With the demise of the home international seniors contest,
this is for many players, the best chance to represent their country on
the international stage in a game which is also a trial for the GB squads.
During recent years, the fixture has dropped in terms
of importance in some people’s eyes as an event, having gone down
from a TV sponsored fixture to a game that one year was played on a public
park with a running clock as the officials were booked for another game
the same day.
This latest game was originally postponed due to safety
issues that arose at the last minute which resulted in the dropping out
of some of the English coaches and the resignation of Scottish Head Coach,
Jim Burns.
Thankfully the behind the scenes problems have been resolved
and the fixture is now back on a stadium setting with the game taking
place at the spiritual home of Scottish Athletics – Edinburgh’s
Meadowbank Stadium
Despite the cancellation of the original fixture, it has
played to the Scottish side’s advantage, who now under the leadership
of new Head Coach, Alan Wilson, will come into the auld enemy clash with
a warm up match under their belts, beating Gateshead Senators in Glasgow
last month.
“I was very impressed with the players’
performance in the warm up game”, he said. “The game gave
the coaches an opportunity to see which areas we still need to work on.”
With a couple of the forced changes in the Scottish coaching
line up, the new coaches for the Meadowbank clash are
Head Coach - Alan Wilson (Glasgow Tigers)
Defensive Co-ordinator and Linebackers - Derek Taylor (Glasgow Tigers)
Offensive Co-ordinator and Running Backs Graeme Clee (Glasgow Tigers)
Running Backs Assistant – Raef Shamugan (Glasgow Tigers)
Defensive Line and Special Teams - Kyle West (Glasgow Tigers)
Quarterbacks - Craig Wilson (Glasgow Tigers)
Wide Receivers and Defensive Backs - Andrew Russell (Glasgow Tigers)
Defensive Backs Assistant – Ryan Hunter (East Kilbride Pirates)
Offensive Line - Richard Orr (Clyde Valley Hawks)
Offensive Assistant – Colin MacMillan (Clyde Valley Falcons)
