Clyde Valley Blackhawks
 | |
| Established | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Based in | Wishaw, Scotland |
| Home stadium |
Beltane Park, Wishaw |
| Head coach | Richard Orr |
| Team president | Gary Orr |
| League | BAFA National Leagues |
| Division | NFC2 NORTH |
The Clyde Valley Blackhawks are a Scottish American football team based in Wishaw, Scotland. Their home ground is Beltane Park. They play in the BAFA National Leagues (BAFANL).
History
The Clyde Valley Blackhawks were formed as the senior team of the former British champion Clyde Valley Hawks youth football team. The core players of the undefeated championship team wanted to progress to a senior team of their own, rather than join another club and thus the Blackhawks were created in 2007. The clubs first head coach was David Czekalla former offensive coordinator of the Hawks. The Blackhawks joined the BAFA senior league as affiliates for the 2008 season.
Early Years
The Blackhawks joined Division 2 of the senior league in 2009 and quickly adjusted to life in the senior league posting a 6–4 record in their first full season.
Champions
The 2014 season saw the Clyde Valley Blackhawks claim the Division 2 Northern Conference Championship (their first senior title). This was the icing on the cake for the Clyde Valley football program that had never had a losing season since joining the senior league in 2009.
Promotion
Winning the title the previous year saw the Blackhawks promoted to Division 1 for the first time in 2015.
Rebuilding
The Blackhawks are currently rebuilding as affiliates to the BAFA National Leagues in 2016, aiming to make a strong return to Division 2 in 2017. The club are recruiting heavily and with key players returning and a new Head Coach they aim to repeat their previous successes and rebuild their reputation as a force to be reckoned with in British American Football.
Rivals
The Clyde Valley Blackhawks have carried a friendly rivalry with the Glasgow Tigers with them from their youth league games. The Clyde Valley Hawks had many hard fought games against the Tigers and this trend continued into the senior league with the Blackhawks. Over the years the Glasgow Tigers have generally outnumbered the Clyde Valley club in numbers while the Blackhawks have arguably had the better talent, leading to games akin to a friendly local derby.