East Kilbride Handball Club celebrated their 50th anniversary this past year and stalwart Michael Lavery is delighted to see them pass that milestone in fine form after fearing for the club’s survival during the pandemic.
Like many clubs in the area, Covid-19 had a serious effect and it has taken time and patience to build the club back to where it was pre-pandemic.
But in 2022, when the club entered their fifth decade, there were a host of successes for them to celebrate as normality returned to the court.
Indeed, last year saw the club reach heights that it has been unable to hit since the eighties and nineties.
The mixed mini team won the Scottish Cup and the under-16 boys and girls also won the Scottish Cup along with the league titles.
The Senior Men’s team finished runner-up in the Scottish League and qualified for the British Supercup, which is the top two teams in England versus the top two in Scotland. EK lost narrowly to Manchester Hawks in the semi-final and, again narrowly, to Livingston in the third and fourth play-off, but competed very well.
In June, nine players from EKHC made up a large part of the Scotland squad who crushed England at the Oriam International Sports Centre to celebrate Scottish handball’s 50th year.
Some teams also had success playing for Great Britain in the European Championship qualifiers.
The man who has pulled this together is head of development, Michael Lavery, who has been working tirelessly for the last few years to get handball back on the map in East Kilbride.
All the primary and secondary schools have turned to Michael and the club to coach the kids and get them more active in our community.
Michael does this in a voluntary capacity and is determined to improve the health, fitness, and well-being of not only the children but also the adults.
Michael said: “It has been really tough post-Covid, but we have persevered and are trying to build the club back to where it was and hopefully expand it.
“I cannot do this alone. We have dedicated volunteers who form a committee, help with coaching, and are involved with fundraising for the club.
“There would be no club without their support. They all know who they are.
“I could not be prouder of the players, coaches, parents, and volunteers who have worked hard and pulled together through difficult times to make sure the club survived.”
The club has also been left ‘homeless’ since the pandemic hit, with the Alistair McCoist Centre still being utilised as a vaccination centre.
Michael added: “We have had to play our home matches in Edinburgh, but despite that, we are still competing well.
“The John Wright Sports Centre staff have been fantastic accommodating all our training at all age groups, but the hall is unfortunately unsuitable for games.”
As they enter their 51st year, the future looks bright with East Kilbride sitting three points off the top of the league behind leaders Livingston in the battle for the Scottish Handball League title.
And Michael praised those who have helped keep the club competing at a high level and those helping bring through the next generation of players.
He said: “I would like to personally thank the teachers, active school coordinators, the Sports Council, and the sports centre staff.
“They all play a major role in keeping a minority sports club, like East Kilbride Handball Club, alive.
“Here’s to the next 50 years of East Kilbride Handball Club.”
To get involved with EK Handball Club, you can find their social media pages on Facebook or Twitter and you can also email Michael via Michael.ek82handball@gmail.com to find out more information.
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