Sporting Highlights 2023: Macklin Motors
Over the course of 2023, Macklin Motors enjoyed a busy year alongside the various sporting partners that proudly flew our flag during their respective campaigns on track, on the pitch and on the court.
This was the first year in which Macklin Motors had appeared in the prestigious British Touring Car Championship, thanks largely to the relationship between sister company Bristol Street Motors and the EXCELR8 Motorsport team.
When EXCELR8 decided to promote young Scottish star Ronan Pearson from the MINI CHALLENGE, it made perfect sense for us to get involved and there would be plenty of highlights along the way.
Although an unfortunate penalty saw him excluded at Donington Park during the opening weekend of competition, round one of the year would prove to be a real highlight for Pearson as he realised his dream of competing in the BTCC although the biggest successes could come later in the year.
A Jack Sears Trophy victory at Knockhill was the perfect way to show off his talents in front of a large contingent of Macklin Motors colleagues, with his home weekend also seeing Ronan score his best overall finish of fourth.
That would have been a podium had he not allowed title-chasing team-mate Tom Ingram through to bag extra championship points, but the speed is there to challenge for silverware in 2024.
On the football pitch, our relationship with the two Edinburgh clubs – Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian – continued as the rivals did battle for a top six finish in the Scottish Premiership.
From a Hearts perspective, one of the highlights of the year came in the first game of 2023 with a 3-0 win in the New Year derby game, whilst there would also be resounding victories against Aberdeen and Ross County en-route to fourth in the Premiership standings.
Moving into the current season, a dramatic two-legged tie in the Europa Conference League saw Hearts come from behind to defeat Rosenborg in the third qualifying round whilst there was reason to celebrate as the year moved towards a conclusion with a fine 2-0 win at Celtic giving the Jambos a first league win at Parkhead since 2009. A last minute winner from Lawrence Shankland in the final Edinburgh derby of the season was the icing on the cake.
Across the city, Hibs bounced back from that New Year defeat at the start of 2023 by going on a seven game unbeaten run that included a 6-0 win against Aberdeen, whilst an impressive victory against Celtic in the penultimate game of the 2022/23 season – thanks to three late goals – played a role in taking fifth in the points.
A brief foray into Europe included an impressive victory against Swiss side Luzern, whilst the appointment of Nick Montgomery as Head Coach saw an upturn in league fortunes after a tough start to the new season – including an impressive goalless draw against a Celtic team that had won six league games on the bounce.
Our basketball partners went into 2023 with a new name after the rebranding of Glasgow Rocks as the Caledonia Gladiators, and the revised moniker saw an upturn in fortunes on the court.
A first top four finish since the 2017-18 season would have been the highlight of the season had it not been for an impressive run to victory in the BBL Trophy, with the Gladiators beating Newcastle, London and Derby to make it through to a final with Cheshire – where a three-pointer from David Sloan right at the death earned a first trophy since 2003.
Sloan’s performance was one of a number of impressive displays that saw him named in the BBL Team of the Year.
A major off-court highlight would come ahead of the start of the 2023/24 season with the move to a new home at the Playsport Arena – and on-court, the Gladiators sit well placed in the League heading into the New Year. A first foray into Europe meanwhile would include an impressive victory against Polish side Anwil Włocławek – the defending champions – in the FIBA Europe Cup.