl winner, and a 6 time Scottish Division Champion with 2 university clubs, was asked by Coach Edmonston to take the reigns. Season 2010-11 was a watershed season for the Knights. A first ever victory over close city rivals the Edinburgh University Predators 20–6 in the Varsity Bowl offsetting an opening loss to Glasgow University. A hotly disputed game against Durham was eventually awarded as a tie by the BUAFL league and with an atrocious winter leading to a number of abandoned games throughout the UK a ‘double header’ fixture saw a 33 to 6 win for the Knights. A final regular season win against Teesside put the Knights into the Plate Championship playoffs for the first ever time. A 44–0 loss to the Nottingham Trent Renegades saw the team fall at the first hurdle but capped the end to a turnaround season for the team. A dip in the 2011–12 season saw the Knights slip to a 3–5 record. However the team continued to develop off the field with the addition of a Varsity Game held on Super Bowl Sunday against crosstown rivals Edinburgh University with a crowd of 850 spectators present.

The 2012 season saw the Knights move to a purpose-built field at their Sighthill campus but a disappointing 0–7–1 season failed to reflect the whole scale changes behind the scenes. Close losses against their division rivals and a loss to the Predators in front of over a 1000 fans at the second Varsity game marked the playing season but off the field the Knights now boast access to the all-new Engage sports centre, strength and conditioning rooms, and have full access to the on-site Sport & Exercise Science lab's.

Success for the Knights continued with the recognition of 3 of their players, Running Back Jamie Welsh, Offensive Lineman Hamish Coull, and Linebacker Ryan Strachan, named in the current Great Britain squad which was victorious on its tour to Sweden in 2013.

Season 2013-14 was the first official year of university Football recognised by BUCS and saw a slow start for the Knights with a record loss to the eventual National Champion Stirling Clansmen. However fortunes began to change during the 2nd term with a narrow shootout loss to the Glasgow Tigers where the Knights fought back from 28 points behind and recovered 2 onside kicks reigniting a previously moribund season. Revenge was completed over the Tigers with a home victory before double header victories over UWS saw the Knights finish the year at 3–5.

The imbalance in competition was addressed in the off-season with a new Premier tier constructed for scholarship programmes and saw the Saltire Division disbanded, leaving the Knights to begin 2014–15 in a newly reconvened Borders Conference.Preparations for the season began with the first ever Alumni game held at the end of player camp. The Old Boys squad featured players who had travelled from Germany, Ireland, and London to play in the game and saw the Alumni win the controlled scrimmage 3 scores to one. The Knights racked up a 3–4 record and were within inches of a winning season following a 12-9 double overtime loss to the Northumbria Mustangs. Early defeats to Newcastle and Glasgow were built upon by the Knights in the 2nd term which saw the eventual Varsity Bowl bragging rights crossing the city at the fourth time of asking. Before a record crowd of 1300 spectators Napier dominated the Edinburgh Predators 16-0 and lifted the trophy for the first time.