Edinburgh Wolves fast emerging as a force

A LENGTHY rule book combined with a game duration in excess of three hours has often hindered an opportunistic market for American football in this country. The nine-year operation of the Scottish Claymores resembled short-term success but failed to sustain enough public interest to stop the franchise closing in 2004, a conclusion many felt was inevitable.

Closure, however, is not an outcome considered among the pack of the Edinburgh Wolves. The Capital's sole American football team continue to strengthen as an organisation since its inception ten years ago. Admittance into the Central Flag Football League in 2001 merely resembled a social gathering of friends who shared a mutual passion for 'America's game'.

However, the Wolves' entry into the British American Football League (BAFL) in 2007 accentuated the ambition and aspiration to compete at the highest level, as head coach Don Edmonston explains.

"We now have four teams running, from the Coyotes at under-16 level to our senior team who compete in the Division Two North Section, so the progression we have made has been outstanding," he says. "We no longer consider ourselves a club but an organisation. We now have a stadium (Meadowbank] which we have used since 2007 and our fan base is growing. The aim is to reproduce a 'game day' experience that you see on the television with the NFL.

"We are extremely grateful for our sponsors, Walkabout Bar, who provide superb food and entertainment after the game. What we have achieved is certainly encouraging."

With Edmonston at the helm, flanked by an industrious coaching and backroom staff, the ambition doesn't draw to a sudden halt.

The scope for development at the Wolves is an attractive proposition and a responsibility Edmonston thrives on. He reinforces his commitment to expanding participation among local young people and believes any positivity attained can help establish a platform for progress. He said: "In the next ten years I would expect the senior team to be playing at the highest level of football in Europe.

"The ambition is not just to stay as a local regional side - we are looking to emulate the success of the more established British teams like the London Blitz and Coventry Jets but we have to reach the Premier League first. We would also like to operate at least half a dozen junior teams and a youth team who feed players into the senior set-up so we have large-scale plans." Wolves were the recipients of the John Slavin Award in 2007, which offers recognition for the most professionally-run organisation in the BAFL, and Edmonston's knowledge of the game is pivotal to the cause.

The Capital club's leader has worked with the Great Britain team as an Offensive Line Coach.

"I love coaching the side and believe we're going from strength to strength.However, I made it clear I would only take the job if we found a suitable venue to play our home games where we could accommodate spectators and also stated my desire to have a youth team developed within the club. "We have managed to achieve both since my appointment in 2006 and I will continue to work as hard as I can to progress the team and the organisation as a whole to a new level every year."

Anyone aged 16 and under interested in joining the Edinburgh Wolves youth programme can visit www.edinburghwolves.com for more details.

"We no longer consider ourselves a club but an organisation. The progress we have made has been outstanding"