Looking back over local sport in 2025, here is a range of the champs, triumphs and events featured in The Edinburgh Reporter in 2025 by sports writer Bill Lothian.
Bill said: “I have enjoyed writing about these sports and I hope they bring back good memories. If anyone has any local sport which I have not yet featured then get in touch.”
You may contact Bill by email at [email protected]
January
One to keep an eye on straightaway as we recognised 10-year-old Midlothian motor cyclist Kai Golder for winning 59 races out of 59 in mini moto and super moto.
Dunbar’s Corey Campbell, once the fastest 15-year-old in the world over the mile at 4mins 05.77 seconds is relocating to Wake Forest University in USA.
Dougie Selman of Corstorphine AC brings a bronze medal back from the world 100k endurances races in India.
Alan Bremner, from Edinburgh, finishes third in his age group at the world Iron Man competition in Hawaii.
In on the ground floor of an exciting year in the tennis life of Edinburgh’s Jacob Fearnley as he reaches the third round of the Australian Open.
Murrayfield’s Angus Halliday stars at the Edinburgh Table Tennis Open, picking up two titles and a runners up spot in various events.
Portobello under-16 and under-18 water polo boys dominate in the Dunfermline pool at a tournament commemorating the sport’s late stalwart, Brian Campbell. Across the capital Warrender under-16 girls taste national success.
Trinity’s Rachel Robertson, 17, begins her journey to the F1 Academy by moving to Wiltshire College to study motor sport engineering.
February
Juniper Green tennis club climax a remarkable fund raising campaign to have their courts refurbished.
Eskvale Hockey Club win the “most inclusive” prize at Scottish Hockey’s annual awards.
Olympian Eilidh Doyle is brought on board by the University of Edinburgh to mentor their athletes.
Lochend golf club raise a remarkable £40,000 for an urgent roof repair to their clubhouse.
March
Prestonfield is named “club of the year” by Scottish Golf.
Boxing returns to Portobello Town Hall with an amateur show promoted by the Royal ABC.
Royalettes baton twirlers bring back 26 medals from the first Majorettes competition of the year.
Paul Clark is awarded Life Membership at Postal Bowling Club.
April
Blaze under-18 basketball girls become the first female team from the club to win a Scottish Cup.
The Rays baseball team show off their new facilities at Peffermill after work parties put in hours of creative effort.
Hutchison Vale 2012 footballers go abroad and win the Mediterranean Cup.
Grange Dyvours named “club of the year” by Tennis Scotland.
Stewart’s Melville win the Independent Schools football cup.
May
Bonnyrigg’s Gary Jones, 50, runs three marathons back-to-back in fund raising memory of his late sister-in-law, Michelle Connor.
Brunstane Bowling Club get centenary celebrations underway.
Black Diamond Cheerleaders Ruby group (aged 12-16) returned from a competition in Florida with bronze medals.
June
Cramond Primary School win the prestigious Inspectors Cup.
Edinburgh’s Paul Sullivan is part of a successful bid to stage the longest non stop rugby match playing for over 36 hours at a venue in Ireland.
Edinburgh Road Club cyclists mark their centenary.
Jacob Fearnley wins through to his first major tournament quarter final at Queen’s Club on his way to a career high ranking of world No 49;
After a string of near misses Braid tennis women finally win the Scottish Cup.
Dean bowling club stage a week of celebrations to mark their 125th anniversary.
Lucy Pillinger (164 not out) and Izzy Armstrong (113 not out) stage an unbeaten 307 run partnership in a Scottish women’s premiership cricket match for Stewart’s Melville.
July
Actor and cyclist Conor Delves brings his one man show to the festival and celebrates Cadel Evans, Australian winner of the Tour de France, will riding his bike on stage for an hour.
Race expert Phil Liggitt tells us that when the Tour starts in Edinburgh in 2027 it could finish with a Scottish winner in up and coming Borderer, Oscar Onley.
Marchmont cricket club win the venerable Parks Trophy
Edinburgh cyclist Sean Flynn saddles up for a Tour de France debut ride.
Edinburgh tennis pair Scott Duncan and James McKinlay save an astonishing THIRTEEN match points to win the Nottingham Challenger tournament doubles final.
Dalkeith Petanque Club head over to France on a historic tour and fact finding mission.
August
We celebrated with former Scotland and Lions rugby star Kenny Milne as he recorded a hole-in-one on the golf course.
Heriot’s cricket club clean up local events including the East Premiership title.
Hutchison Vale under-15 boys’ footballers excel by reaching, from an entry of 250, the last 16 of the prestigious Gothia Cup competition in Sweden.
Hang glider pilot Mike Armstrong, 66, finishes sixth at world championship level and tells of soaring for 5-6 hours amidst flocks of vultures in Spain. The most remarkable interview of the year for me.
September
Motor racing starlet Rachel Robertson continues her progress with a call up to an elite testing group.
Lifelong Hearts fan Jimmy Mitchell celebrates his 90th birthday and tells who gets his vote as the greatest player he has seen in the maroon jersey – Willie Hamilton.
An historic piece of silverware called the “Teapot Trophy” is one by Meadows Croquet Club in their annual match against Lauriston Park.
A meeting with Leon Smith the Davis Cup captain in The Meadows when he opened the new courts there – read more here.
October
Portobello water polo prospect Joe Mathieson earns a call up to the Great Britain under-20 squad.
Ross Murdoch, from the Thistle club, is included in a GB padel squad.
Badminton evergreen Christine Black wows by winning THREE titles at the world veterans tournament in Thailand,
Teenager Freya Drever returns from Italy and the European kick boxing championships with individual and team gold medals.
Former Watsonians and Edinburgh Rugby player Iain Sinclair swims the length of the Caledonian Canal for charity.
November
Tynecastle High School girls travel to Lord’s to be awarded a prestigious prize for fostering and promoting girls cricket.
A first for the Reporter among the many sports covered – Gaelic Handball!
Amy McNair, 20, from the South Queensferry club, wins a world title in Special Technique at world Taekwon-do championships in Croatia.
Trampolinist Holly Allfrey picked for Great Britain.
East padel men head to Bristol and bring back the UK title.
Emma Davison becomes British Muay Thai boxing champion, shrugging off an elbow injury along the way.
December
Owen Dawkins and Gordon Drummond are appointed to coach the Scotland men’s cricket team in an unveiling at the Grange club.
We reveal how student Lorna Husband has been trying a different sport every week of 2025 to try to prove activities are accessible to all as part of her degree at Napier University.
Kai Golder (remember him from January) continues to sweep all before him in junior motor cycling.
Paralympian Patrick Wilson, after 15 months out with ill health returns to the international Boccia arena with a stunning world cup win.
Nominations for Scottish Cricket’s Hall of Fame include Kari Anderson, who has latterly been coaching Stewart’s Melville ladies, Fraser Watts (Carlton), Neil McCallum (Watsonians and Grange) and George Reifer (ex-Edinburgh Accies).
All of the articles by Bill Lothian can be accessed through this link.
If you have a story about local sport then get in touch with him at [email protected]
