Edinburgh Wolves - American Football in the capital

WOLVES HAND OUT 2009 AWARDS

The Edinburgh Wolves reconvened this past weekend to celebrate their success both as a team and on an individual basis at their annual Awards Night. The Wolves were represented at each level of their organisation, with the Junior team, Forth Valley Fusion, and Wolves senior team all honoured at the ceremony.

Junior team linebacker Callum Veitch walked away with the Defensive and Team MVP awards for the Wolves Junior squad, while Stuart Galloway picked up both the Offensive and Team MVP award from the senior Wolves.

Compéré Ahmed Khader kicked off proceedings in his farewell appearance for the Wolves, introducing the Junior Head Coach Campbell Lewis to present the awards to the Junior squad.

Junior awards winners were Quarterback/Receiver Stuart Ramsay picking up Offensive MVP for excellent play in both positions following his move to the club in preseason, Lineman of the Year went to Hughie Ottley for his dominating performances at Defensive Tackle, Wolves Pack Leader Award was presented to defensive back Ally Balloch for his dedication to training after a preseason change in position, Rookie of the Year award to the versatile runner/receiver Conor Zahariev, and the Most Improved Player award went to defensive back/linebacker David Wilson.

The Forth Valley Fusion - the Wolves' Youth team (age 16-19) affiliate squad - then presented both their annual awards (full details available on their website www.ForthValleyFootball.co.uk), and a graduation ceremony for the two players moving up to the Edinburgh Wolves squad in 2010.

Following a brief talk on the benefits of University football from Stirling Clansmen head coach, Robert Orr, the senior awards were presented by Head Coach Don Edmonston.

Offensive rookie of the year was won by Richard "Biscuit" Anderson, whose strong running throughout the season gained the team valuable first downs on the ground. Defensive rookie was cornerback Mike "Zach Efron" Rodger, who won the starting position in preseason and performed well throughout 2009.

Offensive MVP went to speedster receiver Stuey Galloway, while Defensive MVP was presented to Australian linebacker John "Wombat" Wilmore, who led the defense in tackles in his first year with the Wolves. Retiring from his on-field endeavours, Don Edmonston went out on a high by picking up the Lineman of the Year award for the 3rd consecutive year.

Other award winners included Craig "Chip" Lyall and James "TD" Collins, winning positional Coach of the Year and the Glayva-sponsored Spirit of the Wolves award respectively.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

The race began on the historic Royal Mile, which connects Edinburgh Castle & the Scottish parliment. One hundred meters down from the start line, runners had to climb over a series of hay bails, before continuing down the narrow side streets & stairwells of the Old Town before reaching 'Jacob's Ladder' – three hundred narrow steep steps connecting the city's lower level with it's upper level. Soon after this came the climb up Calton Hill, a one hundred meter elevation that forms part of Edinburgh's former volcanic landscape. A combination of stepped & off-road track led the runners to their next challenge – an army assault course comprising cargo net climbs, rope swings, monkey bars & crawling under cargo nets.

Runners then received a welcome aid as the course flowed back down the hill, down the 'Jacob's Ladder' & back into the Old Town, where runners met their next unique challenge – a short clamber through two wrecked cars (in the boot, out through the front window).

The next couple of kilometers offered the nearest thing to a conventional running race, although contenders still had to deal with the undulating nature of the city. After a short time, runners arrived at the centrepiece of Edinburgh's volcanic iconography, Arthur's Seat, where the runners enjoyed a brief moment of fun with a thirty foot water slide down the hillside.

The next challenges took runners through artificial spiders webs & a 'wall of water' provided courtesy of two of Edinburgh's fire engines and their hoses. A five hundred meter long sub-terrain disused railway tunnel took runners further towards their finish line, leading runners toward Edinburgh's night life centre, the Cowgate. Here, runners had to navigate a comical tribute to the city's current bain – a building site, complete with rock climbs, blockade hurdles and a trek up and down a four-storey derelict building. Runners then faced a sharp uphill climb back to the Royal Mile where the next (inflatable) assault course brought a smile to some tired faces. Heading back through the Cowgate, runners approaching the finish had to navigate a series of skilful Parkour challenges before entering the finishing straight – or so runners thought...

An unwelcome route diversion took runners one hundred meters up the side of The Mound, a volcanic throne for Edinburgh Castle, before competitors raced down to the finishing line to face an eight foot wall – get over by any means necessary. The finishing line followed to mark a memorable and challenging ten kilometer run.

WOLVES LAUNCH NEW FUND RAISING SCHEME WITH THE UTILITY WAREHOUSE

The Edinburgh Wolves are delighted to launch a new Community Fund Raiser scheme (CFR) in partnership with the Utility Warehouse Discount Club. The deal was brokered by quarterback Allan Price, who is an authorised distributor with the UK PLC Company of the Year 2008.

The Utility Warehouse provides residential and business customers across the country with everyday utilities such as phone, internet, mobile phone, gas and electricity. They currently supply over 280,000 customers throughout the UK.

You may not have heard of the Utility Warehouse before as they don’t waste money on expensive advertising, so they can keep costs down and pass the savings they make on to their customers. The Utility Warehouse is the only UK utility provider that can supply energy and telephony/broadband services to your home on a single monthly bill, making your life simpler.

With its unique range of utilities – land line, mobile phone, broadband, gas and electricity – the Utility Warehouse can simplify your household bills whilst saving you a considerable amount of time, effort and money! In additon, the Utility Warehouse does not tie customers into any contracts, allowing customers to try their services and switch back if they choose.

Once you sign up to their services, the Utility Warehouse will donate up to 5% of your monthly utility bill to the Wolves, each and every month.

To start saving money for yourself and raising money for the Wolves, simply call the customer support team on freephone 0800 131 3000 and quote our appeal number F11631, or visit the Edinburgh Wolves Fund Raiser Site

WOLVES WIN ON ROAD TO FINISH OFF 2009 SEASON WITH 18-6 VICTORY AGAINST CHESTER ROMANS

The Edinburgh Wolves finished the season in style with a 18-6 victory against the Chester Romans. The victory was the second in a row for the Wolves and gives them 2nd place in the Scottish Conference by their head to head record against Clyde Valley. In a close game the Wolves defence were on fine form holding the Romans to no first downs in the first half and the Romans only points came off a Wolves offensive turnover. The Wolves used the game to blood a number of rookies into their system and with back up Quarterback Campbell Lewis at the helm were able to move the ball well both on the ground and in the air. Rookie receiver Steve MacDonald reeled in two touchdown passes from Lewis - one in each half with a suprising special teams touchdown rounding out the Wolves scoring. While the Wolves have scored well on punt returns this year, it wasn't the usual return man (Stu Galloway - Wolves Touchdown Leader in 2009), but following a blocked kick, Craig "Chip" Lyall grabbed the ball out of the air and bulldozered his way into the endzone. The score was particularlly sweet for Lyall has he and other Wolves player coaches Don Edmonston, Tony Kilanowski and Pete Laird had planned to retire from playing at the end of the season.

With the Wolves record now 6-4 it is the first ever winning record for the team and has shown progress since the relaunch of the team in 2006 with each years record improving on the one before. Only undefeated Manchester Titans and Scottish Conference leaders Glasgow Tigers have beaten the Wolves in 2009. Due to results elsewhere the Wolves just missed out on the play offs, as Leicester Falcons recorded one win more than the Wolves to secure the final play off berth in the North half of Division 2. Keep checking in with the Wolves over the off season as we launch our school flag program, start the Wolves Savings Club (where Wolves Supporters can save money on line at hundreds of major retailers), host our awards night and get ready for the 2010 season.

WOLVES WIN FINAL HOME GAME WITH 13-12 VICTORY AGAINST CLYDE VALLEY

The final Edinburgh Wolves home game broke their recent run of bad results with a close 13-12 victory over the visiting Clyde Valley Blackhawks. It was a match similar to the teams' first encounter with a low scoring defensive struggle and both sides almost evenly matched.

Once again the difference in the score line was due to the Wolves kicking unit, but Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston gave credit to the whole team "We've had a tough run of games playing both Glasgow twice and having a second game against the unbeaten Titans. But today the whole team were able to put those games behind us and held together in a nail biter of a game against the Blackhawks. This was a total team performance and every unit worked hard to give us the win"

A full match report will be available later including photos from today's game. The Wolves now travel to Chester on the 16th of August where, depending on results elsewhere, a win could put the Wolves into the play offs.

WOLVES LOSE TO TIGERS IN GLASGOW

The Edinburgh Wolves gridiron football team dropped their third straight game with a 19-0 loss at the Glasgow Tigers. The Wolves record now stands at 4-4, meaning that to make the playoffs they must win their remaining two games and rely on the results of other teams going their way.

Coach Don Edmonston said his defence held up as best they could during the loss. “They were out on the field quite a while,” he said. “It was a lot to ask to keep Glasgow from scoring at the end.”

The Tigers, which solidified their spot at the top of the division with the victory, were kept off the scoreboard in the first quarter but managed a touchdown pass before the half to give themselves a 6-0 lead heading into the break.

The Wolves again shut down the Tigers in the third quarter, but later gave up a running and passing touchdown after a 30 minute delay to treat Edinburgh wide receiver Mike Firth, who was taken to hospital after breaking his leg.

Edmonston, who will be coaching the offensive line of Team GB this week in preparation for their Tri-nations tournament against Sweden and Australia , said bad luck played a part in the defeat.

“We had a couple of unlucky turnovers on punts,” he said, “and a couple of calls that went against us. It made it difficult to build any momentum.”

The Wolves return home to Meadowbank on August 1 to face Clyde Valley.

TITANS TAME WOLVES ON INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Edinburgh Wolves failed to gain revenge for their opening day loss and fell to their second defeat in a row when the undefeated Manchester Titans came to Meadowbank. The game was very similar to the previous contest between the two teams, with Manchester off to the races early and posting a 34 - 0 halftime lead. Just as they had in the first encounter however, the Wolves were able to shut out the Titans offense in the second half, preventing any more scores but could not close the gap significantly.

While the Wolves Offense would drive well during the day, despite getting within 10 yard of scoring an offensive touchdown three times during the match, penalties and mistakes resulted in no points for the offense. The Wolves touchdown came from a fumble recovery by Wolves Rookie linebacker Luke Jeacock.

Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston was impressed with the Titans "They are a big, physical squad and there is no denying that the better team won. Had we cut out our mistakes and penalties we probably would have made that scoreline a lot closer. But on the day Manchester were well drilled, worked hard and made it difficult for us to reach our objectives. While we can take something from the fact our halftime adjustments worked and Manchester were scoreless in the second half, that doesn't make up for our first half performance. Once again we were caught cold on a kick-off with the opening kick being returned by Ricky Whittle for a Touchdown. Some have said he's only playing for a publicity stunt, but that lad can play, he's got speed and moves and he is a credit to the Titans."

The Wolves now fall to 4 - 3 and face three tough games, including away to Glasgow next weekend. The Wolves now know every game is almost a "must win" game to reach the play offs.

The Wolves head to Glasgow next Sunday for their second encounter this season with the Tigers, and return to Meadowbank for their final home game on August 1.

HUNGRY LIKE A WOLF ? FOURTH OF JULY HOT DOG EATING COMPETITION

The Edinburgh Wolves are looking to put on a few special extras for their Fourth of July game against the Manchester Titans. For the first time the Wolves will be able to put on hot food for their spectators during the game as Hot Dogs will be on sale before during and directly after the game while stocks last.

The arrangement has been something that has taken a while to put in place but Wolves GM Doug Adamson believes that is something that is worth the wait. "We've tried a number of options which never really panned out from bringing in outside caterers to burger vans parked out side. Each of them had their drawbacks. However since the re-opening of the The Finishing Line Cafe on site at Meadowbank we've been negotiating a solution which benefits everyone, keeps costs and wastage down and provides a service to our supporters. This is something we plan to have not only for the 4th of July game but for all of our homegames going forward."

As part of the introduction to the Hot Dogs on the most American of days the 4th of July the Wolves will be hosting a Hot Dog eating competition as part of the half time entertainment. The Competition will be for Charity and is open to those over 18 years old - the entrance fee is only £5 with all proceeds going Charity - and individuals can be sponsored in advance. For more details and to register your interest in participation contact us Spaces are limited.

WOLVES EDGED OUT IN BATTLE WITH TIGERS

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Edinburgh Wolves were left heartbroken on Sunday after their four-game winning streak came to an end in a hard-fought struggle against Glasgow Tigers at Meadowbank stadium. Fans of the capital's American football side witnessed a nail-biting end to the epic battle which saw the west coast side score a last minute touchdown to end the game 13-7.

Glasgow got off to a fierce start as they marched down the field before running back Kieron Phillips powered into the endzone from three yards out. But the Edinburgh Defence stepped up and kept the pressure on Glasgow to keep them from repeating the score. Both sides traded some costly turnovers and the half ended 7-0.

Things finally started to go in the Wolves' favour when defensive back Billy Mitchell intercepted a stray pass deep in their own territory and ran it back to midfield. From there quarterback Allan Price made a dash for the endzone up the left sideline, but was brought down just a few yards from the goal. A second run saw Price burst over the line for the touchdown, bringing the two sides level.

With the scores even both sides battled to take the lead but neither could find the endzone for the crucial points. But in the dying minutes, the Tigers threatened to score as they reached the ten-yard line, but the Wolves fought tooth and nail to hold them back. An impressive amount of pressure forced Glasgow to miss the field goal but the Edinburgh fans were bitterly disappointed when the referee awarded Glasgow a first down after a charge of roughing the kicker. The penalty gifted Glasgow another four attempts to score from close range and quarterback Matt McCusker quickly found wide receiver Andrew Burns with a short pass wide right which he took in for a touchdown.

However, the Wolves hadn't given up just yet. With just seconds remaining, Paul McEwan took the Tigers' kick and weaved his way through the defence to reach the Glasgow 25 yard-line. The stands came alive as the Edinburgh support got behind the Wolves, but despite reaching the 5-yard line they were unable to capitalise and the game ended 13-7 to Glasgow. Edinburgh coach Don Edmonston said after the match: "We're just gutted. We just didn't deserve to win. We knew the Glasgow game was going to be tough but we just didn't play at the level we had to. "No excuses, we just need to be better. We didn't perform to the standard we needed to."

The Wolves' next home game is against Manchester Titans on July 4 at Meadowbank, and Edmonston said that despite the loss, the Wolves have high hopes from the next game. "We have some players coming back from injury who we feel will make a big impact on the game," he added. "Other than that we'll just have to work hard in training to get back to our winning ways."

WOLVES SINK HULL 63 - 20 IN RECORD BREAKING RESULT
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The Edinburgh Wolves overcame a poor first half to crush the Hull Hornets 63-20 at Meadowbank stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Two touchdowns by running back Paul Elder and defensive tackle Paul Jeffreys helped the Wolves earn their fourth-straight win and saw them solidify their position atop the Scottish conference.

Coach Don Edmonston said: “We had a terrible start. That’s possibly the worst first half I’ve ever seen this team play. But we made some mental adjustments at half-time and had a good second-half performance.”

The Wolves got off to a rocky start, conceding a 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown seconds after the opening whistle. But the Capital side answered with six points of their own, a scoring drive capped off by Elder’s two-yard rushing touchdown.

The defences of both teams continued to yield yardage easily throughout the half, with Hull and Edinburgh trading touchdowns. After Hull put points on the board with a 15-yard touchdown pass, Wolves quarterback Allan Price connected with Campbell Lewis early in the second quarter to even the score at 14 apiece.

Minutes later kick return specialist Stu Galloway put the Wolves ahead for good with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown.

With minutes left in the half, Hull pulled to within two points after scoring on a 35-yard touchdown pass. But when Wolves’ wide receiver Neil Warren caught a 30-yard pass in the end zone just before the break, giving his side a 30-20 lead, Hull was broken.

The Capital side’s defence, which had little answer to the Hornets’ passing game in the first 30 minutes, contrived to shut down Hull after half-time with help from an unexpected source. After Elder ran the ball in from a few yards out early in the third quarter to put the Wolves ahead by two touchdowns, defensive tackle Paul Jeffreys picked off a pass from the under-pressure Hull quarterback and walked unopposed into the end zone.

Edinburgh finished off the Hornets with touchdowns from Ryan Venters, Bejan Farazi, and a return to the end zone for Jeffreys, who capped off a historic wins for the Wolves when he picked up a loose ball and rumbled 50-yards into the end zone.

WOLVES TAME WILDCATS WITH 30 - 0 VICTORY ON THE ROAD

The Edinburgh Wolves improved to 3-1 on the season with a 30-0 victory over the Highland Wildcats.

Their second win over the Wildcats in three weeks came with the help of a 77-yard kickoff return by Stu Galloway, his third touchdown in as many games,
and a 50-yard touchdown catch by rookie wide receiver Paul Flemming.

Although the game remained scoreless after one quarter, the Capital side were rarely put under pressure on either side of the ball. Quarterback Allan Price finally put the Wolves ahead early in the second half after scrambling 33 yards for a touchdown. The successful point-after-attempt by Billy Mitchell gave Edinburgh Wolves a 7-0 lead, and they never looked back.

Veteran Campbell Lewis took over the score sheet in the second quarter on offense and defence, first chasing the Wildcats quarterback out of the end zone to earn the Wolves a two-point safety, then connecting with Flemming for a short pass at the end of the half, which the first-year receiver took half the length of the field to put the Wolves ahead 16-0.

Galloway’s kick-off return to start the second half gave the Wolves the start they needed to cruise the rest of the way, with Lewis adding seven-yard rushing touchdown later in the quarter to seal the win.

Coach Don Edmonston said the Wolves played particularly well on defence, where in total they only allowed three first downs and recovered eight turnovers.
The former Scottish Claymores lineman said: “We tried a few new things this week, and made some mistakes, however we scored when it counted. That and a strong performance on defence ensured that we head into next Saturday’s home against Hull on three-game wining streak and top of our division.”

WOLVES DOWN BLACKHAWKS 10 - 6 ON THE ROAD

Edinburgh Wolves kept up their winning form on Sunday with a 10-6 away victory over Clyde Valley Blackhawks.

The capital American football side came out on top after a hard-fought struggle at Wishaw Sorts Centre, which saw kicker Billy Mitchell named as the Wolves' man of the Match. Not only did Mitchell's four points separate the two sides, but his punting left the Wolves with some impressive field positions.

Neither defence was willing to give up points early on, as the two sides battled for superiority. But Wolves quarterback Allan Price helped open the scoring when he found receiver Stu Galloway with a 58-yard touchdown pass just before the end of the first half. Mitchell added the extra point and later a 28-yard field goal to put Edinburgh ahead 10-0. With time running out, the Blackhawks managed a short rushing touchdown as a consolation late in the fourth quarter, but Edinburgh ran out the clock to seal the win.

Wolves headcoach Don Edmonston paid tribute to his players' teamwork.
"Everyone really contributed and put in a great effort," he said. "There were a couple of mistakes early on but we put those behind us and it came together. Our defence held the Blackhawks in place while our offence and special teams put some valuable points on the board.There was also some great productivity from our running backs which helped us out a lot.".

Edinburgh based fans were treated to a pair of home victories on Sunday with both the Edinburgh Wolves and Forth Valley Fusion recording wins in their first home games of the season. The double victories had more in common that just being played at Meadowbank Stadium, as Don Edmonston head coached both the Fusion and Wolves to wins in a single day. This is a rare feat indeed and also marked Coach Edmonston's birthday to cap off the day.

While the Wolves continue to have injury concerns of their own they were closer to full strength than their first game away at Manchester Titans. While the Wildcats fought hard throughout the game the experience and depth of the Wolves took their toll as following a scoreless 1st Quarter of Football the Wolves took things up a gear.

First into the Endzone was Salim Ahmed on a powerful run through the heart of the Wildcats defense carrying a handful of defenders with him as he scored his first touchdown and put the Wolves first points of the season on the board with 6.

Following a muffed catch on a booming kick off by Billy Mitchell the Wildcats found themselves starting only a yard out of their own endzone. Moments later the Wolves Defensive line burst through and tackled the Wildcats ball carrier in the endzone resulting in a Safety score of 2 points for the Wolves and forcing the Wildcats to then kick off now 8 points adrift of the Wolves.

To add to the Wildcats woes their kick off was returned 75 yards by Stu Galloway who sprinted into the Endzone to record his first touchdown of the day. The Wildcats had conceded 14 points in barely more than a handful of plays but Galloway wasn’t finished yet. Before the end of the half Galloway scored another touchdown on a 28 yard pass from Quarterback Allan Price, leaving the half time score 20 - 0.

Things didn’t get any easier for the Wildcats who despite picking up some first downs had been frustrated by the Wolves defense including a sack and fumble recovery for Chris Salmond on his return game after missing the away game in Manchester with a hand injury. When in Wolves territory the Wildcats hadn’t faired well conceding a number of sacks.

Early in the second half Stu Galloway inflicted his final touchdown as part of his hat-trick when he scored on a reverse run from 11 yards out.

Keeping the scoreboard ticking over for the Wolves was Richard Anderson who scored his first ever touchdown on a pass from Price late in the 3rd quarter.

Going into the fourth quarter it was Rookie Ryan Venters who picked up a score in his first ever game with a sweeping run. Billy Mitchell scored the extra point kick after previously hitting the uprights in the game. With a final score of 39 - 0 the Wolves ran out winners as time expired.

Speaking after the game Double Winning Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston who had already won earlier that day when he had Head Coached the Forth Valley Fusion to victory against the Sheffield Tomahawks praised the efforts of Highland.

Make no mistake they are getting better and better each week. They might be a rookie squad but as they gain game experience they will surprise people. I’m proud of the Wolves performance we kept disciplined and took care of business, Highland didn’t make it easy for us at all. I’m glad that near the end of the game we were able to put in some rookies who did a great job for us on offense, and our defense kept a shut out, with some of our injured players coming back now it’s starting to feel like we are close to full strength.

The win moves the Wolves to 1 - 1 in the standings tied with Glasgow and Clyde Valley following Glasgow’s home loss against Manchester. It’s early on in the season but the Wolves travel to Wishaw to take on Clyde Valley in their first ever match up.

The Edinburgh Wolves lost a tough match against the Manchester Titans on the Wolves first game of the season. The long road trip for the Wolves led to a long day for a team with 28 new players. With a number of players unavailable due to circumstances, the Wolves held the Titans to a single touchdown in first quarter but it was a 21 point second quarter that did the damage including a defensive touchdown for the Titans following a tipped pass.

From there on the Wolves solidified in the second half and prevented Manchester from scoring. However despite some good drives the Wolves offense were unable to capitalize on good field position to score themselves. Full match report to follow on Monday.

Meanwhile the Wolves look ahead to their next game and home opener when Highland Wildcats come to Meadowbank Stadium on Sunday 17th of May

Other BAFL2 Scottish Division Scores from the weekend : Highland Wildcats 0 - 57 Chester Romans

Thursday night saw the last pre season Wolves practice finish with the long awaited phrase "It's Gametime on Sunday". The Wolves kick off their 2009 campaign on the road on Sunday (MAY 3) with a visit to Manchester Titans.

The Wolves return to the field after a best-ever five-win season in 2008, and coach Don Edmonston believes the team can improve on last season’s successes. “Our aim every year is to make the playoffs,” said the former Scottish Claymores lineman. “But a specific goal this year is to win more games than we lose, to go 6-4.”

A mix of newcomers and veterans make up the Wolves line-up, which will be lead by quarterback Allan Price in his first full season as the Wolves’ playcaller. Long-serving players Campbell Lewis and Craig Lyall are joined by 28 newcomers. Among the rookies is wide receiver Paul MacEwan.“Paul has picked up the offense really quickly,” Edmonston said. “He’s been getting open in practice a lot.”

The Titans, already off to a winning start after defeating Hull Hornets 27-14 last Sunday, will be fresh in the minds of the Wolves players, who last year watched a three-touchdown lead drain away in torrential rains to lose 26-21 in team’s final game. To avoid a repeat performance of that disappointing loss in front of the Wolves Fans traveling contingent making the trip to Manchester, the Wolves will be looking to contain Titans running backs William Wakatega and Dave Barnettt.

“We beat them by 20 points at Meadowbank last season and were less than 2 minutes away from winning in Manchester” said Edmonston. “We’re looking to go down to their house this year and prove it was not fluke.”

The Wolves’ first home game of the season takes place at 2.30pm on Sunday, May 17 at Meadowbank stadium against the Highland Wildcats.

The pre-season might be over and the playing season begun, but the Wolves recruitment policy hasn't changed - the door is never closed. Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston explains “League rules allow us to sign new players all through the season and the transfer window is still open for a good while yet. Unlike some teams who close their door at this stage of the year, we never turn away anyone who wants to try playing for the Wolves. Competition for spaces is always on going and we’ve seen in the past rookies come at all times in the year even during the playing season and go on to get game time that year. Experience levels don’t matter, desire, commitment and guts are that you need play for me – we’ll coach you up. Our track record of GB Lions selections speaks for itself.”

While competition for positions on the depth chart continues for the Wolves the door will remain open to new recruits at both adult and junior age groups. Anyone interested in taking up the sport no matter what their experience level get in touch with the Wolves via the contact form

The Edinburgh Wolves welcome a new partnership with local company Fitness Box, based in Bruntsfield. Through the personal sponsorship of Wolves defensive back #21 Alex Theys, Fitness Box will be able to provide a range of sports clothing & apparel from Under Armour, Canterbury, 2XU & LineBreak.

Three Wolves players have been invited to join the Great British Lions' Camp in Scotland this weekend. Offensive lineman Ed Forrester, defensive end Duncan Tanner and running back Jordan Hepburn, have progressed from the GB Trials this year to make it to camp where they have the opportunity to go on to compete for places in the 2010 European Championship GB Squad. They will also get to see a familiar face at the camp with Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston as the GB Lions Offensive Line Coach and Wolves Defensive Co-ordinator Craig Lyall attending as an GB Coaching assistant.

The Wolves have always supported the GB Program with Don Edmonston previously Captaining the Lions in their European Campaigns, now as part of the Coaching team with the Lions Coach Edmonston is proud three of his players have been called up as it demonstrates the growth of the Wolves as a club. "We're very much a team on the rise, and the call-ups for the Great Britain squad confirm that. We're really proud of the lads. Two of our GB players only started last year having joined from other sports (Hepburn joined Wolves from a background in rugby, while Forrester has experience in rowing), so this is a great accomplishment. They are great examples of our policy of open recruitment year round from any background and the ability and skill of the Wolves coaching staff to develop players and help them reach their potential."

While the Wolves GB Playing Trio and Head Coach will be at GB Camp this weekend, Wolves Team training continues as usual on Sundays at Jack Kane Centre and new recruits are always welcome from novices to experienced players. Coach Edmonston : "We wouldn't promise everyone will go on to make it to GB but we'll make sure you get the best coaching possible and help players of all levels reach their potential"

Anyone interested in playing should get in touch with the Wolves via the contact form and then come along to a training session.

The Edinburgh Wolves will face 3 new opponents and 3 rivals from last year in their 2009 Campaign. With the season starting and finishing on the road against Manchester and Chester respectively, the Wolves will face home and away fixtures against BAFL new teams Clyde Valley Blackhawks and Highland Wildcats. They will also welcome Hull Hornets to Meadowbank for the first time. The M8 rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh will also continue with home and away fixtures. The last piece of the schedule will be a visit from Manchester Titans to Meadowbank on the 4th of July.

With the home schedule now confirmed the Wolves have also announced their season ticket and game day tickets for 2009 with Season Tickets receiving a 20% discount on gate prices. They are also continuing with the successful Kids go Free with paying adults. For more details on the Season Tickets and Prices visit our ticket info page.

While the Wolves have been back at training for a couple of weeks already in 2009, the ongoing recruitment drive is alive and well. With interest in the sport on the rise Edinburgh is seeing more and more people wanting to try out the sport. To ensure that everyone gets a chance to play the Wolves will be allowing "walk ons" to try out with the team for the rest of the season. Anyone interested in playing should get in touch with the Wolves via the contact form and then come along to a training session.

Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston explained his thoughts on the ongoing recruitment drive "Sometimes when we hold our try outs a few guys can't make it. They might be playing other sports that day or have only moved into the area maybe they were working. We don't want anyone who wants to try American Football to miss out. So we keep our doors open and allow for new players to come along and try out. Now is a good time for those who missed out on the try outs to get down - often it's a great oppertunity for those who watch the Superbowl to see what it's like to play. While we train people from the ground up, many who play other sports particularly contact and strenght sports like Rugby, Weight Lifting and Martial Arts are surpised to find out that much of what they already can do, helps them out on the football field!

I invite everyone who wants to try out for the team to get in touch and come down to training. We've got the best coaching setup in Scotland and we'll make everyone welcome."

The Edinburgh Wolves had 45 prospective players try outs at Meadowbank Stadium on Sunday 23rd November, their highest ever try out attendance. Wolves Head Coach Don Edmonston was impressed with the turn out "It's a great try out class, everyone looked like they had potential to play a role for the team. The coaching staff did a great job as not only did we work out 45 rookies, we also worked out 25 of our first year players from last year as well. That's a great turn out, and it could have been higher but we had a few lads stuck in snow in the borders and a few last minute call offs." Coach Edmonston has been invited on to Talk 107 - the Central Scotland Talk Radio Station today between 5pm and 6pm on the drive time show to talk about the try outs, tune in or listen on line to hear the interview.

The 45 prospective players from the tryouts will officially become Wolves Rookies on Sunday 30th November at their first training session at Jack Kane Centre. Unlike the Meadowbank try outs training is to be outdoors and rookies will be expected to bring gum shields, change of clothes and footwear for grass. With training to start on the field at 12:15* the locker rooms will open at 11:15 and rookies are recommended to start arriving between 10:30 and 11am to allow for time to put equipment on.

Those who weren't able to attend the try outs are welcome to attend training on Sunday instead - and are asked to contact the Wolves in advance to confirm attendance. They can do via the contact form.

*Junior Aged Players (14 to 16 year olds) training is also on Sunday 30th November starting at 10am on the field with locker room opening at 9:30am and new players recommeneded to get down for 9:15am.