The Wilson European Junior Championship Finals were held in Great Britain in the summer of 2002. The tournament was played in North Lanarkshire in Scotland from July 28th to August 3rd. The  tournament schedule can be seen below.

6th August 2002 – Russia win first European title

Russia won the European Junior Championship in a thrilling final at Cumbernauld's Broadwood Stadium. They defeated Germany 26-20, scoring on a trick play with 20 seconds remaining.

3rd August 2002 – European Junior Championship medal results

Fifth place: Great Britain 26-29 Czech Republic
Third place: Austria 30-21 France

In their best performance of the tournament, the Brit s just came up short against the Czech Republic in the 5^th/6^th place decider. 

The Czechs took an early lead, but Mark Smith leveled things up on a 1yard run. TD’s from Visek and Dutka in the first quarter built up a handy 21-6 lead for the Czechs though.

Great battling qualities by GB, in the 2^nd quarter led to the Brits coming back into the game as firstly Marvin Allen (on a pass from Ted Baynham) and then another Smith TD pulled the score back to 21-19. Baynham’s 2 PAT on the second TD was intercepted and returned 100 yards for 2 pts.

In the 3^rd quarter, GB took the lead when Baynham completed a 9 yard scoring pass to Allen, but GB were to be denied as the Czech Republic QB Pavel Motuz threw a 5 yard TD pass to Dutka was the winning score.

1st August 2002 – European Junior Championship group results

Austria 0-20 Russia
Great Britain 6-34 Germany

30th July 2002 – European Junior Championship group results

Russia 40-0 Czech Republic
France 7-14 Germany

30th July 2002 – European Junior Championships kick-off. GB lose thrilling opener

The British Juniors kicked off the European Junior Championship yesterday in Scotland. However, they slumped to a 21-14 defeat to France. In an earlier game, Austria defeated the Czech Republic 28-6. The Brits (in front of 600 fans) came so close to matching their French rivals at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld. France had taken a early 7-0 lead, but GB tied it up when QB Baynham threw a 3yd TD to WR Jonathan Greening of the Hertfordshire Hurricanes. France scored again in the 2nd quarter, and went into the break 14-7, but Great Britain came out strong in the second half when LB Ben Flood-Page returned a fumble by the French punter 5 yards for the TD.

France scored what turned out to be their clinching TD with less than 5 minutes to go in the game on a 5 yard run. Trailing by seven points with seven seconds remaining in the game,  Baynham completed a 36 yard pass to WR Sam Strong, which took GB down to the French 2 yard line, but Strong could not quite get in as time expired. The Brits are back in action on Thursday when they take on reigning champions, Germany.

The tournament will be played between 28th July and 3rd August. Qualifying teams are:

Great Britain (hosts)
Germany (holders)
France
Russia
Czech Republic
Austria

THE best young American football players in Europe will touchdown in North Lanarkshire this July to compete in the European Junior American Football Championships.

Scotland's  professional  American  football team, the Claymores, teamed up with   North  Lanarkshire  Council  to  launch  the  summer  tournament  at Motherwell's  Civic Centre today, and announced a new schools initiative in partnership  with  the  local  authority,  which  will  bring  the sport of American football free to every school pupil in the area.

North  Lanarkshire  Council  has  teamed  up with the Claymores, NFL Europe League,   the   European   Federation   of  American  Football  and  sports manufacturer  Wilson,  to  host the bi-annual European Junior Championships from  July  28  to  August  3. The tournament features the top six European junior  gridiron  teams  playing  over  a week with the aim of reaching the European  Junior  Championship  final,  to  be held at Broadwood Stadium on August 3.

North  Lanarkshire  beat out a number of other local authorities throughout Europe to host the championships. North Lanarkshire Provost BARRY McCULLOCH joined  with  Education  Convener  COUNCILLOR  CHARLIE  GRAY  and Community Services  Convener  COUNCILLOR  JIM  LOGUE,  NFL  Europe League Director of Football  Development  MARSHALL  HAPPER,  Claymores  General  Manager STEVE LIVINGSTONE  and  Claymores  Youth  Development Coordinator SCOTT COUPER to welcome  the tournament, and the launch of the Claymores Schools Initiative for the area.

Announcing  the  location of the 2002 Championships, Happer, said: "The NFL Europe  is  delighted to be able to bring the European Junior Championships to  North  Lanarkshire in association with the Claymores, North Lanarkshire Council, EFAF and Wilson.

"The  Claymores  and  NFL  Europe  have  been  working  closely  with North Lanarkshire  Council  over  the  last  three  years  in  the development of gridiron at youth level, and it is fitting that the area has attracted this top   event   after   doing  so  much  to  drive  youth  American  football participation and coaching.

"The  European  Junior  Championships promise to be a great event, with the best  young  gridiron  players  in  Europe  competing  in a tournament that showcases  not only their talents and the growth of the gridiron in Europe. Backed  fully  by  the  Claymores  and NFL Europe, the tournament will also feature  the  high  level of fun, spectacle and entertainment that everyone associates with the Claymores."

And  Happer  added:  "North  Lanarkshire has an array of first-class sports facilities,  and  this,  along with the support the council has provided in backing  the event, beat out a number of other European sites that had been considered  for  the  2002 Championships. We are looking forward to working with  North  Lanarkshire  to make the event a great success and to put on a great show of youth American football."

Councillor  Jim  Logue,  Convener  of North Lanarkshire Council's Community Services  Committee, said: "It is a tremendous honour for North Lanarkshire Council  to  host  the European Junior American Football Championships this
summer  and  I am delighted that Broadwood Stadium has been selected as the venue for the final of this major event.

"By  working together, the council, the Scottish Claymores, NFL Europe, the European  Federation  of  American  Football  and  the  sport manufacturer, Wilson,  will  bring what will be a fairly unfamiliar sport to a completely new audience and I'm sure it will prove to be a big hit.

"And  not  only  that,  but  we will be working together with the Claymores prior  to  the  championships to host a number of clinics within our sports facilities  over  the school holiday period and I hope to see as many young people  as  possible  get  involved  in  these  activities.  My  thanks and congratulations  go  to  all those involved in securing these championships for North Lanarkshire and I look forward to the events at the end of July."

To  complement the European Junior Championships, the Claymores have joined forces  with North Lanarkshire Council's Education Department to give every school  pupil a chance to experience American football during the Claymores
upcoming NFL Europe League season at Hampden Park.

For more information please contact Gary Ralston at the Claymores PR
Department on 0141 222 3800 or Denise Robertson, Public Relations Officer,
North Lanarkshire Council on 01698 302306.

Article courtesy of www.nfleurope.com