Britball Origins: The First Youth Game in Britain – Cougars vs Hawks, 1985
Date: September 29th, 1985
Venue: The Meadows, Edinburgh
Teams: Corstorphine Cougars 18 – Edinburgh Hawks 0
Format: Flag Football
“It might’ve looked chaotic to anyone passing by, but to us, it was history.” — Pete Laird
Long before organised leagues, sponsorships or team buses, British American football at the youth level began in a city park in Edinburgh. The date was September 29th, 1985, and two freshly formed teams — the Corstorphine Cougars and Edinburgh Hawks — squared off in a flag football clash that would become the first recognised junior American football game in Scotland, and very likely the first anywhere in Britain.
The game took place on the Meadows, a stretch of parkland that was as accessible as it was iconic. There were no goalposts, no grandstands, and no referees in zebra stripes. But what the scene lacked in infrastructure, it made up for in enthusiasm.
“We were just kids who loved the NFL. Most of us had discovered the sport through Channel 4’s coverage or by swapping tapes. A lot of it was trial and error,” recalls Pete Laird, who was just 15 years old at the time and instrumental in forming both the Cougars and what would soon become the Scottish Junior American Football League (SJAFL).
The Cougars, mostly dressed in white (as not everyone had red or black jerseys yet), took an early lead and never looked back. Up 12-0 at halftime, they secured the win with a third touchdown in the second half. The scorers that day were Robert MacNeil and Sean Hunter, the latter grabbing two scores to seal the 18-0 shutout.
Making It Happen
“It wasn’t just about playing — it was about making the game happen,” Pete explains. “We had to figure out the rules, teach them to everyone, draw up plays, and organise kit. There wasn’t a blueprint for junior football in the UK at the time.”
Their initiative was fuelled by passion and resourcefulness. Pete and others pulled together equipment from wherever they could: flags made from ripped clothing into strips of rags hanging from your shorts, mismatched jerseys, handwritten playbooks. They advertised informally — through school corridors, word of mouth, and football magazines. Most players had never played organised sport before, let alone American football.
But for that one afternoon on the Meadows, they laid the first stone in what would become a structured and competitive junior scene in Scotland.
A Glimpse of the Future
“It felt like more than a game. It felt like we were starting something new — something that hadn’t existed here before,” Pete reflects.
That moment was indeed the catalyst. Just months later, the SJAFL would begin formal operations, with more teams springing up and competitive schedules being drawn. Some of those early players would go on to represent Scottish or British junior sides. Others, like Pete, would become coaches and organisers — shaping the sport for the next generation.