The first team had a successful start to the beginning of the season. The semester saw us welcome many new players, a new team head coach and club head coach, and new and returning assistant coaches. The squad has gelled very well together, allowing us to perform well and secure some good results so far. We have had a range of different team socials that have allowed us to welcome new players and create a positive and enjoyable atmosphere to help us all develop. The Scottish 1A League has had some changes this year, with Stirling and Heriot Watt joining. Our fixtures have challenged us and provided some high scoring games and exciting football to watch. The highlight of our season so far was our 4-3 victory over rivals Heriot Watt in October.
Despite the bulk of last year’s team moving on and our new squad picking up some injuries early on in the season, team morale has been high. Having a new head coach has allowed the team to develop a different play style and identity that we will continue to progress into next semester. We look forward to semester 2 commencing and are excited to compete for the League cup title, the BUCS cup, the British cup, and to hopefully earn ourselves a place in the playoffs.
There is lots of work still to do, but we are ready and excited for a busy and hopefully successful rest of the season upon our return to play in January.
2s Round Up
2s Head Coach, Panos Krystallis
The first semester was quite a challenging period for the 2s. With 11 new faces in the team, the main focus of the first semester was to try bond and create an understanding for each other, while building an identity and a clear way of how we want to play. We are in a league this year that 3 teams are fighting for promotion, which makes it really tough, however we have managed to collect enough points to keep us in the division comfortably, so the main focus now is to layer in good foundations from which we can build on next year. If we can be a little bit more consistent on the pitch, I believe on the second semester we can do even better and both me and the girls are hungry for more and always go into games with the mindset to win!
2s Round Up
2s
Captain, Ola Maj
The 2s this year have had a massive reshuffle, from new coaches to new players – a lot of new faces. That said, it took us a while to get into the groove and get used to playing with each other. I believe I speak for the whole team when I say that many of the results haven’t gone the way we wanted, however, what I admire in this team is their resilience. Despite the losses all the girls have come back fighting, we have reset every week put the same amount of effort into every training session and every The highlights so far have been against Strathclyde which saw many different scorers and brought a feeling for the team as well as our derby day game against the 1s proved to be one of our best performances. The plan for the the season is to keep pushing and finish strong to solidly our place league for next year.I fully back the 2s to go on fighting as our training shows that we keep improving and drawing closer as a team. The atmosphere within our changing room is a good balance, we can both positively criticise our game, planning on how to adapt and maintain a lighthearted environment which we all enjoy.
We owe it to ourselves to see the season through on a high and bring some performances we can be proud of.
3s Round Up
3s Co-captain, Cara Gormley
Last semester we started off with a high after winning our league and being promoted to the league above. With pretty much a brandnew team, Patrick being promoted to head coach, and the arrival of our new coach Humza, we have had a tough start to league within semester 1 where we finished the semester bottom of our table. We also had the She Can She Will cup where we beat Dundee 2s 9-0 and then faced the Edinburgh Uni 1s. To end the semester and be 1-0 up at halftime, I started to see a change within the team and that fight come out. We ended up losing 4-1 but was definitely the best game I have ever seen from my team. We also had fixtures for the Conference cup which is the league below us and our league, where our first game ended in a walkover from the other team sending us straight through to the quarter finals. We ended semester 1 with the drive, hope, and passion that we were searching for all semester. The start of semester 2 has been absolutely amazing where we have seen us win 2/2 games within our league so far, where we
are feeling comfortable in our relegation battle, proving we deserve to stay in this league. With only 2 league games to go, we are feeling very hopeful that we can get some points on the board and show this league why we deserve to be in it. Quarter finals are also to be played very soon so we are hoping to progress as far as we can, hopefully coming away with the trophy. I am so proud to be a captain of this team and have loved watching all the friendships and spirit develop higher and higher! Here’s to the rest of the semester!
4s Round Up
4s Head Coach, Stig Chen
‘The only way to guarantee peace is by making the prospect of war seem hopeless.’ This quote summarises what 4s have been doing this season being strong. Every player on the team displayed lights of desire and fight in their eyes. Girls’ passion and enthusiasm flooded every game, every moment, which was the key to keeping our chins up and boosting our confidence and the reason for firing 29 goals in 90 minutes. 4s girls do not fear, 4s girls dominate, and 4s girls prevail. To sit on the top of the table, 4s girls paid and will continue to pay huge efforts on and off the pitch. Those muddy socks, those marks on their legs and those dripping sweats are 4s girls’ badge of courage shining in every foggy and freezing night. The treasures of 4s also include cohesiveness and open minds. Girls challenged each other for the same goal in our hearts, girls stayed together when we needed a hand, and girls stood out when we needed a heroine. The only way up for the 4s will be the attention to details and tireless practices.
Looking forward to the second half of the season, 4s shall zealously strive to win, 4s shall make winning a habit, and 4s shall claim the happiness of winning.
4s Round Up
4s Captain, Sarah Holden
This semester has been a great one for the 4s! We were thrilled to welcome 12 new players to the team, who bonded with our existing members and quickly became an integral part of our squad.
In addition to our new players, we welcomed our fantastic new coach, Stig, and assistant coach, Imogen. Their enthusiasm and energy have brought a fresh perspective to our training sessions and have been instrumental in our improvement as a team.
Despite having a few of our matches cancelled at the beginning of the semester, both the coaches and team have worked incredibly hard this year. As a result, the 4s have really made their mark and we are now sitting at the top of the league!
I am so proud of the coaches and team and our accomplishments so far, it’s a joy to be a part of such a great team. I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to be captain again this year and I’m excited to see what we can achieve in the upcoming semester.
5s Round Up
5s Head Coach, Pippa Goodsen
In case you’re new to EUWAFC, the 5s were created this year due to the absolutely phenomenal turn out at our trials over the last few years. As women’s football has flourished around Scotland and the world, EUWAFC has expanded and made way for the smiling faces and warm hearts of the 5s. This last semester has been full of firsts of this fifth team. First trials, first training, first match, first player of the match, first loss, first goal, first Christmas dinner, (first pink- haired coach?*), and first WIN!
Just 2 weeks before our first match, there were 0 people on the team’s roster. I am so unbelievably proud that we have been able to start from nothing and end the season on our first ever win, earning us our first (but not last) 3 points in BUCS. This is in no doubt due to the hard work and dedication of the squad. Attendance can be rivaled by no other team in the club both at training and for socials. The comradery that has formed with this group of 21 complete strangers is unlike anything I have ever seen before.
I am so proud of the friendships that have been made, the skills that have been learned and the spirit that continues to grow. I am so grateful to have been a part of this momentous occasion for the club, and know that the 5s are going to thrive in the months and years to come. Thank you to the team for your hard work and dedication, thank you to the other coaches for your support, and thank you to assistant coach Jen and our captain and vice captains for your leadership. The best is yet to come. *Editor’s note: Assistant coach Jennifer Murray would like to add that she concurs with this statement
5s Round Up
5s Captain, Emily Cutts
This past semester has been unchartered territory for the club, as it has seen not only the creation of the 5th team, but also its immediate entry into league 3b. Despite being thrown in the deep end, with almost all new players, and having to play some wellestablished teams early on in the season, the team has gone from strength to strength. This is the product of hard work from everyone, as well as a continued discourse between players, captains and coaches involving regular forms of feedback like team meetings and surveys. We have improved every single match, which culminated in a win against Dundee 2s in our final match of the semester! Although our skills as individual players are undoubtable, we have had to work on our fitness and communication on the pitch, which have been ultimately what has cost us in the latter stages of our matches. This has however been facilitated by the natural team chemistry that we have developed, with high numbers at matches, training and socials! We are going into the new year off the back of a win, and I am confident that we can repeat this in our last match of the season.
As we only have one league match left, we are organising several friendlies to ensure we can keep improving as players and as a team and establishing ourselves within the club. I am incredibly proud of how we have come together so quickly as a group of players and friends. I cannot wait to see what the new year brings. And hey, it’s called 2025 for a reason ;)
Edinburgh Uni Thistle
Coach, Stig Chen
Thistles sprout on the broken stones, and thistles bloom in the heathland. The team is in the process of sprouting. With more commitment and confidence, thistles shall bloom, just like the epic afternoon in Bishopton and more shall come. Sitting in the 3rd place in the table and progressing into the last 16 in the league cup, Thistles has yet to unleash the potential, but we always look up. We welcome quality players to join us (DM me if you are interested! Friday 6-7:45pm, I will see you on 3G2 ). The season is a marathon. �� We will need to polish our playing structure and stay together more tightly than ever so we can defeat the goliath and claim our crown. With more efforts invested in, victories are pending. I am looking forward to seeing Thistle girls putting on more victorious smiles every Sunday.
Coach, Chandler Richardson
It’s been really special for me to see the development and growth of Thistle, as well. Each one of my teammates is so dedicated, so fun, and so tremendously talented and I’m consistently awed by them. The team has gotten so much more united and cohesive since it first started two seasons ago and I’m so lucky to be a part of it.
Recreational Football
This semester, EUWAFC continued its tradition of having a dynamic recreational programme, with two separate 5 a side leagues running and up to 200 players participating! We had 13 teams in total, including 7 rec teams, 5 teams representing schools, and one independent. The winners of both leagues won all of their games, with No Kane No Gain topping division 1 and Heinz Tomiyasoup taking first place in division 2. The new semester will see a reset of both divisions and a chance for new players and teams to come and take part, so if you want to try out football for the first time or want a way to hone your skills in a relaxed environment, make sure to come down to Peffermill and check it out, starting on Saturday the 25 11am to 1pm, anyone is welcome!
“It felt like a really safe and welcoming space for beginners or newcomers! 5 aside games are so fast paced that it’s hard to dwell on the small mistakes – I feel like that made our team more confident players, resulting in a less anxious environment and a harmonious game!”
Socials
Social Secretaries, Emily Arthur and Gemma Montgomery
The socials this year have been absolutely next level! We can't say enough about the effort and commitment everyone has put in. We kicked off the year with a Sports Day themed day at the Meadows, where we all realised just how competitive we are. The sun was shining, the vibes were high, and people were definitely getting to know each other even if it was mostly through giving a piggy back to someone you hadn’t met yet! This was then followed by the ‘Dress As Your Degree’ social. Honestly, the creativity on display was toptier. From Law students to engineers in full-on construction gear, this one was an absolute hit for bonding and cracking jokes about the absurdity of our academic choices.But if we’re talking standout moments, it’s impossible not to mention the Newbies Welcome - Wizards and Lizards social. If you weren’t there, you missed a whole lot of magic and reptiles. The sheer effort people put into their costumes was phenomenal! Honestly, it felt like we were in a Harry Potter movie… (even if heading to WhyNot was not scripted into the films, but in EUWAFC’s version, it’s a significant part of the plot). This social was pure chaos, but in the best possible way. It helped new teams bond, made people laugh, and probably raised our standards for fancy dress! It turned out to be a legendary night that we’ll all remember or at least the bits we can recall before the drinks kicked! We also did a joint social with American Rugby! When the venue pulled a last-minute Houdini act and vanished on us, we had to come up with a new plan, but both teams pulled together, adapted, and still showed up like champs. Although the plan of the night didn’t quite go as planned, everyone still had a great time! Who could forget our Pub Quiz at Angels Share? Nearly 100 people packed in, battling it out over obscure trivia questions that made us all question our life choices (but in a fun way, of course). The room was buzzing with competitive energy, and there were enough pint glasses flying around to suggest a slightly higher level of commitment to getting the answers right than to actually staying sober. But hey, who needs answers when you have team spirit, right?
Socials
Social Secretaries, Emily Arthur and Gemma Montgomery
And then, of course, our grand finale the Christmas Dinner on the 4th. A beautiful evening of festive cheer, questionable dance moves and plenty of laughs! Once again, the effort was immaculate from everyone involved it was the perfect way to wrap up a year of socials and leave us all with full bellies and, hopefully, no regrets. Overall, we genuinely believe that these socials have done more than just bring us together they’ve given us memories that will last a lifetime (from what you can remember). Without everyone's help, whether it was planning, attending, or just showing up with a smile (and sometimes a questionable outfit), these events would never have been the success they were. The effort from everyone has made our jobs as social secretaries so much easier and let’s be real, a whole lot more fun.EUWAFC, you’ve absolutely smashed it this year, and we couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of it.So, from the bottom of our hearts, on behalf of Gemily, we want to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone! You’re all legends, and we couldn’t have asked for a better team to go through the year with! Once again, thank you all, and here’s to many more hilarious and chaotic socials ahead! Much love, Gemily x
