Former players and staff of Edinburgh University Football Club will are staging a reunion in the capital this weekend.
The get-together has been organised to mark the 30th anniversary of winning the British University Sports Association Cup in 1994.
Edinburgh became the first Scottish university to get their hands on the prestigious trophy, beating Cardiff in the final.
Alumni from the triumphant team, as well as preceding and following years – including the 1996 side that lost in the final of the competition – will attend from as far afield as Australia, Canada, USA, Denmark and Switzerland.
A group will travel to watch the current crop in action in their Lowland League encounter with Cumbernauld Colts at Broadwood Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The celebrations culminate with around 50 ex-players and friends, as well as former coach Colin Hutchison, gathering at the Sheraton Grand Hotel for a reunion dinner.
The following morning, some will pull on the boots again and attempt to roll back the years with a game at the club’s Peffermill training ground.
Hutchison, who went on to be named in The Spartans’ Hall of Fame following decades of service, said: “I was delighted when I heard a reunion was being planned for EUAFC.
“I really enjoyed and valued university football as a player and as coach of EUAFC from 1983 for 12 years.
“In particular, university football offers a bonus to university life – to play and enjoy football at a high level, possibly to represent Scottish Universities, to enjoy tours, to make friendships while at university, and, as this weekend will prove, friendships for life.”
Evergreen sports journalist. Previously published in many publications around the world. Send me your local sports stories. billlothian1008@gmail.com
