The Glasgow Hornets were crowned National Flag Football League champions on Saturday as teams from across the country put the UK’s best flag football on display at Manchester’s Platt Lane.
The Hornets were one of seven champions crowned over the course of the weekend, with the NFFL Premiership and Division One play-offs joined by the Youth Flag Football League finals on 14 and 15 September.
Glasgow triumphed in Saturday’s NFFL Premiership Final, defeating the Cardiff Hurricanes 33-21 after both sides had progressed through the quarter and semi-finals earlier in the day. Both teams layered on the points in the quarters with Glasgow powering past their Scottish rival Edinburgh Outlaws 58-6, while Cardiff sped through the Chichester Sharks 40-12. The semi finals proved a much closer affair, as Glasgow pushed on past the Reading Devils 33-26 while Cardiff stole a dramatic one-point-victory over London Smoke 31-30.
After what looked to be a finely-balanced contest in the final, with Glasgow’s Cammy Wilson and Cardiff’s Kostas Karras trading early scores, it was the Scottish side who began to run away with the game. Quarterback Nicky Farrell delivered time and time again from the pocket with his corps of Wilson, Julian Holburn-White and Kerrence Pankay reeling in receptions across every inch of the field.
Two interceptions, one of which returned for a touchdown, by Glasgow and Great Britain defensive captain David McInally kept momentum swinging the Hornets’ way, with Holburn-White adding a second to his touchdown tally in the final.
A stunning one-handed touchdown snag by Great Britain receiver Karras gave Cardiff some hope, but even another touchdown through Tom Slater wasn’t enough to recover the scoreline for the Welsh side.
Glasgow allowed the clock to run out to seal their National Champion status in the 2024 NFFL Premiership.
In the NFFL Premiership Plate the Manchester Titans defeated the Edinburgh Outlaws 57-18, while Sunday’s NFFL Division One Final saw the Swansea Hammerheads defeat the Waveney Wolves 27-13 to be crowned Division One National Champions.
