Professional Indoor American football has arrived in Glasgow, however, the initial game left fans feeling short-changed. Last-minute changes, A.I. promotions, lack of proper equipment, and overpriced tickets overshadowed the Glasgow Tartans gameday experience.
As someone who has played and coached the sport in Scotland since 2014, it was the first time ‘professional’ American football had been available in my lifetime. The sport in the UK is played at the amateur level across adult, women, university and youth disciplines. Teams compete under the British American Football Association (BAFA) and games are often free for fans to attend.
Naturally, I had to find out more about this new team that seemingly materialised out of thin air. The response from Glasgow residents on social media was skeptical at best, with locals drawing comparisons to the notorious “Willy’s Chocolate Experience”. One promotional video, posted to Instagram, inexplicably featured A.I. generated football players tackling members of the public in the streets of Glasgow.
A fantastic way to endear yourselves to a new fanbase if you ask me.
The International Arena League (IAL) announced its expansion into the European market last autumn with the addition of two UK-based teams: The Glasgow Tartans and the England Eruptors, based in Nottingham.
The league claims to be “professional”, with players due to be paid £1000 per game played, and an additional £1000 bonus if the team wins. However, when I took a closer look at the leaked contract, it became clear that there was more to it than that.
Here are some key facts:
- The contract is fully non-guaranteed, meaning teams can cut players at any time without compensation.
- Players are not paid for practice, travel or meetings: all things that are required to play.
- The league will not provide medical insurance to players. This one is particularly concerning, considering the safety issues with the season opener.
The esoteric document seemed designed to shield the league from accountability, whilst placing the risk onto individual athletes. The biggest question I was left with: how will the foreign players get paid without proper work visas?
So why would athletes ever be tempted to join such an apparently shady organisation? Take England Eruptors quarterback Bobby Bridges as an example. He claims he intends to use the income from IAL to fund his dream of reaching the Olympics with the Great Britain flag football team. For others, the league is the only opportunity to get paid to play without travelling abroad, so it holds a natural appeal.
The question for fans is whether the league is worth going along to watch. Tickets for a single game at Braehead Arena started at £45. I compared this to similar events in Glasgow for context. Tickets for Braehead-based pro ice hockey team: the Glasgow Clan start from £22, whilst tickets for Celtic v Hearts were available for £39, both with options for concession rates – something the Tartans lacked.
For a team that has never played a game, I was confused by their strategy of pushing season tickets to fans that have no stake in the team. As a niche sport, American football has a limited fanbase to begin with, so the Tartans are relying on Glaswegians’ curiosity outweighing their skepticism. In the days before the game, prices were lowered to £20 with a “buy on get one free” deal added.
As game day approached, I began to hear damning reports coming from people inside the organisation. Threats of replacement, absence of proper practice structure and lack of key equipment; from helmets and pads to the very turf they were due to play on.
As the day drew closer, I seriously doubted that the game would actually go ahead. Sure enough, on Friday night; less than 24 hours before kickoff, the game was postponed to Sunday afternoon. Many fans were understandably upset that they couldn’t make the new kickoff date. It is unclear whether any refunds have been issued. One commenter described the team as “absolutely shambolic”.
Luckily, I had cleared my schedule, and I was determined to witness this with my own eyes. I arrived for kickoff at Braehead Arena at 4pm on Sunday – let’s unpack what I saw.
The field itself was unmarked, with strips of turf hastily laid across the concrete. No yard markings, hash marks or endzones left the field looking barren. Meanwhile, the ‘padded walls’ consisted of IKEA exercise mats fixed to the siding with silver tape.
Perhaps the most notable cosmetic sin was the player uniforms – or lack thereof. Game jerseys were nowhere to be seen, with players instead wearing plain white and red practice tops. Without numbers on, players were impossible to tell apart, giving the appearance of generic Tecmo Bowl players.
Regardless, the Glasgow Tartans and England Eruptors kicked off for the first time, in front of a puff of pyro and a crowd of 150-200 fans. It did not take long for things to begin to fray apart.
Immediately noticeable was the absence of a game announcer, making it difficult to follow the flow of the game on top of the lack of field markings and player numbers. The scoreboard showed the score but no other information, such as the game clock. In a game where the clock is crucial, it felt like watching a practice or scrimmage instead of a game – let alone a professional game.
One moment in the first half risked ending the game entirely. A match official went down after tripping on a raised section of turf and subsequently went to the sideline for medical attention. After several minutes of waiting with bated breath; the official resumed his position on the field, and the game continued.
The first half of the game wound down, and I headed to the concourse for some refreshment. Waiting at the bar, I glanced out the window and noticed a skip overflowing with scraps of turf – evidence of the previous night’s frantic efforts. As I returned to the arena, I was dismayed to learn I had missed out on team officials handing out free T shirts to the crowd. Maybe at the next game, I thought, if that day ever comes.
As the second half wore on, maybe it was my lowered expectations, but I reluctantly began to enjoy myself. The quality of football was good from both teams and there was plenty of scoring to keep the crowd entertained. Glasgow’s Canadian import quarterback Gideon Kremler was a dynamic playmaker who made the Tartans offense fun to watch. On the defensive side, former Edinburgh Napier Knights Moses Urie and Declan Clay brought the energy whilst dominating in the trenches.
In the end, the Tartans came away as 56-42 victors in a shootout that could have gone either way. I was left with very mixed feelings – I was impressed by the athleticism on display, and the two teams were evenly matched for skill.
As a gridiron junkie, I may be biased in that I am happy to watch the sport in any form. For new fans, however, those extra details such as commentary and aesthetic elements could make or break the experience. The Tartans have a long way to go to live up to the reputation of a professional team. Luckily, they have a month to get their house in order and deliver for the fans.
The real issue, in my opinion, is player safety. Strips of carpet sitting unfastened led to players running over areas of bare concrete – not to mention the risk to officials as I saw in the first half. Considering the lack of protection for players in the contractual agreement, these athletes are taking on a considerable risk to earn a chance at the coveted game check. It is unclear when players will be paid for each game.
Following the game, a statement from the team claimed they had “learned some valuable lessons” and “must and will continue to do better throughout the season”.
Having attended ice hockey games in Scotland, I can absolutely see the appeal, and I believe that it can translate to indoor football as well. Braehead Arena is a fantastic venue and with more time I seriously hope the organisers behind the IAL can make the most of it.
It is hard to say how many fans will be convinced to come back after the first game fiasco. I think one thing the Tartans must do is engage with the local community. Not only within Braehead Centre but wider Glasgow: reaching out to local organisations and forming partnerships to embed themselves in the city.
The past year of Old Firm drama has shown that Glaswegian sports fans have very little tolerance for American owners, who don’t understand the culture, trying to pick fans pockets.
In contrast, local BAFA Premiership club the East Kilbride Pirates operate a community-based approach that is the envy of amateur clubs across the UK. The Pirates regularly pack out their home stand at GHA Rugby Club, featuring games at all age groups for as little as £5. Free entry for children encourages families to attend, and this often leads to more folks trying out or volunteering for the club. All of this makes the club a sustainable product of the community.
I believe the Glasgow Tartans could learn a lot from the East Kilbride Pirates in this regard, but I worry that the Las Vegas-based league management is more concerned with their short-term bottom line.
Immediately after the final whistle, I made my way down to the field to speak with Tartans General Manager Bennett Johnson II. He said “It will be a lot better field next time. In terms of the football side, it was very good.”
I also caught up with Head Coach Phillip Garcia. I asked how he managed to get the squad ready for the season with such a short time to prepare. He put it simply: “Money talks, B.S. walks.”
This attitude is revealing – money first, players and fans second. Play well or get cut: it’s nothing new for professional sports. My problem is the apparent lack of regard the league has for those who make it possible. From a coach’s perspective, it takes more than threats and hype to develop a sustainable football program. I have to wonder how far this combination will go to win over the locker room as the season goes on.
Nevertheless, the scoreline speaks for itself. I am interested to see how the team from Glasgow stacks up against its continental counterparts, when they face Dusseldorf next.
Speaking to the Tartan Touchdown podcast at the event, I was keen to get another fans’ perspective. “This is meant to be a professional league, so I think you’re expecting a bit more in terms of presentation. Hopefully they can improve before the next game.”
All in all, I will be tempted to go back – the football geek in me demands it. However, I think it is reasonable to expect a much higher level of quality when it comes to fan experience and player safety from a professional outfit. The reduced price of £20 seems much more in line with similar events and a further addition of concessionary rates would go a long way to bring new faces in the door.
“Money talks, B.S. walks.”
I will always support opportunities for local players looking to take their game to the next level and get paid. Chances in the UK are extremely rare, but there has to be a better way than the current predatory model being run by the IAL.
One thing I’m sure of is that the Glaswegian fans know how to sniff out B.S. so if the IAL doesn’t get their act together, they will be more than happy to show the Tartans the door.
