BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE OFFICIAL SITE

UWS Pyros

Paisley returned to Collegiate Football and resumed membership of the British Student American Football Association and the British Collegiate American Football League in 2003 after a seven season hiatus.

This increased, with the addition of the Edinburgh Timberwolves that same year, the number of college teams in Scotland up to 5, meaning that once again BCAFL had a completely Scottish division.

The Pyros'''' return to the BCAFL was marked by a difficult 0-8 season in 2004-05 (HC: Ivie Hair) followed by a 1-7 finish in 2005-2006, marked also by the untimely death of Head Coach Craig Cunningham mid-season. Coach Cunningham was replaced briefly by the Head Coach of the Glasgow Youth Tigers, Alan Wilson.

The 2006-7 season (HC: Alastair MacDonald), despite a more convincing defensive performance went 0-7-1, with only 22 points scored. At the AGM in March 2007, The University of Paisley Pyros rebranded to ‘The Pyros’ in light of the University''''s merger with Bell College looming, and the high probability of a name change. The club, although ‘The University of the West of Scotland’ is not mentioned, is still an affiliated club at the Students'''' Association and competes on behalf of the Institution. The club is still referred to as Paisley by the press and other clubs as that is the geographical location of the campus from which they recruit the majority of their players and play at Thornly Park.

In season 2007-8 (HC: Ann Luney) BCAFL and BSAFA were supplanted by BUAFL, and the Pyros performances were stronger again, but a lack of offensive consistency cost them 7 games with their only win coming over the former divisional powerhouse The Glasgow (Uni) Tigers. It is regularly noted by Hot Iron (the Scottish American Football Fanzine) that lack of numbers may hamper the Renfrewshire Outfit but their hard hitting ‘never say die’ style of football makes teams really work to take a victory from the Pyros.

Head Coach History:

Ivie Hair - 2003-2005; Craig Cunningham - 2005-Jan 2006; Alan Wilson (Temporary) - Jan 2006-Feb 2006;  Alastair MacDonald - 2006-7; Ann Luney - 2007- 2008; Ian Smith - 2008- Present Season

MVP History:

Alasdair Klimowicz (2004-5) Jonathan Bastit (2005-6) Richard Little (2006-7) Tal Peer (2007-8)

Offensive MVP - Romain Roussy, RB (2003-4) Alasdair Klimowicz, FB (2004-5) Tal Peer, WR (2005-6) Gavin Hannah, HB (2006-7)

Defensive MVP David Murray, CB (2003-4) Jonathan Bastit, LB (2004-5) Paul Thomson, DE (2005-6) Tal Peer, LB/SS (2006-7) Richard Little, MLB (2007-8)

Lineman MVP Chris Maguire, RT (2003-4) Chris Maguire, RT (2004-5) Richard Little, C (2005-6) Alan Greenshields, RG/RT (2006-7) Jonathan Bastit, LT (2007-8)

Special Teams MVP Gareth Robertson (2004-5) Award Retired (2005-Present)

Players Player of the year Ben Alkureishi (2005-6) John-Paul Broughton (2006-7) Gaspard Vandamme (2007-8)

The initials ‘CC’ are printed on the back of all gameshirts just beneath the collar as a mark of respect for former Head Coach Craig Cunningham who passed away in January 2006.

On 1st August 2007, the University of Paisley and Bell College merged to create Scotland’s biggest modern university with campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley.

With over 18,000 students and almost 2,000 staff, the University is unique in its geographical coverage across the West of Scotland. The University is currently working on plans for the development of a new £71.2million campus for the University in Ayr. The new campus will provide Ayrshire with one of Scotland’s most modern, environmentally friendly and sustainable Higher Education learning environments. The new campus at Ayr is estimated to cost £75.1m and is scheduled for completion by summer 2010.

The Philosophical Institution, combined with the threading industry helped establish the School of Arts in 1836, succeeded by the Government School of Design in 1846. Notably, Peter Coats was the director of Paisley Philosophical Institution and the Government School of Design at the time. Later the schools were renamed Schools of Art, and once again as Schools of Art and Science. Financial necessity meant the college had to seek local government funding to continue operation. Central Institution status would mean closing the school of Art, in the process ceding students to Glasgow School of Art. Thus, it became Paisley Technical College; a Government funded Central Institution in 1950.

In the 1960s a large physical expansion took place on the main 20 acre (81,000 m²) Paisley town centre site. At the time Paisley, in common with other Central Institutions and the former Polytechnics, already offered a range of degrees under the Council for National Academic Awards. With the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the Paisley Technical College was granted the title University of Paisley. Today, this institution forms Paisley Campus of the University of the West of Scotland.

The University is heading up an international university collaboration to study the problems of food production and nutrient deficiency in mothers and children from Malawi in southern Africa. This £123,000 pilot project, which is funded by the UK government''''s Joint Environment and Human Health Programme, will see researchers from the University''''s School of Health, Nursing & Midwifery, School of Social Sciences and School of Engineering & Science joining forces with statisticians from the University of Strathclyde and soil scientists from University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany .