The Hanover College football Panthers are raring to go, little more than a month before they head to Europe with Global Football to discover Ireland and Scotland. Their opponents in a challenge game that will highlight the overseas visit, the East Kilbride Pirates, are counting down the days to the kickoff of the new British American Football Association National Leagues season.
The Panthers will take on Scotland’s top American football team on Saturday, May 16 at Hamilton Rugby Club on the outskirts of Glasgow.
Last season the Pirates posted an unbeaten 10-0 record during regular season and reached the semi finals of the playoffs under head coach Ross Templeton. The team recently completed an annual three-day residential training camp at Strathallan School in Perthshire, where almost 80 players, coaches and staff attended and are now raring to go, with the 2015 season starting on April 26.
“Everyone in the Pirates is really looking forward to this game,” said coach Templeton. “It will be great to be able to measure ourselves against a team from the United States. We’re expecting it to be an exciting and challenging encounter, and hopefully it will help us continue to get better and take the next step in our growth as a team.”
Hanover head coach Steve Baudendistel, who has been a member of the Panther coaching staff for ten seasons and led them to a second placed finish in the HCAC (Heartland College Athletic Conference) last season, said: “I am very excited to be bringing the Hanover Panthers to Scotland for our game against the Pirates. The opportunity to visit Ireland and Scotland will be a great cultural and educational experience for our players, but also allows us to promote the game of football internationally. Our trip to Germany with Global Football five years ago was a great trip and I know this will be as well.”
While in Ireland and Scotland, the traveling Hanover party will visit Dublin, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Croke Park Stadium, the GAA Museum, the Guinness Storehouse, the Titanic Belfast, Trim Castle, and take a ferry ride from Northern Ireland to Scotland.
Patrick Steenberge, Global Football President is especially eager for this tour, adding: “During the 19 years of running Global Football tours we have never had the opportunity to travel to Scotland, where they have a solid tradition of good football. By combining the competition in Scotland with the very special culture and history of Ireland, this will prove to be a memorable journey for Hanover. It is wonderful that Coach Baudendistel continues the tradition of international travel there.”
The game has the support of the British American Football Association, and has been approved by the International Federation of American Football and USA Football.