Stirling student footballers win top UK league for fifth time in six years

Chris Geddes, Head Coach at the University of Stirling, said: “The boys were well at it from the start – we worked really hard, we battled hard, we were winning tackles and competing. We were clinical.

“Fair play to the boys; they got the win to take our fifth BUCS title in six years – which is impressive. It’s been a good season again and I’m delighted for the boys – it’s great for them to win a trophy.”

Finn Moffett opens the scoring for the University of Stirling.

David Bond, Director of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “A huge congratulations to our student footballers and to Chris and his support team. The BUCS Premier North is a highly competitive league, comprising the best student footballers from across the UK, and to emerge victorious for the fifth time in six years is a fantastic achievement.

“Here at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, we pride ourselves on the environment we create for our athletes across our high-performance programmes – supporting them in balancing and achieving excellence in both their sporting and academic endeavours.

“The University of Stirling is a leading destination for student footballers from across the UK, and further afield, and we are looking forward to continuing to build and enhance our programme as we look to the rest of this season and beyond.”

Comprising footballers who are balancing their sporting ambitions with their studies, the University team plays in 10 competitions per season, with the highest profile being the Scottish Cup – Scotland's national cup competition – and the Lowland League, the fifth tier of Scottish football.

The team hit the headlines in 2023 when they made history – becoming the first university side in more than 50 years to make the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, where they took on two-time winners Dundee United in front of 5,000 supporters and the nation’s media. On that run, the team attracted an army of celebrity supporters, including legendary football manager Sir Alex Ferguson, former Scotland boss Craig Brown and World Cup winner Lilian Thuram.

In recent years, many footballers who have come through the University of Stirling programme have gone on to play in the Scottish Professional Football League.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, David Bond reflected on the important role that student competition plays in the British football ecosystem. He said: “I think when you look at the strength of the environments that we are creating in universities for developing athletes, I think it’s only natural that our footballers will go on to rise to the top.

“When you look at the facilities we’ve got, the coaching staff, the support staff, sports science, and then you look at how many times they are on the pitch every week, it’s really not surprising that clubs [within the professional league system] start to pick them up.”

University of Stirling won the match 5-1, to lift the league title.

He added: “What we’re doing here in Scotland [in terms of student football] rivals anywhere around the world. We often speak about the dual career approach being vital to the individual – we’re not just about developing successful teams, we’re about developing well-rounded individuals and that could be potentially giving them a career in professional football, but if that doesn’t work out, they have something to fall back on with a degree.”

The University men’s team will now focus on the rest of the Lowland League season, as well as progression in several knockout competitions, the South Challenge Cup, Queen’s Park Shield and the BUCS Championship.

Chris Geddes added: “We’ve put ourselves in a position where we can now focus on some really important cup ties and try and win something else.”

Around 200 supporters turned out for the winner-takes-all match.

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Core sports include football, triathlon, golf, tennis, swimming, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.

For a full image gallery from the match, please visit George Vekic Photography.