‘Grainger Danger’ was the cry recently as two Forth Valley College colleagues – who are also father and daughter – combined to help their flag football team to an exciting win.
Stephen and Emma Grainger – FVC’s Curriculum Manager in the Department of Business and Communities and Marketing and Communications Business Partner respectively – helped Grangemouth Colts Flag Football (American Football) team overcome Aberdeen Silvercats with each catching a scoring pass in two consecutive plays to ensure a 19-18 victory.
The match on Saturday 21 May was a tight affair in Port Glasgow pitch, Game Day 2 of the BAFA Highlands and North East division 1 season, when wide receiver Emma caught a 20 yard pass in the endzone to earn six points for her side. Then taking the choice of a one point extra-point, dad Stephen – who is also a wide receiver on the opposite side of the pitch - popped up within a couple of minutes to catch the quarterback’s pass again in the endzone, to complete the scoring for their team.
Stephen said: “Emma ran the perfect route and made a brilliant catch in the end-zone for a touchdown despite having two or three opposing players around her and that added six points to our score. Our quarterback then decided to go for the extra point throw and I popped up on the other side of the end-zone to make the catch. Our supporters and team mates immediately came up with the chant of ‘Grainger Danger’ and this seems to have stuck now.
“I played football (soccer) all my life, but I just love playing this game and to be able to play in the same team as my daughter is amazing. I am at the age where I can no longer play football to a competitive level… but I have a few years left in the legs to be able to compete in this non-contact version of American Football. It’s a great sport and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.”
Emma, said: “It really is good fun and we have only been playing for less than a year and this is our first season in the mixed Colts squad. The whole Flag Football community is very friendly and very inclusive and the games are good natured and there are very few injuries…though my dad tore a tendon in his finger in a freak injury recently!
“I totally recommend it as it is open to everyone of all ages and abilities.”
A good way to describe American Flag Football is like the equivalent of Scottish football five-a-sides. Played on the pitch 80 x 30yards, with each team only allowed five players involved at any one time, the game is high intensity, but non-contact, with a player deemed to have been tackled when a flag held on their belts at either side of their waste is popped out of its holder… hence the term Flag Football.
Grangemouth Flag Football Club (GFFC) has 3 teams - Broncos (mixed), Colts (mixed) and Fillies (women) and Emma and Stephen both play with the Colts together, while Emma also plays with the Fillies. GFFC regularly competes in tournaments and leagues all over the UK, with some players playing internationally for Great Britain.
The club trains on Mondays from 6.30pm till 8.30pm and on Saturdays 10.30am till 12.30pm at Zetland Park and anyone over the age of 16 and of all abilities are welcomed to come along and give it a try with the adult teams. Development squads have also just started for those under 16 and these run from 1-3pm on a Saturday.
More info can be found on Facebook and Instagram https://www.facebook.com/grangemouthflagfootball https://www.instagram.com/grangemouth_flag_football/
