About Our Club
Heriot-Watt University Football Club is the largest club affiliated to the University’s Sports Union and participates in both student competition and local football. Many members regard inter-university football, which is played on a Wednesday afternoon during term time, as the fundamental activity of the club.
ActivPayroll is proud to be the main sponsor for Heriot-Watt University Football Club.
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS)
HWUFC fields six men’s and one women’s team each year in the BUCS Scottish Conference which consists of nine men’s leagues and three women’s.
A couple of years ago, BUCS decided to introduce domestic cup competitions to the schedule and there is now the Conference Cup for the higher-rated teams and the Conference Plate for the lower-rated ones. This provides additional playing opportunities for our teams during the domestic season.
The Queen’s Park Shield is the historic trophy presented to the winners of the Queens Park Shield Tournament. The shield is only available to the top twelve 1st teams in Scotland. The Watt has a great record in recent seasons in this competition, winning five out of the last ten, and although we missed out narrowly to Stirling two years ago, we’ll be doing our best again this session to bring back the magnificent shield to the Watt trophy cabinet.
East of Scotland League
Heriot-Watt has also been a member of the East of Scotland League since 1971 and will play in the premier division of the league this season.
The East of Scotland League is a senior league that sits under the newly formed Lowland League.
The 1st team currently play in the Second Division. You can see how the team are getting on here.
Player pathway
The club have adopted a player pathway which allows players to develop through our system of U20s (who compete in the respective East of Scotland/Lowland division) and then into the 1st team. Our third team compete in the Edinburgh West league.
The club is proud to have partnerships in place with local community clubs in Currie FC & Currie Star FC, allowing for a player pathway to start in the local community from as young as five years of age up to the adult game with our senior squads.
Intramural Football League
Maybe you can’t commit to training and matches or haven’t managed to make it on to a team this year? Maybe you play another sport for Heriot-Watt but still enjoy a game of football? Do you live in halls and looking for something to do with your Sunday evenings? Are you the first name on the BUCS teamsheet but still fancy an extra run around with current and former teammates?
Enter a team in brand new Intramural Football League which kicks off on Sunday 31st January 2022. The league runs for 10 weeks and there are prizes up for grabs for league winners and top goal scorers. Ever team is guaranteed a one hour match slot every week, and teams who fulfil all their fixtures get their last match for free!
Our club charter
We aim to provide the following service to all our members:
- To provide an opportunity for any student to participate in a regular form of football appropriate to their desire and ability.
- To ensure that the 1st team are appropriately supported to ensure they compete in the East of Scotland Premier League.
- To provide an opportunity for members to gain a worthwhile social experience through the Sport.
What does a typical season involve?
Every team, excluding the U20s, compete in the University leagues (BUCS) on a Wednesday afternoon during semester.
The men’s 1st team, U20s team, and 3rd team all compete on a Saturday.
Our weekly sevens is open to all club members free of charge. Teams will be picked on a weekly basis from those that attend so everyone plays every week. If you have a team you wish to enter then you can do so by contacting the Football Coordinator (footballdevelopment@hw.ac.uk).
Trials
The club host trials at the beginning of the semester to allow all new players the chance to impress our coaches. If you miss these trials then contact our Football Coordinator (footballdevelopment@hw.ac.uk) who will be able to advise you on which session you attend.
If you feel that you have played at a high standard before Heriot-Watt and would like to train with a higher team, then email us explaining your intentions and a CV of your previous clubs.