Scotland Transplant Football team leave debut Euros with ‘heads held high’ according to Inverness-based team manager Duncan MacAulay
Scotland’s Transplant Football team can “hold their heads high”, according to team founder Duncan MacAulay.
His hard work culminated in a trip to Radley College in Oxfordshire to take on the best in the continent at the European Championships last weekend.
Scotland had the only mixed gender team, and started well with an 8-1 triumph over Ireland before narrowly losing to Wales on day one.
Day two brought about, on paper, Scotland’s toughest challenge: World Cup runners-up Spain. However, the Scots went toe-to-toe with their foes despite an already-mounting injury list, going from 2-0 down to 4-2 ahead before the Spaniards levelled the scores again.
Only a late disallowed goal prevented Scotland from springing a surprise, before another strong showing in a 4-3 defeat to eventual finalists Italy.
Unfortunately, the injuries kept coming in Scotland’s 16-player squad and even forced one member to hospital, so the final game on day three against England proved to be a step too far.
However, competing so well just six months after forming means – and having only played one friendly match to prepare for the tournament – Scotland’s players can have plenty of reason to be proud of their performances, and MacAulay was more than pleased with how things came together.
“Our main concern before the competition was our lack of squad depth, as we were heavily reliant on seven key players,” he reflected.
“It was challenging to keep everyone fit and compete effectively with the best Transplant Football Teams in Europe.
“We arrived in Oxford as newcomers and were warmly welcomed by the English, Irish, Spanish, Italian, and Welsh teams. We met so many incredible people during the European Transplant Football Championship, creating fond memories and being grateful for their friendship and openness.
“Facing Spain, the runners-up from the last World Cup, was always going to be tough. We were quickly two goals down, but Scotland's reply of four goals felt completely surreal. I'll never forget the stunned looks form the Spanish team.
“The next game, a 4-3 loss to the eventual finalists Italy, showed how far we've come since forming the team six months ago.
“Eventually my earlier fears before the tournament were confirmed – we simply didn't have enough players to be competitive on the final day and lost heavily to England – but reaching the Euros was an achievement in itself, with fundraising alone being a major challenge.
“We made some lifelong friends and leave with our heads held high, despite not winning any trophies this time. We will improve both on and off the field, develop, and recruit more players in the near future, and come back stronger for the Transplant Football World Cup in 2026.”