Pirates Find New Home
with the Bulls
Pics C/O Jack Ryan

The East Kilbride Pirates are delighted to announce that they have secured a new home for the 2009 season.

The deal, finalised on Sunday, sees the Pirates enter into a partnership with Hamilton Rugby Club, where they will play all of their 2009 home games.

Scotland 's oldest surviving American Football team are switching to Laigh Bent after playing their home fixtures at the Hamilton Palace grounds for the last four seasons.

Pirates Chairman Matthew Davies, commenting on the new agreement said " We enjoyed our time at Hamilton Palace and were well looked after by South Lanarkshire Leisure, however, we were looking for somewhere we could be more at home and also improve our pre and post-match facilities."

"The agreement with Hamilton Rugby Club is ideal from our point of view. It gives as a regular base during our playing season and provides excellent facilities for pre and post match entertainment"

"We have been impressed with the approach of the Rugby club and we look forward to building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship. "

"The Pirates regular season starts in May and runs to the end of August, with five home games starting on the 24th May with the visit of the Merseyside Nighthawks."

Hamilton President Donald Woodrow added " We are delighted to enter into this agreement with the Pirates. Their playing season dovetails nicely with our own and means that the facilities will be utilised during what is traditionally a quiet period for us so the additional income will be helpful. "

However, this agreement has not been entered into purely from a financial view."

" Offering other sports at Laigh Bent has been part of our plans since we opened the clubhouse in 1998 but it was important we found the right partners to work with."

" From our discussions with the Pirates we find that we have a lot in common. Both teams are passionate about their sport, have ambitions to play at the highest level and are keen to provide opportunities for youngsters to take up sport."

" Plus with the Pirates' players also taking out club membership they will have the opportunity to enjoy the social side of the club on an ongoing basis."

"Who knows we may even see some of the Hamilton players pulling on the pads and some of the Pirates trying rugby during their close season! "

The Pirates new home is in an enclosed ground, featuring a bar, BBQ, seated area and a raised section offering a much better view of the action then was available previously.

Matthew Davies continues: "Finding a home is a challenge which we as a club have wrestled with for many years and I fully believe that this will serve as a platform for development of both our club and the sport in Scotland ."

To find out more about joining the Pirates as a player, coach, volunteer or spectator, see the website at www.piratesfootball.co.uk or email info@piratesfootball.co.uk .