British Football Online

NFL Week 5 Review

2009-10-13T11:32:00.001+01:00

Who needs Jay Cutler? Well I'm sure the press and fans in Chicago will answer yes to that question. But more importantly when did Kyle Orton become and top NFL class quarterback?

Orton led the Broncos to an overtime victory over the New England Patriots. This was the first time that the Patriots have lost in overtime when King Brady has been under centre. Orton threw for 2 touchdowns and an interception but on both touchdowns he was helped by the brilliance on wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

One highlight from the game was Randy Moss intercepting Orton on a Hail Mary. The funny thing was this was Randy's first catch of the day.

In Kansas City the Chiefs pushed the Cowboys all the way into overtime. The Cowboys won on the back of receiver Miles Austin. Austin not only had a career day but a franchise day with 250 receiving yards on 10 receptions and 2 touchdowns. The second of which was for 60 yards and the game winner.

The Chiefs haven't won this season but you would have never known that by watching the game. Matt Cassel looks to have settled, however Larry Johnson can not get his running going. On defence the Chiefs looked good, they just need to wrap up on tackles as Austin broke tackles on both his touchdown scores.

The Rams shut down Adrian Peterson, but can anyone stop Brett Favre?

The old boy with the week shoulder threw for 232 yards in week 5 and helped his Vikings team make it 5-0 for the season. This is the first time in Favre's career that his have started the first 5 games undefeated.

As for the St. Louis Rams, can they get any worst? Maybe we should speak about the Rams and all the other winless teams later in the week. Week 5 was just another bad day at the office.

The Ravens fail for the second time of the season and the Bengals won close again.

I'm not sure if Carson Palmer can keep this up this late game winning form but this season the Bengals have won 4 games by 7, 3, 3 and 4 points.

The Ravens have not been great on defence and have given up a lot through the air. The Ravens will need to improve this part of the game if they want to go all the way this season.

The defending Superbowl champs the Pittsburgh Steelers have made hard work of this season so far. This Sunday against the Lions was no different, only 3 sacks on the Lions last offensive series stopped Detroit taking the game into overtime.

The Lions who were without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford because of his knee injury stayed in this game until the end. However star receiver Calvin Johnson had to come out of the game with what looked like a left knee injury. This is not helping a franchise who is just looking to win their second game of the season.

Rib injury, what rib injury. Quarterback Donavon McNabb is back and boy what a performance. The Eagles looked in great shape for this season and the return of McNabb and Westbrook only increases the Eagles play off chances.

The Buccaneers on the other hand need something to happen for them. On offence they could get anything going and on defence they gave up to many big plays. Allowing McNabb to throw the deep ball for touchdowns is the fastest way to get crashed.

Looks like the Carolina Panthers have found a way for quarterback Jake Delhomme to contribute to the offence. Late in the game when they Panthers needed a first down Delhomme ran for 10 yards. This and a touchdown pass are what seem like the only two things Delhomme has done right this season.

The Washington Redskins go for bad to worst, very quickly. Head coach Kim Zorn has to be favourite to be the first head coach to leave his post. The Skins have two more games before their bye week and Zorn's team will have to improve for him to keep his job.

Okay now on to the Oakland Raiders trip to the New York Giants. The Giants started with quarterback Eli Manning but soon didn't need him anymore as they quickly got into they grove.

Giants have a tough few weeks coming up but running back Ahmad Bradshaw looks like a man playing for a contract. Bradshaw ran in two touchdowns on the ground and had one reception of 55 yards. This is a great return for a player who is number two on the depth chart.

The Raiders however go from worst to unbelievable. Quarterback Russell was sacked 6 times fumbled 3 times and only threw for 100 yards on 8 completions. Can things get any worst for the Raiders Nation? I just feel sorry for everyone in Oakland that is not Al Davis or Tom "knockout" Cable.

I've looked at the draft for 2010 and there are 4 potential offensive tackles in the draft, please can someone get a message to Big Al, take one of them and protect somebody.

This next result had me in shock. After a strong performance last week the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to have a game off, losing this one 41-0. The returning Matt Hasselbeck threw for 241 yards and his offensive line protected him better than they didn't Wallace.

In the end this will go down as a great return for Hasselbeck and just one of though games for the Jaguars.

In another game which would have raised a few eyebrows the Atlanta Falcons beat the San Francisco 49ers 45-10. The reason this results would have been such a shock is the way which the 49ers let this one go. Head Coach Mike Singletary believes in smash mouth football and this was more shaky lip football.

Coming off their bye week the Falcons looked in good shape with quarterback Matt Ryan and tight end Tony Gonzalez showing why the Falcons love this connection.

This game also had the funniest play of week 5 in it. Remembering the type of coach Mike Singletary is what was Dre' Bly thinking about when he was celebrating his interception before he made it to the end zone. What made manners worst he fumbled the ball and the Falcons recovered, I expect someone to be in trouble this week in training.

Here is that play.

The worst game of the season and possible ever was the Buffalo Bills v Cleveland Browns. The Browns won the game 6-3 with no touchdowns in the game. Get ready for this next stat, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson only completed 2 passes for 23 yards. One bright spark was Jamal Lewis pounding the ball for 117 yards.

In Arizona the Cardinals hosted the Houston Texans and this was a game they nearly threw around. Leading 21-0 in the third quarter and should have had the game won but the Texans didn't see it that way.

First Chris Brown scored to make it 21-7, then Andre Johnson scored to make it 21-14. Andre Johnson then smashed, and I do mean smashed his way into the end zone to tie the game up.

The Texans Matt Schaub then made the game losing mistake when he threw an interception to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Rodgers-Cromartie took the ball all the way into the end zone giving the Cardinals a 7 point lead. However Houston had a couple of goes at levelling the game but man child Andre Johnson was not on the field. That had to be a coaching error and cost the Texans a chance at forcing overtime.

Last night on Monday Night football the New York Jets visited the Miami Dolphins.

This was a game of trick plays, as the Dolphins continued to show off the Wildcat and the Jets run a couple of fake punts, both for first downs.

In the end the difference was the running of Ronnie Brown who scored two touchdowns and quarterback Chad Henne coming of age in the passing game.

This was a great advert for football and a great game for Monday night football. Both teams lead the game, yet no big mistakes were made. This lead to great NFL football and I have to mention Braylon Edwards. Traded to the Jets only this week, Edwards had a monster debut with 5 receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. This was from a player who has been in New York a full week and was known for his drops, Edwards didn't drop anything when he needed to make the catch.

The Dolphins won the game with only 6 seconds left on the clock with a Brown touchdown off of the Wildcat. We all love the Wildcat, but I do wonder just how much longer it will be so effective.

Another great week, roll on week 6.

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BAFL: Premier Final

2009-10-10T14:42:00.000+01:00

By Adam Etheridge

The Coventry Jets came up short in their attempt to repeat as National Champions falling 26-7 to old foe, the London Blitz. Mark Cohen had a monumental day in what was likely the final game of an illustrious career while on the other side of the ball Coventry’s defence managed to keep the Blitz’s offence under wraps for the most part even though they were consistently defending a short field.

London scored easily on their first possession and it looked like it was going to be a long day for the Jets' defence. Michael Casper making a good grab over Danny Wardell for an 18 yard touchdown and an early advantage. Nathan Holt missed the extra point wide left to leave the lead at 6-0. Stuart Franklin responded by picking the Blitz defence apart with strikes to Courtney Pope, Jeremy Simms and Mark Cohen with the later snaring a 9 yard touchdown. Dale Hawes showed how it should be done slotting his kick between the uprights to hand the Jets a 7-6 lead.

A bad punt handed London possession in scoring range but the Jets defence held firm and Holt made up for his earlier miss by sticking a 32 yard field goal. The Blitz ended the opening quarter with 9-7 lead but Coventry were driving deep into London's half. As the second period began the Jets were pushed back by a mammoth sack that took them nearer to the halfway line than the endzone.

Fred Boyle was starting to find his range and a 50 yard completion to Casper took the Blitz deep into Jet territory. Persistent penalties kept London from adding to the score as they took themselves out of scoring range. The Jets couldn't get anything going on the ground and it was clear that Franklin's arm was the only way that Coventry could move the football consistently. Clock management issues put paid to the chances of any further scoring in the first half.

Defences ruled the third quarter and Cedric Perrochaud’s 38 yard interception return stretched the Blitz lead to nine after Holt stuck on the extra point. London threatened again towards the end of the third but Boyle threw his second interception of the game, Wayne Gumbs was the recipient this time. Franklin couldn't take advantage of the gift from his former team and having bottled up Gareth Dauley for the first three quarters the Jets defence finally broke as the prolific running back bust a 68 yard touchdown run early in the fourth. Holt's kick put the Jets in a 16 point hole.

Injuries to Franklin and Kofi Campbell put paid to any lingering hopes of an unlikely comeback and Holt's 40 yard field goal iced the game with a scoreline of 26-7 in favour of the Blitz. A second title in three years underlines London’s credentials as one of the top clubs in Europe and gives the rebuilding Jets plenty to strive for over the next twelve months if they’re to regain their title.

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Colchester Gladiators v Leicester Falcons

2009-10-10T10:55:00.000+01:00

By Flag on the Play

26th September 2009

Colchester Gladiators……….32
Leicester Falcons……….……33

Both teams entered the Keepmoat Stadium to a rapturous welcome from the crowd who were clearly hoping for a good match and they were not disappointed, as it turned out.
Falcons received the kick off and #45 Davis returned the ball thirty five yards to set up good field position on the forty nine yard line, followed by Falcons’ Timi Dada with the first three carries bringing up first down on the forty two yard line. Sanchez now opened the passing game to #16 Glenn Herring and Dada carried the ball for Leicester. Sanchez from the eighteen yard line kept the ball to score the first touchdown but the point after touchdown failed, opening the score at 0-6 to the Falcons. From the kick off Gladiators ran the ball back to the 42 yard line and on third and eight #8 Rich Thomas swept left avoiding the Falcons’ defense to stroll in and tie the scores. Point after touchdown good – score 7-6 to the Gladiators.

From the kick off Leicester utilized the diverse offense with #19 Williams taking good short passes and #24 Dada running the ball. Falcons continued to move the chains and looked good on offense when Dada coughed up the ball for Gladiators to recover around the midfield area and set up another drive.

Gladiators, controlling the ball, stopped in the Falcons’ half and punted to the Falcons’ 20 yard area. Falcons ran the ball with Dada carrying who broke coverage to run the seventy nine yards into the endzone to push Falcons into the lead 13-7. Point after touchdown missed so the score remained 13-7.

The ensuing kick off saw Gladiators #38 Leo Beckford bring the ball back to the twenty seven yard line. Thomas, carrying the ball and always a threat was tackled by Falcons’ #88 Bernie Hackshaw and the quarter finished 13-7 to the Falcons.

At the start of the second quarter Gladiators were in good field position the Falcons were holding firm on fourth and goal when #8 Richard Thomas burst into the endzone to tie the score 13-13. The point after touchdown was good and the scoreline now swung in the Gladiators favour, 13-14.

Falcons’ Rich Davis, returned the kick to the forty one yard line but they were unable to move the ball, however the ensuring punt by Williams was shanked and only gained fifteen yards. Gladiators #38 Beckford, with only 11-12 seconds on the clock ran the ball for a fist down inside the ten yard line. Thomas kept things moving on the eight yard line and the scoreboard now read 20-13 but the point after touchdown was missed.

Gladiators now moved the ball into the Falcons red zone and took the two minute warning. Unable to get on the scoreboard, end of the half score 20-13.
Second half and Dada Puts Falcons back on the scoreboard with Ben Longlands adding the extra point bringing the score very quickly to 20-20 with everything still to play for and an exciting second half ahead.

Gladiators quickly got the ball back and went back into the lead 20-26. From the kick off #45 Rich Davis returned the ball to midfield and Timi Dada skipped wide and left through the covering defense for a first down; Ben Williams took a short pass to keep the chains moving. Dada, with the ball in his hands passed the coverage into the endzone to put the Falcons on the scoreboard 26-26. Point after touchdown was good; 27-26 Falcons.

With 12 minutes and 1 second left in the fourth quarter, Gladiators did what they do best; sweep, sweep and then sweep some more and move the chains. A fumbled centre to Quarterback exchange saw Falcons recover the ball in great field position. Sanchez on third and long carried the ball to bring up first down. #45 Rich Davis, a third down specialist, on third and long took a pitch and gained nine yards for a first down. Davis, now seeing more of the ball, moved the chains before breaking into the endzone give Falcons a 30-26 lead. Two flags on the play for unsportsmanlike conduct are assessed on the kick meaning the Falcons took a restart from their own seven and a half yard line to give Gladiators good field position.

Gladiators took the field on the thirty nine yard line and looked to tie the score but unable to move the ball on the first three downs. On fourth and eight Beckford made a first down with one minute on the clock and on third and eight, Falcons desperately defending, the Gladiators looked to score. Second and ten on the fifteen yard line and Gladiators got into the endzone to make the score an amazing 33-32. Point after touchdown………one for the tie, two for the win……………..AND IT FAILED. Falcons win 33-32.

What a fantastic game, played by two great teams, superbly refereed and watched by an awesome crowd who lifted the whole event with their cheering, banter and good humour.

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NFL: Jets Trade for Braylon Edwards

2009-10-07T13:45:00.001+01:00

The New York Jets announced this morning that they have reached an agreement in principle to acquire Cleveland Brown's wide receiver Braylon Edwards in exchange for wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik and undisclosed draft choices.

The Browns picked Edwards 3rd overall in the 2005 draft.

This season he has caught 10 passes for 139 yards and no touchdown for the winless Browns.

His careers record stands at 238 catches for 3,697 and 28 touchdowns. Edwards will add to the Jets fire power and give Mark Sanchez a number 1 receiver.

The Jets are sending two players in the other direction, they are Chanso Stuckey wide receiver who has started 3 games this season and has 11 receptions for 120 yards and 1 touchdown.

The Browns also get linebacker Jason Trusnik who has never started a game for the Jets in his 3 season. He does have 24 total career tackles and 1 force fumble.

Here are some of Brylon's highlights.

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NFL: Michael Crabtree signs six year deal

2009-10-07T13:19:00.000+01:00

Sources out of San Francisco are reporting that wide receiver Michael Crabtree has finally signed with the 49ers.

The 49ers selected Crabtree with the 10th pick in this year’s draft but he has been holding out ever since. Crabtree is reported to have signed a six year deal, which will be a relief to all Niners fans. However no news on the money Crabtree will be taking home, I would image it's more than the $20 million they offered after draft day.

Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker met into Tuesday night with 49ers owner Jed York, general manager Scot McCloughan and Paraag Marathe, vice president of football operations. The two sides had gone almost three weeks without talking.

Crabtree is expected to be at the team’s training facility today, however he has missed all of training camp, pre season and 4 weeks of the regular season.

49ers coach Mike Singletary, said on Monday that he would welcome Crabtree whenever he shows up to join the team. However don’t expect to see Crabtree in uniform this Sunday against the Falcons.

I would expect to see Crabtree in week 7 after San Francisco’s bye week.

This has to be great news to the 49ers fans, as Crabtree will be joining a team which is already 3-1 without his services.

Crabtree caught 97 passes for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns last year during his sophomore season at Texas Tech. He finished his college career with 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Here are Crabtree's highlights...

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NFL: Review

2009-10-06T10:30:00.013+01:00

So Mark Sanchez is a rookie after all. The New York Jets quarterback has been getting rave reviews so far this season. But in week 4 he finally showed his in experience. Sanchez did have the worst performance of his short NFL career however he didn’t play that badly. The Saints however were in the mood to show that they have improved on defence this season and acquiring free safety Darren Sharper was the right move in the off season. The 13 year veteran adds experience and big play ability to the Saints back field.

Sharper picked Sanchez off twice and took the first interception all the way to the end zone. 99 yards is a very long way to run for a 33 year old, however Sharper looked like a rookie as he high stepped to 6 points.

Drew Brees continued his stellar start to the season. This week he showed the rest of the league how to pick apart the Jets much heralded defence. Brees didn’t pass for a touchdown however he controlled the Jets and allowed running back Pierre Thomas to run for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Over in Miami I’m wondering if T.O. is about to blow. He didn’t look very happy with Trent Edwards in the Buffalo Bills game against the Miami Dolphins.

Last week Edwards failed to complete a pass to T.O. and this week the Bills quarterback was unable to keep off the turf. Edwards was sacked 6 times and intercepted 3 times in a game he will want to forget.

Most of the blame for this lost will have to go to the Bills coaches, as they only called 17 running plays in the game. On his return from suspension Marshawn Lynch only ran the ball 8 times for 4 yards.

The Bills are now 1-3 for the season and I believe they will need to use their running game to set up big plays to T.O. and Lee Evans.

Over in Washington can someone please tell Jason Campbell that he doesn’t have to arm to throw the deep ball passed Aqib Talib. I understand that he did it once to Santana Moss and I understand that the Skins won the game. But getting intercepted by the same corner back 3 times is not a mistake a 5 year pro should be making. If Campbell makes it till the end of the season as the Redskins starting quarterback I will be surprised.

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this will go down as a game they should have won. Quarterback Josh Johnson playing in his first start showed both the reasons why head coach Raheem Morris benched Byron Leftwich and started with Johnson. Johnson looked good at times and ran the ball well but his arm strength must be a concern to coach Morris.

Dwight Freeney who? In Indianapolis the Colts put on a show against the Settle Seahawks. The Seahawks have arguably the best linebacker core in the NFL but were made to look like a pub team as Peyton Manning and the Colts moved to a 4-0 record for the season.

Although Manning threw for over 300 yards again this week, he was helped by the Colts defence who was leaded by defensive end Robert Mathis who sacked the Seahawks quarterback Seneca Wallace 3 times in the game.

Wallace individually had a good game, posting numbers of 33 completions on 45 attempts for 257 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions. For a long time now the Colts are weaker against the run but the Seahawks couldn’t get this side of their game going. Running back Julius Jones only ran for 25 yards on 11 touches and former Colts legend Edgerrin James only ran the ball 4 times for 16 yards.

The Seahawks are now 1-3 and will need to pick up their performance if they want to keep up with the 49ers and Cardinals in their division. The Colts are undefeated this season and Manning looks like he wants to break every single season passing record this year, watch this space.

In the battle of Ohio the Browns showed that they are not the worst team in the league. The Cleveland Browns hosted their state rivals the Cincinnati Bengals and took the 2-1 Bengals all the way into overtime. Well it was the Bengals who took the Browns into overtime with a 4th quarter touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Chad Ochocinco. Och only had 3 catches in the game but 2 of them were for touchdowns. The first will be high on Chad’s personal highlight reel.

Talking of the worst team in the NFL, the St Louis Rams were shut out again. To be honest I would prefer to talk about the 49ers.

Coach Singletary only asks his team to play hard and give 100% and boy are they doing that right now. The 49ers are clearly the best team in the NFC West and they are still without the services of first round draft pick Michael Crabtree.

One player who is now playing like the first round pick he was is Tight End Vernon Davis. Davis is even now a team captain and has come into his own this year with 3 touchdown receptions. Big V is the perfect blend of size, strength and speed and he is now showing the NFL that he could be a rival to Antonio Gates for the best Tight End in the NFL.

In Houston the Raiders showed yet again they will run the Rams close for the worst offence in the NFL. I love to say that the Texans played well but when you play the Raiders you only have to turn up it seems.

I know the Raiders have won a game this season but they really don’t look like they’ll be able to win another. Russell has no one to throw to in the passing game and they only used Michael Bush 3 times in the run game. Right that is enough Raiders bashing, time to be positive.

In Chicago the Lions were trying to win their second straight game of the season. The game turned out to be a game of 2 halves as the Lions held their own against the in form Bears. Not only did the Lions lose the game but they lost quarterback Matt Stafford in the 4th quarter to a dislocated right knee.

Yesterday the reports coming out of Detroit were that Stafford could be ready to start next week against the Steelers. Only time will tell on this story so I’d watch this space.

The Bears however move to a 3-1 record and after trading for Cutler in the off season they look like a much more balanced team. Now able to throw the ball on 4 and 1 near the goal line, the Bears have the ability to keep defences off balance in every situation.

In Denver, the Broncos moved to 4-0 with a win against the Dallas Cowboys. In the off season the Cowboys let go of T.O. in order to help the Tony Romo be the sole leader of the offence. This game shows me why that move was a mistake. Romo needed T.O. on the final drive of the game.

At the other end of the field the Broncos showed why premier number 1 receivers are at a premium and you should do all you can to hold onto them. Brandon Marshall has had his fair share of problems and run ins with Coach McDaniels but on Sunday night he showed why McDaniels didn’t just cut him loose. After the Broncos scored a field goal to tie the game at 10 each, the Broncos looked for Marshall. Marshall made a difficult catch then stayed on his feet and around and past the Cowboys defence for what turned out to be the game winning touchdown. If you haven’t seen this play yet, then find it and check it out.

Moving on to the Tennessee Titans, who went to Jacksonville looking for there first win of the season. Unfortunately David Garrad was up for the game. Quarterback Garrad threw for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Jags never looked in danger of losing this game.

In the game that I said would be game if the week, we weren’t disappointed. In a game that went back and fourth, Tom Brady and the Patriots showed that they are still the team to look up to and the Ravens showed that they still have a little way to go before they can be considered Super Bowl champs.

Much will be made of the three errors wide out Mark Clayton made in the game but I’m surprised Joe Flacco wasn’t looking for Derrick Mason and Todd Heap as the game was on the line.

Having said that, losing 21-27 to the Pats could help the Ravens in the rest of the season. If the media and public pressure for success is now reduced even a little that could let Flacco and co get on with business.

On Sunday Night the San Diego Chargers welcomed back running back LT and the Pittsburgh Steelers were missing back Willie Parker. In the end it was another running back Rashard Mendenhall who proved the difference in this game. Mendenhall is in his second year from the University of Illinois and what a game he had on Sunday Night. He ran for 165 yards, 2 touchdowns on 29 attempts, he helped the Steelers eat up the clock at the end of the game with his downhill and full blooded running style. In the passing game he caught 2 pass for 26 yards, in what was a monster game for the young man.

The Chargers will know that they lost this game because they didn’t start playing until the second half by which time the Steelers had a commanding lead. But Steelers fans should still be worried that their team couldn’t close this game out in an easier fashion.

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the New York Giants on Sunday and this was a game between the unbeaten Giants and the unable to win Chiefs.

The Giants were in command of this game from start to finish, leading 17-3 at half time. The Chiefs had a small rally at the end of the game.

This game against highlighted the emergent of Steve Smith and not the wide receiver from the Carolina Panthers. This is Steve Smith, born in Alaska and drafted in the second round by the Giants in 2007. Smith went to college at USC and now he has become Eli Manning’s favourite target. In this game Smith caught 11 passes for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns.

On Monday Night Football the Green Bay Packers visited Brett Favre, my apologies I meant the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings were undefeated going into this game but the Packers made a game of it. Favre however was the star of the show with 3 touchdown passes and 271 yard through the air. The game wasn’t all about Favre however, as defensive end Jared Allen picked up 4 and a half sacks in the game. One of which was for a safety late in the game.

Week 4 like the 3 weeks before, I think are proving that the NFL is the number one sport in American and the most entertain sport on TV anywhere in the world. I understand that the Premier League is heating up nicely but the NFL has total excitement and unpredictability each and every week.

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BAFL: Premier

2009-09-27T16:00:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to the Keepmaot stadium. We are in Doncaster for the BAFL Premier Final.

The London Blitz play the Coventry Jets and the game should be great. The Jets won the Championship last season against the Blitz and both teams are ready to take home the Boston Trophy.

I have interviews with both Coaches and a couple of players and both are 100% confident of winning today. Of course only one team can win, who that will be I couldn’t tell you.

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BAFL: Div 2 Final

2009-09-26T18:06:00.002+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

Right now it's time for the Div 2 Final.

The Colchester Gladiators face the Leicester Falcons in the BAFL Div 2 final. The Keepmoat Stadium has seen five games so far today but this will be the high light of the day.

Who will win the win the battle of the head coaches, as Matt Roberts (Gladiators) battles Johnny Hopewell (Falcons)?

Follow the game here.

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BAFL: Youth Final

2009-09-26T17:31:00.001+01:00

The next final on the list is the BAFL Youth final. This will be between the Farnham Fast Lane Knights and the Lancashire Wolverine Colts.

Farnham Fast Lane Knights v Lancashire Wolverine Colts

I will be keeping you all updated with the goings on in the game.

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BAFL: Junior Contact Football

2009-09-26T10:20:00.002+01:00

Welcome to the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster. It’s a sunny Saturday morning and the place is a buzz of excitement.

You’ll be able to follow all the games today and tomorrow from the comfort of your own home.

Below you see my updates without you having refreshed your page.

First game up is the semi final between the Glasgow Tigers and the London Warriors. The second semi final sees the Clyde Valley Falcons face the Chorley Buccaneers. The winners of the two games will play after to find the 2009 National Champions.

Good luck to all the teams on show today.

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BAFL: The Cassidy Jets No More...

2009-09-24T12:10:00.003+01:00

By Adam Etheridge

Whatever happens in Doncaster on September the 27th, one thing is for sure, the name Coventry Cassidy Jets won’t appear on the Boston Trophy this year. In a surprise announcement Jets’ General Manager Will White revealed that the lucrative naming rights deal with the Cassidy Group had come to an end. The announcement ends a partnership that had lasted four years and seen the Jets rise through the ranks to become one of Europe’s premier teams.

“We’ve made some incredible strides and achieved our goal of becoming National Champions with the Cassidy Group onboard” explained White, “It’s a sad day that we announce the end of their association with the club but it’s also an exciting time as we move forward and look to retain our title on Sunday”. The change means that the Jets revert back to their old name, Coventry Jets, and have another new logo, their fifth in the club’s six year history.

White also announced that the Club are still actively seeking new backing but are currently in advanced negotiations with two potential sponsors. “It’s looking pretty promising” stated White “we’ve been talking to a couple of firms for a little while and have made some excellent progress. I’m optimistic that one will be our headline sponsor for some time to come and that the other will also become a strong partner for the club. We’re always looking for fresh sponsorship, be it a gameday sponsor or even a company looking to individually sponsor a player”.

The new logo sees the removal of the swoosh under the name as well as a move to a darker shade of blue, meaning that the colours of the Cassidy Group will no longer feature. “The majority of fans never really went for the yellow in the logo or on the jersey’s sleeves so I’m sure it will prove more popular amongst them. The focus groups that we’ve already consulted helped us make a few tweaks and I’m sure the merchandise will be flying off the sleeves thanks to it”.

Preparations for Britbowl XXIII continue apace for the Jets and Head Coach Gerry McManus. The Championship game sees the Jets face up to the London Blitz for the third straight year as the pair continue to dominate British American Football. In two match ups so far this season the Blitz have won easily 28-0 and 32-0, however, they’re yet to face a full strength Jets team and with Mark Connolly returning to the defensive line Coventry should match up well against the overwhelming favourites.

“We went into Britbowl XXII with a 100% record and were expected to win comfortably after a convincing victory over the Blitz in the regular season” stated departing Jets’ Secretary Adam Etheridge, “but we all know that it didn’t turn out to be that easy and we had to fight for every yard against a well prepared Blitz team. This year the roles are reversed and I’m confident that if we execute our gameplan to perfection we can cause the upset. Coach Moss will have his boys ready to play and it will be a fierce contest that should go right to the wire”.

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BAFL: BFO meets Robin Pierce

2009-09-20T11:00:00.001+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

Last week I conducted an interview with London Blitz Chairman Robin Pierce (left). Coach Pierce was kind enough to answer a few questions for BFO, so here's what he had to say.

Daniel Ferdinand: Since Mark Moss became Head Coach of the London Blitz the team has enjoyed great success, can you take all the credit for the appointment?

Robin Pierce: Ahhh, a straightforward question, but the answer is more complicated. Back at the beginning of the decade, Nick Rockell, Mark, and myself were all new to the Blitz, and it was very different from the club today. Neil Bowles became the club chairman, I became the vice chairman, and Nick Rockell became the head coach after the previous one left the club. At that point, Nick asked Mark to be his defensive coordinator, and the four of us started to sort things out. The next change was Neil leaving the club because of work commitments moving him away from London. I was then elected as chairman, the post I've held ever since. Nick left five years ago, again because work took him from the London area, and I asked Mark to take over as head coach. Having worked so closely with both Nick and Mark, I knew he was the right man for the position, and I never even considered anyone else. Mark is London Blitz through and through, and if he snapped in half, London Blitz would show in the broken ends like a stick of rock!!!! As for taking the credit, yes, I do, but this club does everything by consensus, and everyone wanted Mossy to be the one, so it wasn't exactly a difficult appointment to make.

DF: I would like to talk about last season, losing the final against the Jets by 1 point must have hurt the team?

RP: It's hard to put into words how much that hurt, and to have thrown away a big lead at half time; and finally to cap it all, to hear the dismay of the whole team (I couldn't watch!!!) as that ball went through the uprights with 4 seconds left on the clock. Well, you could have ripped my heart out and not hurt me more. The trip back to London was certainly different from the previous year. Everyone on the team last year was upset, and that's been transmitted to the players that have joined the team this year, so we're united in our desire to make sure it doesn't happen this year.

DF: Can your team focus on the game and not revenge?

RP: Revenge isn't what we're about. We had to accept that last year the Jets never let their heads drop, and they executed their game plan better than we did, resulting in lifting the trophy. This year, we've been incredibly focused on doing everything to get to the final, and we've achieved that emphatically. Now we have one more game to continue to do what we do best.

DF: About this season, being undefeated, does that make you the favourites?

RP: I've seen all the comments on the websites, and the majority of the pundits have us lifting the Boston Trophy again, but those who know the game also know that that old "Any given Sunday" phrase, while it sounds like a cliché, is the ultimate truth in any sport. So we don't kid ourselves.

DF: What do you believe has been the key to the teams success in 2009?

RP: Several things have improved this year. Our defense has been remorseless, and has dominated every team it's been up against. Special Teams have continually given our offense good field position, from kick return and punt return, and often our defense has been able to start well into our opponents half of the field as a result of good kicking and punting. We've always had a good offensive capability, with great players at all the skill positions. Actually, that's a term that annoys me, as it suggests that the line players are not skilled players. To me, nothing is further from the truth; without skilled linemen, the offense would have a miserable afternoon. Great coaching has made our O Line one of the best in UK football.

DF: And finally what will it take to win at the keeptmoat?

RP: The same ruthlessness that we've shown all season, and paying attention to the coaches.

I would firstly like to thank Robin Pierce for taking the time out and answer a few questions. I honestly can't wait to see this game, I know both teams will be confident about winning. Like I say, this one will be a hum-dinger.

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BAFL: BFO meets Adam Etheridge

2009-09-20T10:30:00.001+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

I've been a busy bee this week. Here I was luckly to get some time with Adam Etheridge the Secretary of the Coventry Cassidy Jets.

The Jets are the defending Britbowl Champions and booked their place in the final with another win over the Bristol Aztecs.

Here is what Adam had to say.

Daniel Ferdinand: As the defending Britbowl Champions are you feeling the pressure?

Adam Etheridge: Not at all, in fact quite the opposite. We go into this game as heavy underdogs after losing to the Blitz twice this season. They've been great all year & everyone expects them to walk away with it much like we were expected to after our perfect season last year.

DF: In the final you will again be facing the London Blitz, are you sick of them yet?

AE: It's fair to say that over the past 3 seasons ourselves and the Blitz have been the dominant teams in Britball and as such we look forward to testing ourselves against them, Britbowl XXIII will be no different.

DF: You have had a rough time against the Blitz this year, how do you score against them?

AE: Yeah, we haven't managed it yet in two games this year. If it goes anything like last year we'll use the pass to open it up for the run. Their defensive front is fearsome and unless we can show them that we've got a few dimensions to our game it'll be a long day.

DF: Your quarterback Stuart Franklin played for the Blitz last year, who does that help the most, Franklin or the blitz defence?

AE: Stuart has worked tirelessly building towards this moment, he's put a lot of work into creating an offense that can take advantage of the Blitz's weaknesses. Their roster hasn't changed a great deal from last year so we know them quite well. We've been through a rebuilding process this season so Stuart will be able to take advantage of personnel that the Blitz won't know much about.

DF: Can you tell us, what you believe will be the key to your team winning?

AE: Like any game, it'll be won & lost in the trenches. We need to shut down London's running game and make sure we get pressure on Fred Boyle. We know what he can do when he has time but I'm pretty sure he can be rattled. I think it's going to be a very low scoring game and more akin to 2007 than 2008, a defensive score could be what decides the game. Above all we need to protect the ball and win the turnover battle.

DF: You have added a few new players since the start of the season, how have they settled in?

AE: After winning it all last year our roster had a bit of an enforced overhaul and we entered a rebuilding phase. Our success in getting to the final this year is credit to the guys that have come in and been able to settle and contribute straight away.

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The Rise of the Jets

2009-09-20T09:30:00.000+01:00

By Adam Etheridge

The Jets are a relatively new club, founded as the Coventry Jaguars in 2004, however the sport has a long history in our city. Back in 1994 the first American Football team based in Coventry was called the Warwickshire Bears. Soon afterwards they became the Coventry Bears and won the Anglo Conference Central Division with an 8-2 record. The season included a narrow loss to the Oslo Trolls, the city’s first international game.

Two mergers followed. An unsuccessful one with the MK Bucks and then, in 1990, with the Walsall Titans, to form a dynamic new team called the Coventry Jaguars. The ‘Jags’ went onto record a perfect 10-0 season, the Division II Coca-Cola Bowl Championship and a notable win over the Upper Heyford Sky Kings. By 1993 Coventry found themselves in the Division 1 Super League, but it was a step too far. The signing of Cleveland Brown draftee Clemente Gordon bankrupted the club, which folded at the end of the season.

A decade later the Jaguars were reformed and started their first season in 2004, in the BAFL Division 2 South West. Despite a number of close games, the Jaguars went winless, 0-9-1. However, the club attendances and facilities were the best in the UK and the 2004/5 off-season saw some frantic activity as the Jaguars not only changed their name to the Jets but signed numerous GB Internationals such as Steve Coles and Tony Perkins as well as the mercurial Canadian QB Adam Lane.

The Jets were transformed. They ripped the BAFL Division 2 apart with a point-a-minute offense and one of the stingiest defenses in the history of the game (conceding just 7 points in the regular season and amassing over 600). The division was wrapped up by week 6 and the Jets romped into the Britbowl Division 2 final as firm favourites to beat the undefeated Kent Exiles. By half-time the perfect season for the Jets was apparently in tatters, as the southern team led 20-6. However, the Jets dominated the second half but still needed a last minute kick-off touchdown return from Perkins to take the title with a 30-26 come back victory.

The 13-0 Jets again recruited hard, now with the backing of the Cassidy Group as head line sponsors. Attendances grew to a record of 1,800 by the time the Jets were to meet the Kent Exiles in the 2006 1A semi-final in Coventry. Behind the arm of Chicago native Joe Wright and the catches of Cohen and Simms the Jets had again ripped the league apart, taking the scalp of the Birmingham Bulls on route with a 27-0 shutout. The new #1 team in the Midlands was also ranked #3 in the nation and any doubts about how much progress they had made was emphatically put to bed with the Jets thrashing of the Exiles 62-18. A comfortable 52-20 romp in the Britbowl 1A final over the Bristol Aztecs ensued and the season was rounded off with a win over the Irish National team to conclude a back-to-back perfect season. The winning streak was extended to 27-0 with a 49-0 romp over the Rhinos, Milan in early this year.

The Jets entered 2007 with a big squad, that included a lot of new faces. However, the import pair of Chris Foster and Woody Weathers failed to improve the team. Despite a narrow win over defending Britbowl Champion London O’s in front of 2,000 people at the Ricoh Arena the Jets were edged out of Europe by the Cinneplex Blue Devils in Austria. The domestic winning-streak also came to an end at the hands of the Blitz 28-24 in London, who repeated the trick 14-6 at Britbowl XXI. Nevertheless, they were great games and a terrific learning experience for a team still only 4 years old.

Entering 2008 ranked #2 in the UK and #15 in Europe the Jets enjoyed a Euro Campaign that took them into the Eurobowl quarter-finals on the back of a home victory over Valencia and a first road success over the Oslo Vikings. After falling to eventual Champions the Tirol Raiders, thoughts turned to the domestic campaign. A thrilling come from behind victory saw the Jets win Britbowl XXII, defeating defending Champions the London Blitz 33-32 on a 40 yard field goal with just 5 seconds left to play.

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BAFL: The BAFL Talk Back

2009-09-19T08:52:00.005+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

There is only one simple way to say this, the Britbowl is coming.

Next weekend the UK Football world descends on Doncaster. The Keepmoat Stadium, home of the Doncaster Rovers soccer team and in the BAFL’s own Doncaster Mustangs welcomes six teams all looking to be National Champions.

Being National Champions show that your team is the best prepared and has executed your game plan the best.

Will your team be the Champions?

This week British Football Online (BFO) will help you through each of the six games coming from Doncaster.

Today I thought it was best to get to know the organisation who run our beautiful game.

So I asked Mark Blyth who is the Football Operations Director and Ken Walters the BAFL Chairman a couple of questions, here is what they said.

Daniel Ferdinand: How is organising the finals weekend going?

Mark Blyth: It's the normal frantic couple of weeks, it always is. But as of today (17th) we're pretty much on top of everything. Next week is a long week for me as I tend to spend a lot of time down at the Keepmoat Stadium helping out with the preparations, ie; overseeing the pitch markings and stuff like that. I'm like that, I like to be 'at the coal face' so to speak. It's not that I don't trust the guys down there, but I can be on hand if a question needs answering regarding anything to do with the event.

DF: Are you happy with how the season has gone?

MB: Not entirely. We've had major issues regarding Youth football this year in the sense that a lot of teams either pulled out before or during the season. It's not been easy for some of the teams as it's effectively reduced their season to 3 or 4 games which isn't ideal in anyone's eyes. So we need to address that. We've also had issues with there being not enough Officials to cover all our games. However I need to thank everyone that made a real effort ot help out by resheduling their games to make things work. We ended up losing only a fraction of the games we could have which, for me, was a result.

DF: Can you explain to us the BAFL's history with Doncaster Rovers and the Keepmoat Stadium?

MB: From 2000 we held our Finals at Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield and they did us proud for 8 years. But in 2008 we got word that we may have a problem. Basically Rotherham United were in deep trouble and were set to be booted out of Millmoor and their training ground by the Family that had owned them for so long. In the end the word became true as we were presented with the scenario that DVS had signed a primacy agreement with RUFC which meant that we couldn't hold our Finals there in 2008. To cut a longer story short, we decided to up sticks. The Keepmoat Stadium (well the Athletics Arena bit) had been home to my team (Doncaster Mustangs) since it opened in 2007 and we decided to ask them if they could step in at short notice. To be honest they were brilliant and and bent over backwards to help us. The dates we wanted fitted into Rovers schedule so we were able to rescue the situation. They must have been impressed as we are back again and looking to secure a longer term deal.

DF: Where do you see the BAFL over the next few years?

MB: We need to come good on the things we had intended to do for Youth and Junior football when we took over their operations in 2007/8. We have a Strategy meeting planned for November when we'll be inviting all Youth & Junior teams (both Kitted & Flag) to attend so we can thrash out a clear pathway for their spehere of the sport. It's not going to be a finger pointing session, we don't need to do that. What we need to do is find solutions to the problems we face. That's the immediate future. A bit further down the line for me is to establish a significant top division that is attractive to the public.

DF: What contact does the BAFL board have with the NFL?

Ken Walters: BAFL is a member association of BAFA – the National Governing Body. The protocol for a relationship with the NFL is, therefore, via them.

DF: Talking about next year, are there any new teams for next year?

MB: We have 2 new teams that are entering our Associate process this coming Autumn. How they perform during that time will determine whether or not they make it to full member status for 2010.

DF: Do the BAFL board have any sponsorship deals in the pipe line?

KW: The BAFA does not have any ‘irons in the fire at this time’. The economic climate is very tough at this time and we are focusing our efforts on the delivery of quality competitions for our member clubs.

DF: Back, in the 80's teams used to get crowds of around 7,000, how do we get there again?

MB: That's a tough question to answer and I'm not sure there is a simple answer. As I said before, one of my personal long term goals is to establish a top division that is attractive to spectators and sponsors alike. But it's going to take a lot of hard work from a lot of people to get there.

DF: What does the BAFL board do over the winter?

MB: Well we don't go into hibernation, that's for sure. As soon as this season is over, we start preparing for the next. We will be deciding the format for the competitions for 2010, getting in the applications for 2010, doing all our 'housework' from 2009...the list goes on. It's a 12 months of the year job.

DF: Finally, what are the British Lions up to this winter?

MB: Coach Ayub has a game planned against France for November which I'm hoping to be involved in organising. Actually I've done a little ground work for that already so hopefully it will get the nod. After that my guess is that they will be planning and preparing for the Euros next June or July. You'd have to speak to the Lions Coaches & Staff for a clearer picture of their plans.

I would like to thank Mark and Ken for their time in answering my questions. I hope this interview has given you an in sight into the weekend and the board.

Keep coming back this week for more Britbowl content each day.

Here is a map to show you how to get to the keepmoat. Why don't you join in on the fun.

Prices:

£10 Adults
£5 Under 16's & Seniors
Under 10's free

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NFL: Tom Brady Returns

2009-09-15T20:42:00.002+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

Well now Tom Brady could very well be superman. If last nights game would have been part of a movie we all would have turned off because it's way to unbelievable.

In his first game since week 1 last season Brady threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns, as the Patriots won late in the game.

The question I have is why oh why did Leodis McKelvin try and run the kick off back. Why did he not just settle for the touchback, which would have given the Bills the ball on their own 20 yard line. I'm sure as the Bills will wake up this morning and this defeat will be hard for them to swallow.

Brady is back and the NFL is better for his return. This season could see a shoot out between Brady and Brees (New Orleans Saints) in the race of league MVP. If week 1 is anything to go by we are in for a cracker.

In Monday nights other game, the Raiders found a way to throw the win away against the Chargers. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell looked like the 1st overall draft talent he is being paid for. Russell even blocked two players on a reverse play and threw the ball with power and skill.

The off season reports coming out of Oakland were about Russell taking a number of recievers away for private training away from the media. The hard work looks like it's starting to paid off.

Oakland still have a number of holes but this defeat shows that they my not be the worst team in the league. Plus former Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour looks ready to play. Seymour spent much of the game in the backfield hunting Phillip Rivers. He is a great signing if the Raiders can keep him happy and focused.

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NFL: Are the Saints the really deal?

2009-09-15T09:14:00.003+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

Okay yes the Saints won convincingly, but lets be honest they were playing the Detroit Lions. Last season quarterback Brees threw for nearly 5,000 yards and he start this season where he left off last year.

I watch the highlights of the game on NFL.com and I saw to faults in the Saints team. I'm not going to talk about injuries, because that goes for every team in the league. But the defence does not look like it has improved enough. The Lions touchdown was a simple pitch left and the running back walked into the endzone.

The other problem as I see it, is Reggie Bush. I'm still not sold on Bush, he is an explosive player, however he doesn't seem like he can carry the load in the NFL. He completed his first NFL season but has yet to finish 16 games since and the Lions were able to hold him to 14 yards on 7 carries. May be that had something to do with Bush missing the last 3 pre season games, but that is my point, he gets banged up all the time.

I believe their are a number of teams ahead of the Saints, but New Orleans could see a wild card game this season. Brees will have to stay fit and on form. He is the key for this team.

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NFL: Opening Sunday

2009-09-13T15:00:00.004+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

Okay it’s the first Sunday of the NFL season and I’m going to put my neck on the line. So here goes, The Minnesota Vikings will be Super Bowl (44TH) XLIV champions.

There you go, I’ve said it now. I fully expect the signing of Brett Favre to be the difference maker. In this post I will explain my thought process and why I believe the shoulder of Favre will stand the test of time.

The Vikings have only ever won one NFL Championship, all the way back in 1969. Last year they made the play offs losing to the Philadelphia Eagles at home in the Wild Card game.

Finally adding number 4 to the team takes pressure off the shoulders (no punt intended) of star running back Adrian Peterson. Favre gives the Vikings a better threat under centre than either Travis Jackson (who I believe will be a better player once Favre goes) and Sage Rosenfels. In turn Peterson relieves the pressure on Favre. Teams playing the Vikings this year will have to respect Favre and will not be able to put eight men (a defensive strategy, designed to stop running plays) in the box on every play. Favre also provides Head Coach Brad Childress with an option on 3rd and long.

Let’s not forget the rest of the Vikings team, their offensive line is very strong with Steve Hutchinson at left guard, being around the best in the business. At wide receiver six year veteran Bernard Berrian will be Favre’s go to guy. Favre also has first round draft pick Percy Harvin to throw too. Harvin from the University of Florida (Florida Gators) can play in multiple-positions because of his speed and open field running. Expect him to play at receiver, running back and returner this season.

On defence the Williams’ Pat and Kevin (not related) on the defensive line will be able to play the opening game (against the Cleveland Browns) after the federal appeals court blocked the NFL’s attempt to suspend the pair (for violating the league’s anti-doping policy).

So with both Williams’ playing (for now) and Jared Allen at defensive end, the Vikings should again be among the top ranked defences against the run. I’m sure teams will look to beat this defence through the air but Coach Childress should have his team prepare for this type of attack.

I have picked the Vikings because on offence they can hold on to the ball and win the battle of the clock (the time each team has possession on the ball on offence) most weeks. This will keep their very strong defence fresh and ready for battle.

We will see if I’m right come February, I really hope I am.

The Vikings are first up tonight on Sky Sports 3 the show starts at 5:30pm. I will be watch at my friends bar in South Woodford.

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BAFL 1: Review

2009-09-08T21:37:00.003+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

BAFL 1

Cambridgeshire Cats 6 - 22 London Cobras

The London Cobras made it 3 wins out of 3 over the Cambridgeshire Cats in 2009 with a convincing 22 - 6 victory.

The Cobras' have a strong strong squad, full of talent and they over came complacency to record the semi final victory.

The Cats finish a successful season on a low but they can rest and look to add to their squad for next season.

The undefeated Cobras will be looking forward to returning to Doncaster and the Britbowl, but this time they are playing a division higher.

East Kilbride Pirates 25 - 0 Tamworth Phoenix

The Tamworth Phoenix had a nightmare at home as the Pirates swooped in a ran back to Scotland with the victory.

The Pirates are the only team this weekend to win away from home and they would have enjoyed their trip back north.

I'm sure the Tamworth team would have been disappointed by the result but they have played well all season and once the game is out of their system they can look back and be happy with their work.

Peterborough Saxons 25 - 0 Norwich Devils

The Norwich Devils finished a disappointing season without a victory.

The Saxons were in no mood to give out any charity and closed the season with a shut out over the Devils.

The Devils head coach Nick Rockell also stepped down after the game after three seasons in the position.

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BAFL 2: Review

2009-09-08T19:29:00.003+01:00

By Daniel Ferdinand

BAFL: 2 Review

Glasgow Tigers 6 - 7 Leicester Falcons

You can read the Falcons match report here

In the lowest scoring game this weekend the Leicester Falcons squeaked pass the Glasgow Tigers.

Nick Surface's interception and run back took the Falcons into the redzone. The games first score was recorded when quarterback Arturo Sanchez throw a pass receiver Chris Rodrigo. Rodrigo did not make the touchdown catch however because the ball was deflected into the arms of team mate Ben Longland, the extra point made the score 7-0.

The Tigers drove up the field and scored when quarterback Scott Couper found Ruairdh McDonald in the endzone. The Tigers went for two points and the win. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Couper was sacked by heroic Alex Ottaway.

With the game over the Tigers travelled home, licking their wounds. The Falcons however get one more game and chance to be crowned the BAFL division 2 champions.

Hampshire Thrashers 20 - 49 Colchester Gladiators

The Colchester Gladiators player their second game in a week when they returned to the Wivenhoe Stadium. The visitors this week was the Hampshire Thrashers.

Last week the Thrashers beat the Mavericks at home.

Just missing out on scoring 50 points seems like the only negitive for Colchester. But playing at the Keepmoat for the final is reward enough for the boys in blue and yellow.

The Hampshire Thrashers can now reflex on a successful season which sure the team undefeated in the regular season. The Thrashers can now look forward to the 2010 season with expectation.

But the 2009 season continues for the Gladiators.

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BAFL: Defending Champs Back in The Final

2009-09-08T09:15:00.000+01:00

By Adam Etheridge

The Coventry Cassidy Jets fired into the Britbowl final for a third straight year with a 28-14 semi-final victory over the Bristol Aztecs. Tony Perkins had the games biggest play, returning the opening kick off of the second half for 81 yards a touchdown that broke Bristol’s resistance. Once again the Jets will face the London Blitz for the National Title as they ran over the Farnham Fast Lane Knights 33-13.

Coventry opened the scoring on their second possession, Jeremy Simms making a tremendous catch over the middle for a 19 yard touchdown reception from Stuart Franklin. The play was set up by a hook and ladder play, Franklin’s pass was caught by Dale Hawes at the Bristol 24 before the diminutive receiver pitched the ball back to Dominic Olney who barrelled ahead for an extra five yards. Hawes attempted to add the extra point but his kick was blocked.

Bristol, who had managed only nine yards in the air, struck back late in the first half with a touchdown from Dominic Westwood to Nick Smith. The 38 yard pass was an embarrassment for the Jets’ defence as both Ahmed Hashim and Wayne Gumbs missed what looked to be simple tackles on the way to the endzone. Jon Wyse added the extra point to hand Bristol a 7-6 lead with half time looming.

Franklin completed a 38 yard pass of his own as Mark Cohen dragged tacklers down inside the Bristol redzone. The Aztecs brought a lot of pressure and held the Jets short of the endzone. When running out the clock would have been the logical choice, Bristol decided to go for the throat, Ted Baynham was brought in at quarterback to throw the deep ball. His first pass was wild and his second was picked off by Ahmed Hashim.

A 38 yard touchdown pass to Dominic Olney on the next play punished the Aztecs for their mistake. Kofi Campbell, making a welcome return, coasted in to the endzone to add a two point conversion ensuring that the Jets would enter the break with the lead at 14-7. As the second half began it was time for Tony Perkins to take centre stage, his 81 yard kick off return was a hammer blow for the Aztecs as they fell two scores behind Coventry’s stingy defence. Hawes booted the extra point for a 14 point advantage.

The remainder of the third quarter saw both teams cancel each other as Coventry’s offence began to sputter. The only drive of note ended with Wyse making a good play to take away a second touchdown from Simms. The Aztecs went back to what worked best in the final quarter, keeping the ball on the ground and letting Mike Adams churn up yardage. His tough running eventually set up another Westwood to Smith touchdown, this time from eight yards. Wyse kicked the extra point to pull Bristol within seven with six minutes remaining in the game.

In response Coventry mounted a 12 play drive, churning up the clock as Franklin directed his team 68 yards downfield completing two key passes to Courtney Pope before Campbell bulled in from three yards out. Hawes again kicked the extra point to restore the Jets 14 point advantage. Bristol’s last chance to respond was snuffed out as an Adam’s fumble was recovered by Liam Smith. The Jets now have three weeks to prepare for the final, which will be held in Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium.

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BAFL: The Blitz Make The Big Game Again

2009-09-08T09:00:00.003+01:00

By Gerald Williamson

The London Blitz American Football Club booked their place in their fourth consecutive BritBowl, BritBowl XXIII, by defeating the Farnham Fast Lane Knights 33-13.

London Blitz kicker Nathan Holt kicked the game off into the picturesque early September sunshine. Excellent work from #35 Richard “Chicken” Cunningham shut down the Knights kick-off return, tackling the kick returner on the Blitz sideline and setting up the first offensive possession for the Knights on their own 29 yard line. Their possession didn’t last long however as a fired up Blitz defense quickly forcing them to punt with defensive back #3 Aaron Sanders-Percival missing an interception by the length of a fingernail on third down.

The Blitz offense’s possession was even shorter. On the first play of the drive, quarterback #8 Fred Boyle handed the ball off to running back #23 Gareth Dauley who only managed to pick up a yard on the ground before being brought down. On the second play, the Blitz went with the ground game again with #23 Dauley taking the hand off and raced some 67 yards to the end zone for the game’s first score. Kicker #25 Nathan Holt put his kick between the uprights and the boys in Blue were off to a flying seven point lead.

After the ensuing kick-off the stellar Blitz defense went back to work, when defensive back #3 Aaron Sanders-Percival recorded his first interception of the afternoon but his return was negated by a block-in-the- back penalty and forced the offense to start their drive from the Knight’s 29 yard line. The offensive drive stalled however, with the Blitz being forced to punt.

The Blitz defense then got the ball back for its offense, forcing another punt from the Knights’ offense. The Blitz offense then put together a sustained drive, which was capped off by running back #23 Gareth Dauley who strode into the end zone untouched from seven yards out for his second touchdown of the afternoon. #25 Nathan Holt added the point after and the Blitz led 14-0.

Both teams then traded possession as their defenses stood firm and forced the offenses to punt until running back #23 Gareth Dauley broke out into a scintillating 51 yard touchdown run, spinning out of what looked to be a sure tackle before accelerating down the near sideline and into the corner of the end zone to complete his hat-trick of touchdowns for the game. #25 Nathan Holt kicked the point after through the uprights and increased the Blitz lead to 21-0.

The Blitz defense were then burned by a deep ball after blown coverage on a half back pass on the ensuing Knights’ possession for a touchdown and their kicker added the extra point to put the Knights’ back in contention with the score at 21-7. On the following Blitz offensive possession quarterback #8 Fred Boyle was picked off trying to put the game beyond reach. However, the resulting possession didn’t last long with defensive back #3 Aaron Sanders-Percival stepping up and make yet another big play by snaring his second interception of the afternoon.

However the ensuing offensive possession didn’t last very long running back #23 Gareth Dauley fumbled the ball for the Knights to recover. The Blitz defense took to the field only to be backed up by a controversial late hitting penalty on Blitz safety #20 Ed Morgan that bemused sections of the crowd. On the very next play veteran defensive back #29 Lennox Johnson was penalized for pass interference in the corner of the end zone. From there, the Knights were able to punch it in from a yard. The point after kick was blocked, leaving the score 21-13 at the half.

The Blitz came out running in the third quarter with key carries from running back #23 Gareth Dauley and fullback #48 Jon Chilton. The offense’s long and grinding drive was capped by an 11 yard catch and run by team captain and wide receiver, #11 Rod “Spartan” Bradley who strode into the far corner of the end zone. #25 Nathan Holt added the extra point and the Blitz lead 28-13.

Stubborn defending from the Blitz defense saw big plays from defensive back #29 Lennox Johnson and defensive lineman #69 Aaron Chambers which kept the Knights offense at bay. The Blitz offense came close to extending its lead but a holding call ruled out a touchdown run from running back #32 Deji Alli. A 27 yard field goal from kicker #25 Nathan Holt and a Safety rounded off the scoring with the final score London Blitz 33, Farnham Knights 13.

After the game, wide receiver and team captain Rod “Spartan” Bradley said: “For this game to be somewhat tougher than we expected was probably the best thing for us. We’ve got work to do, we’ve got a lot to prepare in the next three weeks but it’s great for the new guys and everyone who’s put in the effort this year to be in the Bowl game.”

London Blitz Head Coach Mark Moss said: “We’re there now. It was all a bit tense today, we didn’t play that well in the first half but that [key] drive in the second half from the offense set the tone of the second half. We’ve got eight practices [until the Bowl game] and we’ll be working our socks off to be ready, to be prepared.”

The Blitz now prepare for their final game against the Coventry Jets at BritBowl XXIII in Doncaster’s Keep Moat Stadium on September 27th.

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BAFL: 1 Preview

2009-09-05T15:44:00.004+01:00

The division 1 play offs are at the semi final stage and after last weeks quarter finals the teams will be battle harden.

I was at the Cobras game last week and they are an impressive unit and only the Cats were able to win away from home.

Tamworth won but not in the shoot out fashion I believed and East Kilbride showed that the Gateshead result the week before was just a blip.

Cambridgeshire Cats @ London Cobras

The Cats and the Cobras have faced each other twice already this season, with the Cobras coming out on top both times.

Last week the Cobras' ran with the ball well and benefited from weaken Mustangs side.

The Cats were the only team to win away from home last weekend and will need to do the same again. The problem for the Cats is the fact that the Cobras will be full of running and have yet to taste defeat.

Having seen the Cobras' at first hand I know how powerful a squad they have and this means their coaches can keep the men on the field fresher. The Cobras are able to make big plays and their runners can break tackles. The Cats will need to stay focused for the full 60 minutes.

The Cats will need to play the game of their life's in order over come the Cobras. The pressure will on the Cats quarterback Josh Barimus to manage the game and allow running back Josh Gireath to pound the ball.

You always have to remember on any given Sunday you can win or you can lose, but you always have to fight.

East Kilbride Pirates @ Tamworth Phoenix

The Pirates face the very long trip south to face the Tamworth Phoenix. This is a game which both teams will be confident of winning, a game where losing is not an option.

The Pirates will be looking to running back duo of Iain Dick and Gary Carr to make the hard yards and on defence they will look for a big game from Steven Kane.

Tamworth have only lost one game this season and that was against Welsh opposition early in the season. I am sure that Tamworth will use every advantage they have and not having to travel to Scotland is the biggest one.

Can the Phoenix take advantage of a over travelled Pirates team or will East Kilbride enjoy their journey home.

Peterborough Saxons @ Norwich Devils

One final game to complete the regular season sees the Devils host the Saxons.

The Devils will have one final chance to end a difficult season on a high as they seek their first win of the season.

You have to wish the Devils will (unless your from Ipswich) but I'm sure the Saxons will be in no mood to give out charity. Every yard will be earned as both teams finish up season 2009.

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NFL: Top Stories Around The League

2009-09-05T10:00:00.001+01:00

Here are some stories doing the rounds in the NFL.

Some interesting, some funny, some just stories I think you may enjoy.

Cincinnati Bengals

So the reports coming out of Ohio is that Andre Smith is a touch over weight. Not the first round pick I hear you shout, well yes and he has only been at 'team' training for 2 days. Who ate all the, well you know the rest... NFLUK.com

Philadelphia Eagles

Check out Vick's highlights against the Jets. The Eagles lost the game 27-38. Check out the 22 yard loss, throw it away Michael throw it away... NFL.com

Minnesota Vikings

Favre fined $10k for a 'crack-back block'... nytimes.com

Buffalo Bills

Offensive coordinator sacked already. Hello, the season has not started... NFL.com

New England Patriots

The Pats look like going into the season with only 2 quarterbacks. Find out who on... NFL.com

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BAFL: Premier Preview

2009-09-05T08:00:00.001+01:00

The Premier post season kicks off this Sunday and the semi final games will be played in London and Coventry.

The undefeated London Blitz host the Farnham Fast Lane Knights in Finsbury Park. But first I want to focus on the game which is a few mile up the M1.

Bristol Aztecs @ Coventry Cassidy Jets

In Coventry the Cassidy Jets face the Bristol Aztecs. Both teams finished the season with 5 wins and 3 loses and the head to head record was a home win each.

Does this make the Jets favorites for this clash?

The Jets have knocked the Aztecs out of the play offs the last 3 seasons and the boys from Bristol will not want that losing record to continue.

The Jets have a number of new players in their ranks and will hope they have a fresher squad to use on Sunday.

The Aztecs are know around the league as one of the tough teams to play against. Some say they play a 'smash mouth' type of game, but don't take their skill and talent lightly.

Early game momentum will be key in this battle. I have it down as an away win, the Aztecs winning by a nose.

Farnham Fast Lane Knights @ London Blitz

In London the Knights face the huge challenge of being the first team to beat the Blitz in 2009.

Knights Blitz games always have an edge to them dating back to before I played (I know it's not that long ago), may be it's all about London pride or just that these teams have long been fighting at the top.

The Knight go into the game as underdogs but I'm sure they will not see it that way. Head Coach Ian Ellis will have his troop fired up and ready for battle.

The Blitz go into the game very much full of confidence, however Head Coach Moss will have to keep his guys focused on victory and nothing else.

The key to this game is how much pressure the Knight offence can put on the Blitz defence. Winning this battle could provide the winner.

Speaking on our road trip home last Monday the London Blitz Assistant Head Coach Cullen spoke about some of the improvements the Blitz have made this season. The one they are most happy with is on special teams. Coach Callan said "we made a conscious effort to improve and the guys have done that very well".

I have to go with the undefeated Blitz to return to the BritBowl.

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NFL: Number 1 Quarterback

2009-09-03T08:00:00.000+01:00

I asked the question today on my twitter, who is the best quarterback in the NFL at the moment?

From the answers given only three players are in the race Peyton Manning, Tom “Gisele” Brady and Drew Brees.

I’m not going to choose, I’m asking you guys and girls out there. Only two of the guys have super bowl rings. Does that mean Brees can not be considered?

First up is the man with the most Championships, one Thomas Edward “Tom” Brady, Jr. Tom Brady has appeared in four super bowl winning three of them.

Brady went to college at the University of Michigan, were he spent his first two years as back up to Brian Griese. Brady won the battle to become the Wolverines starter for the 98 and 99 seasons.

After his senior year Brady was picked number #199 in the 2000 NFL draft. It has been reported that the Patriots were considering Brady or Tim Rattay. In the end they went for Brady a move which in 2007 the NFL network called the greatest “steal” in the history of the NFL draft.

Brady started his rookie season fourth on the Patriots depth chart. Can you name all 3 players above him?

I thought not.

Brady became the starter in the 2001 season after an injury to the Pats starter.

Brady’s best quality is his leadership. Players put there health on the line for him and will follow him anyway. His arm strength has been under rated but he can make every throw expected of an NFL quarterback.

Although Brady doesn’t have straight line speed, he does move around the pocket very well.

Finally on Tom, he has won games with and without star players around him. I expect he will get close to the records he set in the 2007 season.

Next on the list is Peyton Williams Manning. Manning had the polar opposite raise to the NFL to Brady. Peyton was the first overall player to be picked in the 1998 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Peyton comes from “what many call” the first family of football.

Peyton is the second of three sons, to Archie and Olivia Manning. Archie also played in the NFL for the Saints, Houston Oilers and Vikings (1971-1984).

Peyton’s elder brother played football at the receiver position in college but had to quit because of spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal) and his younger brother Eli also has a super bowl ring and super bowl MVP award.

Like Brady, Manning is a leader in the locker room. His arm strength is about as good as it gets. He makes all the passes and uniquely to Manning only he picks the offensive play when he is at the line of scrimmage.

Manning doesn’t move around the field that well. However this does mean that his offensive line knows where he is.

Manning has only been able to win one championship, a fact that will play on his mind. Manning's problem for this season, "I believe" is the fact that a number of teams are in a better position to make it to the super bowl. The Colts “for me” are ranked around the 9th to 13th place of all the NFL teams. However I still expect Manning to have a great season.

The last player on my list is Andrew “Drew” Christopher Brees. Last season Brees became only the second NFL quarterback to finish the season with more than 5,000 yards passing (5,069).

Brees graduated from Purdue University and was drafted in the second round (pick 32) by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 NFL draft.

Brees has been unlucky with the two NFL teams he has been the starter on. He always provides a great offensive edge however the Saints defences have seemed to always let him down.

When he was at the Chargers the defence was not what it is now and now in New Orleans, the defence is as bad as his offence is good. The Saints have looked to improve this over the off season, using their first 3 (picks 14, 116 and 118) draft picks on defensive players.

Like Brady and Manning, Brees makes all the throws required at this level. He is the best of the three at moving around the pocket and making time for himself.

Some of his stats may be slightly higher because the Saints defence often give up big plays. They also concede lots of points 393 in 2008 (ranked 26).

In the end it’s up to the individual to pick which of these players are number one in the league.

The question is, if you were starting a franchise tomorrow and you could pick your quarterback first, who would you choose?

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The Jets Add to Ranks

2009-09-02T10:00:00.001+01:00

By Adam Etheridge

The Coventry Cassidy Jets have seen a dramatic improvement in their defence over the past matches allowing less than 200 yards a game and surrendering just seven points in their final two regular season contests. The catalyst for this turn around has been an unlikely source, new signing, Steve George. The 35 year old free safety from Deeping recently transferred from Peterborough becoming the sixth player to move across from the Saxons this season.

George, who returned to American Football last year after a brief stint with the Peterborough Hustlers youth team in the 80’s, built a strong reputation in his comeback season as he was named co-defensive MVP in a year that saw the Saxons achieve promotion to the British American Football League’s first division. After seeing several team mates leave to compete in the Premier Division George decided the time was right to follow suit.

“I joined the Jets as they have excellent coaches in place that’ll help me improve as a player” stated George, singling out the presence of former London Monarch Rowelle Blenman as a deciding factor. “There are some tremendous players here and competing with the likes of Ahmed Hashim and Danny Wardell for a starting spot will bring my game on in leaps and bounds. My aim is to help the Jets win more Championships both in the UK and then in Europe”.

As well as George, the Jets will be glad to welcome back Gary Clark after a month on the sidelines. The young Scotsman has been absent from the last two games and his return boosts the Jets as they look to defeat the Bristol Aztecs at the semi-final stage for the third straight season. The two fierce rivals have already met twice this year, Coventry took the first game 16-7 in an ugly encounter at the Sphinx, whilst the Aztecs claimed their first ever victory over the defending champions 40-33 in a thriller on their home patch.

Jets’ Head Coach Gerry McManus looks to have a full squad as Daniel Smallman-Gough returns after a three month absence, the exciting young playmaker provides more depth at safety and McManus knows he’ll need every player at his disposal. “Bristol are a very physical team, they’ll pound the ball up the middle and try to wear us down upfront. It’s going to be a long day for the defence so converting third downs and keeping our offence on the field will be key”. The game is scheduled for a 14:30 kick off at the Sphinx, as always, parking will be free of charge. Entrance on the gate is free for under 16s and £3 for adults.

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NFL: Father Tedy Bruschi

2009-09-01T17:36:00.004+01:00

On Monday #54 Tedy Bruschi retired from football.

In Feb, 2005 Super Ted step out of the Massachusetts General Hospital with his wife. Tedy had been diagnosis as having a mild stroke.

Super Ted had felt numbness in his left arm, left leg and blurry vision only a few days before. Bruschi had surgery to repair a hole in his heart, he still however made it back for the seventh game of the following season.

In every sport managers have to balance how much talent and how much heart his or her team has. In Bruschi, Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick found what he called "a perfect player".

What would happen if a player like Micheal Vick had Super Ted's leadership, heart, determination, inspiration and work ethic?

Back to the man in question. Bruschi was the Patriots third round draft choice in the 1996 draft (pick: 86) from the University of Arizona. In college he was a defensive end, where he tied the NCAA Division 1-A sack record with 52. Bruschi had a very successful time in college but after he was drafted by (then) Head Coach Bill Parcells, he was moved to play at linebacker.

Belichick (who was assistant head coach at the time) remembers that Bruschi was told "he was 'too small', 'too slow', 'too this' and 'too that' but he just kept getting better and better, working harder, outworking and out competing pretty much everybody that he faced."

Tedy has missed most of training camp and one preseason game through injury this season. He says that he is simply too old and found his "body doesn't heal as quickly".

Bring the curtain down on his 13 year playing career which saw him win 3 NFL championships. Bruschi noted that he had accomplished all his goals except "winning a fourth championship". He added that "knowing I have three previous ones, I think I'll let that one go".

Bruschi leaves the Patriots in a healthy position. Team leader Tom Brady has returned from his knee injury and at linebacker Jerod Mayo (the defensive rookie of the year) has emerged as his successor as the leader in the middle of the defence.

The Patriots will still miss Super Ted after he had 1,134 tackles, 30.5 sacks and 12 interceptions, 4 of them touchdowns.

Patriot's owner Robert Kraft said that "Tedy embodies everything we want the Patriot brand to stand for".

I hope Tedy will move to a career in television because he always has something interesting to say and he knows the game in side and out.

Check out Tedy's interview on NFL.com.

Or you can learn more about Mr Bruschi here.

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BAFL: The Gladiators Host Blue Raiders

2009-09-01T09:00:00.000+01:00

I spent the sunny Bank Holiday Monday in Colchester, watching the Gladiators host the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders.

The Gladiators were in confident mood after finishing the season undefeated which included two victories over the Blue Raiders. In the two games this season the Blue Raiders had been unable to score a single point, so I much improved performance was required for victory.

Watching the game with me was London Blitz Assistant Head Coach Mike Callan, who was watching his first BAFL 2 game.

The Gladiators kicked off the game and the Blue Raiders first offensive attempted was running play. However on this opening series the Blue Raiders were unable to get anything going and stalled without making much of an impact on the game.

With the ball in the Gladiators hands things started to get interesting, with a man in motion on most plays the offence looked like making something happen. This happened when running back #3 Matthew Excell broke free to almost score from his own half. #3 Excell was stopped by Blue Raiders defensive back #15 Elliott Viechweg who got back to make a good tackle.

#3 Excell was in no mood to have points taken away from him and not long after he got his hands on the ball again and ran the ball into the endzone for the first score of the game. Kicker #8 Richard Thomas added the extra point to put Colchester up 7-0.

With the Colchester defence showing cover 2 the Blue Raiders finally took advantage when quarterback #7 Nigel Mansfield picked out his tight end #8 Liam Cooke up the middle for a solid gain and the 1st down. The Blue Raiders however were unable to make this drive count on the scoreboard and returned the ball to the Gladiators.

It was at this point when Coach Callan's spectator head came off and he turned into a Coach. He was offering plenty of good advice for both team, unfortunately it was only to me.

The Gladiators' running back were #8 Richard Thomas was finding holes in the Blue Raiders defence and put in a good run, however the Gladiators stalled close to the Blue Raiders endzone but failed to add to there score when they missed a field goal from around 22 yards.

The Blue Raiders offence was looking for someone to step up and that came when quarterback #7 Mansfield broke a tackle in the back field and ran for 25 yard before being knocked out of bounds. You would think that the Gladiators defence would start worrying. That was not going to happen, first defensive lineman #96 Christian Steward just missed an interception with the field open for him (he did stop the play though). The Blue Raiders then made two errors on back to back plays. The first a fumbled snap but they held on to the ball and even worst was to come as the Blue Raiders fumbled the field goal attempt.

The Gladiators must have felt like they got away with that defensive series and went about adding to the score. They did this with #8 Thomas breaking 4 or 5 tackles, then running 50+ yards to score. With Thomas then adding the extra point Colchester were now leading the game 14-0.

The half ended with the Gladiators leading 14-0, but they would need to stay focused in the second half if they wanted to get to the semi finals.

The game now seemed to pause as both sides played as well and then bad as each other. The problem for the Blue Raiders was that the Gladiators looked comfortable and they just could not get into the game. The Blue Raiders started making the game even harder for themselves when they touched the ball on a Gladiators punt and allowed Colchester to jump on the ball in there redzone.

The defence needed a big play and they got one from defensive lineman #55 Paul Settle. #55 Settle blow up the line and sacked the quarterback, causing a fumble. The Gladiators held onto the ball but were taken well out of the redzone and the drive came to nothing.

Then the game opened up, first with Colchester increasing there lead when running back #14 Alex Robinson ran the ball in. The Colchester defence had given the offence the ball after pick off #7 Mansfield. The extra point again came from the boot of #8 Thomas.

I believed that that score would put the game to bed, however the Blue Raiders had other idea's with touchdown thrown to tight end #8 Liam Cooke. This was a smart play as quarterback #7 Mansfield faked the hand off left and passed to the right. Bedfordshire converted a 2 point conversation making the score 21-8. Was this the start of something or could Colchester strike back?

Unfortunately for the Blue Raiders it was the latter as running back #14 Robinson ran in the touchdown from around 80 yards. Yet again the trustworthy boot of #8 Thomas scored the extra point making the score 28-8.

The Blue Raiders came out for the next series with a purpose, successfully making 4 first downs on the bounce. The drive ended with the Blue Raiders running the ball in for the score and again converting a 2 point conversation 28-16.

Looking for more points the Blue Raiders tried an onside kick which was picked up by defensive back #87 Nick Foxley. While I'm talking about #87 I have to add that he was my pick of the Gladiators defence. He made open field tackles all game, stopping the Blue Raiders from breaking big plays.

The Gladiators now smelled the semi finals and went for the kill. First #14 Robinson scored again and then running back #38 Leo Beckford got in on the act.

The game ending with the Gladiators winning 42-16 and sending the crowd home happy.

This was a game which could have been closer but for a number big plays from the Gladiators.

I'll finish this post up with the funniest play I've seen (maybe ever). I'll not say a name and number (because you know who you are) of the player but as the Gladiators punted, the ball bounced and rolled towards the Blue Raiders endzone. Everyone expected the Gladiator player to stop the ball inches away from the endzone (giving his team the greatest defensive field position possible) he calmly walked away allowing the ball in cross the endzone line and giving the Blue Raiders the ball on their own 20 yard line instead. The player was made aware of his error as Coach Stephenson asking him why he'd walked away. If I said that Coach Stephenson was calm as he explained I'd be lying.

Well done to the Gladiators as they move on to the semi finals after this strong but not complete performance.

The Blue Raiders can now have sometime off and look forward to 2010.

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BAFL: Mustangs get bitten

2009-09-01T08:00:00.002+01:00

Under the planes of Heathrow the Mustangs arrived to face a large and prepared Cobras outfit.

The Mustangs stepped off their team bus a little light on numbers. I personally counted 11 defence men and about 14 offensive players. If playing the undefeated Cobras in London was hard enough. The Mustangs were also missing running back Joey Fabrizio, after he was suspend for running into an official. The Mustangs believe that this was a tough call but Fabrizio was on the side line helping the team.

At this point I would like to say that Fabrizio was the loudest person I've ever heard (well maybe not as loud as Coach Moss - Blitz). I think it has something to do with him never taking off his large earphones. I wonder if he has them on when he plays?

Well back to the game, the Cobras were in confident mood with players like #11 Marvin Allen (Steelers) and #6 Jermaine Allen.

The game did not start well for the Mustang when #84 Bryce returned the opening kick off for a touchdown. This was the start the Cobras were looking for but they didn't score the attempted 2 point conversation.

The first big hit of the came on the Mustangs opening series when Cobras defence men #21 Deon Grant stopped a play dead in its tracks.

The Mustangs were unable to create any offence and had to punt, however the Cobras fumbled the punt and the men in green jumped onto the ball. The Mustangs were still unable to get into the endzone and turned to ball over on downs.

It was at this point that I received a little prize from one of the family watching the game. A lovely piece of homemade cake if I do say so myself. The family in question was the Warrior's #51 Alex Haldane's family. So thank you very much.

Anyway back to the game, the Cobras started running the ball well picking up strong yards. Then a great run from #82, making the score 12-0 after a second missing a second 2 point conversation.

The Mustangs tried hard and showed flashes of what they are capable of, but their lack of numbers became a real problem from late in the first half. The Cobras are a well oiled team and once they tasted the Mustangs blood they went in for the kill.

Now they just scored what seemed like one after another, starting with a running score by #33 Devar Gayle with a 2 point conversation. Next a touchdown pass from quarterback #7 Jerome Allen to receiver #84 Will Bryce, with a 2 point conversation.

With the score now at 28-0, #38 Ike Okonkwo ran another one in and the Cobras completed a touchdown pass to #80 Emmanuel Mokuro. Both scores had successful 2 points conversations.

The Mustangs defence put a smile on the teams face when they snatched an interception from #7 Jerome Allen. The Mustangs were unable to take advantage as they just could not get into the endzone.

The Cobras finished off the game in the same way they started it with 2 more scores. Both scores were run in first by #33 Devar Gayle and then #13, both 2 point conversations were scored.

That left the game 66-0 and over.

Reflecting on the game the Mustangs showed heart but just didn't have enough man power to threaten the powerful Cobras. They also wasn't helped by an torn bicep on the defence.

On this show the Cobras will be tough to beat. They will have to stay focus for they semi final, which will be a home game against the the Cambridgeshire Cats.

Pictures courtesy of the 'London Blitz'

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The Final Challenge For Coventry Bears

2009-09-01T01:33:00.005+01:00

By Tom Beasley

It’s an exciting time for American Football in Coventry with the release of the new website. This excitement is exacerbated by the fact Bears have a team in every Under 18 section at the finals in Doncaster on Saturday 5th September in which the top two teams from England and Scotland compete for the ultimate accolade. All three teams qualified as English Conference champions, which is a remarkable achievement for the club.

Firstly, the cadet side, the reigning national champions have high hopes for victory, supported by Hannah Russell-Yarde (pictured right, photo by Chelle Bridges), captain and leading scorer of the team. She is described by head coach Andrew Gambrill as the side’s “main weapon” and is considered a bright talent to watch in the future, even at the tender age of 12. Hannah herself has a strong feeling going into the match, praising her colleagues saying that “the team has improved and worked really well”.

For the junior team, a difficult fixture lies ahead in the shape of Woodham Warriors, a formidable outfit who managed to clinch the title last year and the Bears’ likely opponent if they manage to progress to the final. However, Bears are not daunted by the task after the huge morale boost achieved by AJ Mepstead and Tom Clancy being invited to the Great Britain selection camp, an amazing honour for the two. Ruth Miller, 14, in her first year with the club seems up for it, enthusing: “It’s going to be a very exciting game to play in,” and that she is definitely “looking forward to the challenge”.

Also feeling good about the match are the youth team, who are flying high and, in the words of coach Andrew: “head into the finals with some momentum”. They have added a number of Great Britain internationals to the team that initially opened the season, as well as the experience of a plethora of previous national champions. One of the new stars is Jake Cooke (left), 16, who when interviewed said: “I am looking forward to the finals as it is a chance to watch and play with some of the country’s finest players, so I will able to learn and take on different playing techniques.”

He continued: “I believe these competitions do enhance your career as they give you friendly competitive edges and the will to improve at the game which will in turn increase your chances of enhancing you career in the sport "

These finals are a perfect opportunity for the Bears to increase their appearance as a major player on the national scene and one of the most formidable teams in the country.

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Update

2009-08-31T08:00:00.001+01:00

I just wanted to update you all about today's games.

I am writing a match report for the Doncaster Mustangs at London Cobras but I am missing player names.

So I will update Monday night, all going well.

It was a great game, unless you was from Doncaster.

Check out the scores on the BAFL website.

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BAFL 1: Preview

2009-08-28T12:57:00.008+01:00

BAFL 1

This weekend we have one regular season game and the start of the play offs.

I know I always say it but the games this weekend are going to be very exciting. The East Kilbride versus Gateshead game should be all about defence and the Kent versus Tamworth should be all about offence. I can't wait of the scores and reports to come through from the games.

West Coast Trojans at Dundee Hurricanes

The West Coast Trojans travel north in the hope that they don't get blow away in Dundee.

The Trojans will have the opportunity to over take the Hurricanes and the Merseyside Nighthawks in the BAFL 1 North Conference.

I believe that fact will prove key, away win for me.

Doncaster Mustangs at London Cobras

The Mustangs enter the snakes pit on Sunday when they visit the London Cobras.

The Cobras will be looking for yet another victory in what has been a very successful season for the London team.

The Mustangs do have one advantage, the BritBowl final is hosted at their home ground. Will that be enough for Doncaster to put in their best performance of the season. I'm not sure, the Mustangs will need to play at their top level to take victory away from, what will be a very confident Cobras team.

Adding to the game day excitement is the fact that the Cobras junior team the 'London Warrior' will be playing their own play off game against the juniors of the Colchester Gladiators. A win for the Warrior's would put the pressure on the Cobras, how will that affect the team?

Find out on Sunday.

Kent Exiles at Tamworth Phoenix

Losing only one game this season the Tamworth Phoenix host the Kent Exiles. This game could be the highest scoring game of the season, I'll go as far as saying it will be.

The Exiles have been involved in some of the highest scoring games, you'll find anyway. This season they score 50 points and lost the game Cambridgeshire. The next week they beat Norwich 56-12.

Now the Phoenix defence is very strong and will look to send out a statement of intent to the reason of the division. Shutting down the leading offence in the division will do that.

I'll say that the Tamworth offence to out score the Exiles, but if you leave in the area then get to this game. It could be a Madden scoreline!

Gateshead Senators at East Kilbride Pirates

This game is simple, last week the Senators ended the Pirates perfect season with a 7-6 victory which I didn't predict. East Kilbride will be looking for revenge this week.

Last weeks game was once by running back Rob Lochrie scored from five yards out. This was after the Pirates missed an extra point after they scored giving the game to the Senators.

I would say that revenge is a powerful thing and the Pirates will be switched on this week. This will however be another defensive showcase.

Cambridgeshire Cats at Oxford Saints

On Sunday the Oxford Saints play host to the Cambridgeshire Cats for a place in the semi finals.

The Saints suffered a defeat at the hands of the Tamworth Phoenix last week I will look to take that out on the Cats. I fully expect the Saints to start like a team with a mission. The defeat to Tamworth would have hurt Oxford and Cambridgeshire will have to make sure that they are not caught in the head lights.

The Cats are also coming of a lose but in there case it's to the undefeated London Cobras.

With a semi final place up for grabs on Sunday both teams will have their eyes fixed on that prize. Home advantage could be the deciding factor but the team in red could prove that wrong.

I feel like I have splinters in my rear about this game. That means I'm on the fence and I'm not moving.

Any stats in this report came from the clubs web site.

The Saints Phoenix picture is courtesy of 'Perdy kirland', thank you.

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BAFL 2: Preview

2009-08-28T10:34:00.005+01:00

Oh boy, it's that time of the year! I have referred to this time a number of times as 'the business end of the season'. Well now that time is here, teams can no longer lose. Losing means NO more football in 2009, game over.

What this means is all teams will be giving their all on the field. All everyone wants is one more game, one more chance to make it to the finals.

Only 8 teams have a chance to be crowned the BAFL 2 Champions. Which of these teams will raise to the top?

BAFL 2

Leicester Falcons at Manchester Titans

Well what can I say about this game?

I know the 10-0 Titans will be looking for a bird lunch when the Falcons visit. The Titans are the number 1 ranked team in BAFL 2 and will expect to advance to the semi finals.

In their way is the Leicester Falcons, who will be looking to shock the league with a famous away victory. Falcons head coach Lester Hopewell will lead his troops to Manchester with a smash and grab victory in mind.

The Falcons are a running team and will need to get ahead in order to try and control the game. The Titans do not know what it means to lose in 2009, expect more of the same on Sunday.

Glasgow Tigers at Staffordshire Surge

The Glasgow Tigers go into their game against the Staffordshire Surge in confident mood. The Tigers have won their last 7 games and have only conceded 35 points.

However they will be playing away from home and in front of the will be the Surge. Both teams finished the season with 8 wins and 2 losses and this game should be another close game on paper.

The Surge are lead into battle by quarterback Richard Large and leading (total) tackler Lee Tretheway. Both players will need to be up for the game in order for Staffordshire to win at home and they will be helped by the teams 'quarterback hunter' Stephen Ward.

If you was asking me I'd say that home advantage will be key in this game. Now I will be unwelcome in Glasgow, but I do think this game will be close.

East Kent Mavericks at Hampshire Thrashers

The South East meets the South West on Sunday. The East Kent Mavericks take the short trip south to play the Hampshire Thrashers. Hampshire go into the game having not lost all season and will be in confident mood.

Both teams have had a very good season scoring lots of points and defending very well. I expect this game to be won within one score either way. I honestly would want to pick a winning.

Bedfordshire Blue Raiders at Colchester Gladiators

The Wivenhoe Stadium hosts a BAFL 2 play off quarter final this Bank Holiday Monday, when the Colchester Gladiators play Bedfordshire Blue Raiders for the third time in 2009.

The Gladiators have beaten the Blue Raiders both home and away this season and will be looking for the same on Monday. In 9 (one game was postponed) games the Gladiators have scored an incredible 431 points. Stopping this high scoring offence looks like it will be key for the Blue Raiders this weekend.

The Blue Raiders failed to score in both games against the Gladiators but will take heart that they only conceded 20 points in the Gladiators opening game of the season and 26 points in the return fixture.

I've checked the Gladiators web site and the stats show how they expect to win on Monday and it's simple. By running the ball, players Alex Robinson (leading rusher, 859 yards), Leo Beckford (608 yards) and Richard Thomas (475 yards) will each look to get their hands on the football to pound the Blue Raiders into the ground.

Will the Blue Raider be able to raise there game for what will be a brushing affair.

All stats are taken from the teams web site. If they are out of data that is why, apologies.

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BAFL Premier: Preview

2009-08-28T10:32:00.001+01:00

BAFL Premier

No fixtures this weekend as the teams prepare for the semi finals.

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Click For Coventry

2009-08-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

By Tom Beasley

It’s finally here. The brand new online home of the Coventry American Football Academy has been released after weeks of painstaking work from the wonderful design team. Visit www.coventrygridiron.com now to see just what all the fuss is about. There is literally something for everyone whether you are looking to get a feel for what the sport is like or you are a seasoned pro who wants to discuss the game with others.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this brand new site is the strong community feel that is immediately evident to anyone who visits the website. Firstly, there is the blog of Andrew Gambrill who is the team’s head coach. He posts regular updates on the happenings of the club, giving a tremendous insight into the day-to-day life of someone involved in this sport works. On top of this, Andrew has a Twitter feed which he will update often. This feed enables interested parties to keep up to date with all of Andrew’s endeavours. As well as these facilities, the site also has a forum which enables discussion of a wide range of topics regarding to the team and the sport in general. Anyone can join and talk about a plethora of areas related to American Football and can also just chat with the friendly member base about anything they want to.

Moreover, the website also contains a huge wealth of information about the club including biographies of all the coaches and information on results and fixtures. Basically, it is the best place to go for everything you need to know about American Football in Coventry. So visit now!

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Coventry Cassidy Jets: Match Report

2009-08-24T10:15:00.006+01:00

By Adam Etheridge

The Coventry Cassidy Jets backed into second spot with a sputtering 12-7 victory over the Farnham Fast Lane Knights. The narrow victory was enough to tie up home field advantage for the semi-final where they’ll entertain the Bristol Aztecs at the Sphinx on Sunday the 6th of September. Wide receiver Dominic Olney was once again the star man on offense as he scored on a well designed hook and ladder play.

Dale Hawes opened the scoring for the Jets, as he outfought a defender before making an acrobatic catch on Stuart Franklin’s 25 yard touchdown lob. The returning quarterback couldn’t repeat the feat on the extra point as he missed an open Mark Cohen. There were no further scores in an opening quarter blighted by penalties, however, the Jets went for the spectacular as they capped a 14 play drive with a 45 yard score.

Franklin hit Hawes downfield at the Farnham 22 yard line, where the diminutive receiver pitched the ball back to Olney, running full pelt the speedster caught the Knights by surprise and galloped into the endzone to double the lead at 12. Franklin again went for two, this time hooking up with Tony Perkins, however, the usually bullish running back couldn’t force his way over the goal line.

Coventry’s rampant defence, now in full stride, forced an early turnover in the second half, one of five on the day, as Winston Dumas stripped the ball allowing Ahmed Hashim to recover. A 12 play drive came to nothing as the Jets consistently found themselves being hauled back for penalties, Hawes eventually missed narrowly wide left as he attempted a 29 yard field goal.

With just under two minutes to play Farnham finally found the endzone. Junior Price, guilty of two dropped passes, hauled a Tim Spaull pass in at the third time of asking for a 10 yard touchdown. Justin Cashman booted the extra point to haul the visitors within five. Gerry McManus sent out his hands team as the Knights lined up an onside kick, “Mr Do It All” Ed Tate fell on the ball to give the Jets possession at midfield.

Logic would usually dictate under these circumstances that you don’t take any chances and run the clock out. However, madness prevailed and a Franklin interception handed the Knights a chance to go for the win. Former Jets’ quarterback Spaull couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity as Frank Herlihy, making a solid home debut, dove full length to snare his second interception of the game, handing Coventry victory.

Bristol, who won 20-14 at Sussex today, will attempt to snap a streak that has seen them defeated in the playoffs by the Jets the past three years. The two sides have met twice already this year with each side winning their home game, Coventry took the first meeting 16-7 in May, with Bristol returning the favour 40-33 in a far more exciting encounter back in June.

Picture courtesy of Michelle Bridges

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BAFL: Results

2009-08-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

Good Morning Football Fans,

This is the start of a new week, but before we can start I have wrapped up the scores from last weeks BAFL games.

We are now at the business end of the season with teams looking for play off places or to just finish the season on a high.

First of all I'd like to congratulate Kevin Shelbourn, who today broke the Aztecs' all-time receiving record. Well done #11 Kevin!

BAFL Premier

The two games in the Premier division were won by the Jets and the Aztecs.

The Bristol Aztecs beat the Sussex Thunder by a touchdown. I've heard that the game could have gone either way, with the Thunder just missing out on their first win of the season.

The Aztecs finish the season with a 5-3 record, the same as the Jets. This leaves them in looking forward to a semi final game against the Farnham Fast Lane Knights.

The Thunder have had a tough season in the Premier and close loses like today would hard the most. The players and coaches must use this season as a learning curve. I'll try this week to get a short interview with Head Coach Roberson about this season. Expect that in the next week or two, as we let Coach Roberson reflex.

The other game in the BAFL Premier, saw the Knight face off against the Jets.

In another close game the Jets just nicked the result at home 12-7.

A victory for the Knights would not have changed their division standing but I'm saw they would have been looking for a victory before they travel across London to face the Blitz.

The Jets make it 5 wins in 2009 as they try to defend their national championship. Now the Jets can look forward to the semi final with Bristol.

Just for the record the two games between the Aztecs and Jets were as follows:

Bristol Aztecs 7 - 16 Coventry Cassidy Jets
Coventry Cassidy Jets 33 - 40 Bristol Aztecs

So expect a great game as both teams know that losing finishes the 2009 season for them.

BAFL 1

5 games took place in division 1 this weekend, from as north as Scotland and south as, well this week London I think.

In Dundee, the Rams visited the Hurricanes and in a close game the Rams just fell short. The Hurricanes won the game 14-6 leaving the Rams to travel home without the win.

The closest game of the weekend was in Gateshead. Where the Pirates lost their first game of the season 6-7. The nerves must have been fried on both benches as the game was won by a point.

In Peterborough the Saxons won only their second game of the season against the Ipswich Cardinals. The Cardinals are above the Saxons in the standings, so the victory would have been all the sweeter for the Saxons team.

The Cards have had a tough season and this defeat in their last game of the season will not sit well with the team. The team will now have the off season to focus and get ready for 2010.

The Tamworth Phoenix beat the Oxford Saints 32-0. Both teams were on 8-1 for the season and this game was for top spot in BAFL 1 South West Conference.

What a way to win the South West Conference. Before the game both teams would have wanted to set down a marker to the rest of the division. That marker was made by Phoenix, now they can go into the play offs full of confidences. The Saints will now look to to the play off and hope that they meet Tamworth in the play offs so they can get some revenge.

In the final game of the weekend, the London Cobras took a trip north to play the Cambridgeshire Cats. The Cobras were able to come home with a victory. The Cobras finished the season undefeated drawing only one game in 2009 and will surely go into the play offs as favorites.

The Cats had already earned their spot in the play offs, but would have been looking for finish the regular season on a high.

In the end the scoreline suggests that the Cobras finished the game comfortable winners 36-6.

BAFL 2

No fixtures took place this week.

Individual match reports are on there way and I will post them as soon as I have them. If you write the match reports for your team please send them and any other press leases to danielthenews@googlemail.com.

All pictures courtesy of the 'London Blitz'

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NFL: Preseason Score Update

2009-08-21T14:00:00.000+01:00

Last night two games were played as the second week of preseason got under way.

New England hosted the Bengals and the Eagles faced the Colts.

I didn't get a chance to watch either of these games but you can get game highlights at NFL.com.
The Pats couldn't get in the endzone and lost the game 6-7. While two touchdowns from Manning helped the Colts beat the Eagles 23-15.

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BAFL Premier: Preview

2009-08-21T06:15:00.001+01:00

BAFL Premier

Farnham Fast Lane Knights @ Coventry Cassidy Jets

The Knights go into the into their final game of the regular season against the defending BritBowl champ. After last weeks defeat to the London Blitz the Knights will be looking to finish the season on a high. This game is likely to be a bruising in counter after the Jets shutout the Sussex Thunder last week.

Look for the Knights to attack through the air, with the arm of quarterback Tim Spaull and the running power of Apples and Kingsley Ejiogu. Knowing that the Jets kept a clean sheet last week does put pressure on the Knights offence. On the defensive side of the ball the Knights will need big games from leading tacklers Owen Thomas (34 tackles) and Jez McLees (26 tackles).

The Jets running attack is lead by running back Tony Perkins who so far has clocked nearly 300 yards on 67 carries this season. Perkins will be hoping for a good day at the office against the Knights defence. Perkins will not be alone in his attack of the Knights, at wide receiver he will be helped by Mark Cohen, Dale Hawes, Courtney Pope and Jeremy Simms. Jeremy Simms leads the Coventry Cassidy Jets receivers with 33 catches for 395 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Against the Thunder last week the Jets defence was lead by Liam Smith with 8 total tackles. Linebacker Smith will be looking for another strong game on Sunday as the Jets look for a second shut out in a row.

After last weekend I have to side with the Jets to win this game. The Knight will need to play up to their full potential if they are to come away with anything from Coventry.

Bristol Aztecs @ Sussex Thunder

This weekend the Bristol Aztecs visit the Sussex Thunder after having a week off, last weekend. While the Thunder struggled against the Jets the Aztecs took a rest after their victory against the Farnham Fast Lane Knights on August 9th.

The Thunder will be lead on the field by quarterback Paul Robinson. Robinson has passed for over 1300 yards this season after the Thunder gained promotion. The Thunder coaches will be looking for Robinson to manage the game with the help of running back Lance Nutley. Lance Nutley leads the Thunder running backs with over 500 yards on 118 attempts.

On the defensive side of the ball the Thunder are lead by Christopher Percival and Andre Clarke. Percival and Clarke each have 3.5 sacks to their name this season. Both will need to be on top form to stop an Aztecs offence that has scored 160 points this season.

I have to go with a Bristol victory. But fingers crossed for Sussex to get something from the game.

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BAFL 1: Preview

2009-08-21T06:05:00.002+01:00

BAFL 1

Yorkshire Rams @ Dundee Hurricanes

The Dundee Hurricanes will be looking for their second win of the season.

The Rams have score 224 points this season and will be looking for more of the same against the Hurricanes. Last weekend the Hurricanes played out a 6 all draw with the East Kilbride Pirates and more of the same will be expected this weekend when the Rams arrive.

I have picked Yorkshire to nick a win in this close game.

East Kilbride Pirates @ Gateshead Senators

After last weekends draw, the Pirates will be looking to get back to winning ways against the Gateshead Senators. The Senators have won close games in the last two weeks. On August 9th The Senators beat Dundee by one point and last weekend they won by 7 point against the Merseyside Nighthawks. Ryan Hunter is the Pirates main weapon in the passing and rushing game. The Senators will need to shut down Hunter if they want to beat the Pirates.

A win for the Senators will guarantee a play off appearance and I'm sure they will be playing at 100% to get that victory.

Ipswich Cardinals @ Peterborough Saxons

In Peterborough the Saxons entertain the Ipswich Cardinals. Both teams have had a tough 2009 season and the Saxons are looking to record there second win of the season.

Last week the Cardinals beat local rivals the Norwich Devils 38-14. Now the Cardinals take the trip over to Peterborough. Earlier in the season Ipswich beat the Saxons 19-17 in a close game, expect the same on Sunday. Ipswich have scored 211 points this season but conceded 221. I expect a high scoring game on Sunday in Peterborough as both teams look to finish the season well.

I'll stick with the Cardinals to pick up the win in this in counter.

Tamworth Phoenix @ Oxford Saints

8 Wins and 1 Lost, that is the record of both the Tamworth Phoenix and the Oxford Saints. Last week both team had victories, the Saints 20-14 over the Nottingham Caesars and Phoenix 35-0 over the Redditch Arrows.

The Tamworth Phoenix have scored more points and conceded less than Oxford but more importantly Phoenix inflicted the Saints only defeat of the season. Back at the beginning of June Tamworth won the game 23-7, with two late scores in the 4th quarter.

Another close and challenging game is expected here. This game could very much be the game of the weekend as two top teams will run into battle.

London Cobras @ Cambridgeshire Cats

In Cambridge the Cats go into battle against the Cobras. This is not a plot in a sci fi movies this is the London Cobras visiting the Cambridgeshire Cats.

The Cobras have not tasted defeat this season and are looking to close out the regular season with another victory against the Cats.

The Cats are in second place in the South East Conference but have outscored the Cobras this season. The game will be won or lost by the battle between the Cats offence and the Cobras defence. The Cats have scored a total of 367 points this season and the Cobras have only conceded 45 points.

Early in the season the Cobras won in London 43-14 and the team will be looking for more of the same.

I expect the Cobras to finish the season undefeated.

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BAFL 2: Preview

2009-08-21T06:00:00.001+01:00

BAFL 2

No fixtures this week.

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Vince Lombardi

2009-08-20T16:56:00.004+01:00

I was searching the internet for quotes and of course I looked up the great coach Vince Lombardi. So far my favourite one is this.

"You never win a game unless you beat the guy in front of you. The score on the board doesn't mean a thing. That's for the fans. You've got to win the war with the man in front of you. You've got to get your man."

I believe this not only explains football but it explains all sport. Players forget that winning as a team can only be achieved by players winning there battles.

A coach once told me that you can't control your opponent if you can't control yourself first.

In football each play has 11 battles on the field. Win more battles than they lose and your team has a successful play.

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NFL: Around the League

2009-08-20T06:00:00.001+01:00

On this regular post you will be able to keep up to date with the top stories in the NFL. This is only a taster so the link will take you to the complete story.

Check back every morning for the update.

AFC-North

Baltimore Ravens

McGahee is back, health, happy and ready to bounce back this season… courant.com

Cleveland Browns

Coach Mangini updates the press on training camp… cleveland.com

Pittsburgh Steelers

Find out how super bowl champs practice for the new season… steelers.com

AFC-South

Jacksonville Jaguars

Offensive protection still has its early issues in Jacksonville… jacksonville.com

Tennessee Titans

Titans Head Coach Fisher denies any interest in Marvin Harrison. That has to mean he’ll sign for them on Friday.

AFC-East

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins add another to there roster. Not the player’s roster but their celebrity owner’s roster. Now the Williams sisters have signed up to each own a small stake in the Miami team… ajc.com

New York Jets

The Jets sign an undrafted rookie, a free agent and re-sign a player. Now that’s a lot of work for the front office… newsday.com

AFC-West

Denver Broncos

Number 15 Brandon Marshall always has a lot to say. But so does Coach McDaniels… nfl.com

Kansas City Chiefs

Will Matt Cassel perform up to his $60 million contract, early signs are not as great as fans would like… nfl.fanhouse.com

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders throw up an interception filled scrimmage against the 49ers… usatoday.com

NFC-North

Detroit Lions

Safety Daniel Bullocks looks like he’ll miss the 2009 with his surgically-repaired left knee… detnews.com

Minnesota Vikings

Only one story in Minnesota, but I can’t remember his name.

NFC-South

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons expect a lot from second round draft pick Curtis Lofton… sun-sentinel.com

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It looks like Will Allen will replace starting free safety Tanard Jackson. Jackson will have to serve a four game NFL suspension. Also check out some training pictures… buccaneers.com

NFC-East

Dallas Cowboys

Owner Jones is ready to open the doors to his $1.2 billion masterpiece. If you want to know what that gets you read on… ajc.com

New York Giants

Former Super Bowl hero David Tyree is trying to make the Giants team this season. Since his super catch at Super Bowl XLII (42) Tyree has had injury problems. Now he’s back and trying to get back to where he once was… newsday.com

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick is now yesterday’s news. Now Favre has signed for the Vikings the national press has left Philadelphia. But Vick will be a match up nightmare this season… newspress.com

NFC-West

Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals to choose from 5 tight ends as preseason is in full swing… 620ktar.com

Seattle Seahawks

Sad news as Pro Bowler Walter Jones has to undergo surgery on the same knee which he had micro fracture surgery last December.

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Brett Frave: The Great One Returns

2009-08-19T18:40:00.003+01:00

Brett Favre returns to the NFL by signing with the Minnesota Vikings. Three weeks ago Favre declined the Vikings offer to return to the NFL. Now he's back and looking for his second ring.

Favre enters his 19th NFL season with maybe the best chance he's had to win a super bowl since his solo victory in 1997. The Vikings boost one of the leagues best running attacks and this will allow Favre to pick his throws throughout the season.

Playing for the Vikings adds one other pressure to Favre, The Green Bay Packers. Namely two games against Favre's old team. Vikings Packers games already have a touch of spice to them so going against there old leader will only add wood to the fire not start one.

As a fan of the NFL, I for one am glad that one of my heroes is continuing for one more season. Players like Favre, Ray Lewis, Orlando Pace and Tory Holt are reasons why I really enjoyed watch football in my early days.

Lets hope that number 88 returns as well.

Visit NFL.com to watch the Vikings press conference here.

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NFL: Around the League

2009-08-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Michael Vick's interview on CBS' 60 minutes.

2009-08-18T00:34:00.003+01:00

Make your own mind up.

Just as an added point, someone commented on youtube about Donte Stallworth and why he has gone under the radar?

I'm not sure he has (having been suspended for the season) but he has had no where near the same press coverage as Vick.

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The Jets Breaks a Two Game Losing Defeat

2009-08-17T17:13:00.000+01:00

By Adam Etheridge

Sussex Thunder 0-40 Coventry Cassidy Jets

In snapping a two game losing streak the Coventry Cassidy Jets put together a commanding team effort to shutout the Sussex Thunder 40-0. Luke Smith made his first start at quarterback, almost three years after first signing on with the Jets, and ended with four touchdown passes to four different receivers. Free safety Steve George got Coventry off to a great start as he was able to stroll into the endzone on a six yard interception return and MVP Dominic Olney rounded out the scoring with a 19 yard touchdown run.

The Jets, missing several starters, found themselves 20-0 with less than 10 minutes on the clock. George’s interception return handed Coventry a six nil lead and set the tone for a dominant defensive outing as Sussex were held to negative yardage. It was another George interception that set up the Jets second score as the recent signing from the Peterboro’ Saxons took the ball deep into Thunder territory. Luke Smith hit Brett Rosenbaum from 12 yards out as both men notched up their first ever Jets touchdowns.

Once again without a kicker, Coventry used their extra point conversions to practice goal-line situations with little success. They soon found themselves with another opportunity though as Sussex’s very next play resulted in their third turnover, Frank Herlihy coming up with the fumble recovery that set Olney up for his 19 yard scamper. Smith hit Rosenbaum in almost identical fashion to their earlier connection to put the Thunder in a early 20-0 hole.

Jeremy Simms marked his return to action with a juggled 29 yard touchdown grab with Olney converting at a canter to make the score 28-0. It wasn’t all plain sailing for the Jets, their second blown snap of the half handed Sussex possession on the Coventry 13 with time for two plays before the break, however, Thunder quarterback Eber Kington could only find Jets’ safety Wayne Gumbs in the endzone for a third pick.

After the break both clubs engaged in a stalemate with neither offence able to gain any ground. As the fourth quarter arrived, the scoring commenced once more, Smith hit Courtney Pope for a seven yard touchdown to extend the Jets’ advantage to 34. Another turnover, Sussex’s fifth, landed them in trouble again as this time it was Mark Cohen’s turn to score, consistently beating his coverage, Cohen wriggled free to find the endzone on Smith’s 36 yard strike. Whilst there was no further scoring Coventry’s defence did come up with one more turnover, Andy McKenzie recovered a fumble to set a season high of six for the rapidly improving unit.

Next Sunday sees the Jets host the Farnham Fast Lane Knights as they look to secure home field advantage for their semi-final tussle with the Bristol Aztecs. When the two teams met back in June Coventry edged a thriller 24-21 but will be hoping for a more straightforward result on home turf. The match is scheduled for a 14:30 kick off at Coventry’s Sphinx FC and will be preceded by the Jets Junior team playing a double header versus the Chorley Buccaneers. Entrance is free for under 16s, £3 for adults.

If you are the media reporter for a team in the BAFL then please send me your match reports, press releases and any other information your team is looking to get out to the public to danielthenews@googlemail.com.

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The Blitz Look To The Play Offs

2009-08-17T16:56:00.000+01:00

Each week I'll post match reports from around the league. These are written by the media reporters at each of the clubs.

This report was written by Gerald Williamson from the Blitz. Gerald is a very talented young writer and I hope to be able post many more of his work.

Look out for more of Gerald work on this blog but also on the London Blitz website.

London Blitz 53-7 Farnham Fast Lane Knights

The London Blitz American Football Club finished the regular season undefeated by defeating the Farnham Fast Lane Knights 53-7.

The Farnham Knights kicked the game off into mid-August sunshine; the kick was high and long and sailed over the head of kick returner Melvyn Akins for a touchback.
The Blitz offense came out running on their first possession, with running back Oliver Bishop gaining 39 yards and quarterback Fred Boyle followed suit scrambling for 24 yards before being knocked out of bounds. Fred Boyle then handed the ball off to running back Gareth Dauley who strode into the end zone from four yards out to give the Blitz a quick-fire lead, and taking himself into the Blitz record books where he now holds the all-time rushing touchdown record. Defensive back turned kicker for the day Ed Morgan converted the point after to put the Blitz 7-0 to the good.

After the ensuing kick-off the stellar Blitz defense saw their first action of the day and made quick work of the Knights’ offense, forcing them to punt. Lined up at punt returner, Ed Morgan returned the punt 27 yards to set up the offense. Running back Gareth Dauley set the tone of the drive, gaining 12 yards on a screen pass.

Fellow running backs Oliver Bishop and Deji Alli gained a further five yards and two yards respectively before fullback Jon Chilton took the ball into the end zone for the second score of the game. Ed Morgan kicked the extra point to give the Blitz a 14 point lead.

The Blitz defense remained stout as ever, forcing yet another punt from the Knights’ offense. The Blitz offense made their ensuing possession count as excellent downfield blocking from the offensive line and wide receivers allowed running back Gareth Dauley to take the ball 53 yards and into the end zone for the score. Ed Morgan added the extra points to make the score 21-0.

On the ensuing Knights’ possession, Blitz linebacker Fabrizio Gargiulo recovered a fumble to give the offense possession. The offensive drive stuttered however but excellent play from quarterback Fred Boyle set up a pass on the run to wide receiver and 2009 team captain, Rod “Spartan” Bradley to keep the drive alive. However the drive stalled in the end zone, where Boyle’s pass towards the corner of the end zone was intercepted.

Charles “C-Unit” Bradley made an interception on the following Knights’ offense possession and returned it 20 yards to give the offense a short field when they took to the field. From there Fred Boyle found wide receiver Michael Casper with a 14 yard pass which he caught brought down in the end zone for the score. Ed Morgan added the extra point to make the score 28-0 to the Blitz.

The Knights’ offense tried to make progression on their following possession only to be picked off by Joe Coultate. This set up a 28 yard touchdown run for running back Deji Alli, which was also his first touchdown playing for the Blitz. Ed Morgan added the point after to make the score 35-0.

Most relentless defending from the Blitz defense saw the Knights’ offense forced to punt yet again and Rod “Spartan” Bradley made a 38 yard catch and run for his first touchdown of the afternoon and give the Blitz a 42-0 lead at the half.

The third quarter saw a change at quarterback for the Blitz with Matt Brooks taking the reigns of the offense but no change in the offensive rhythm of the Blitz offense as he found Rod “Spartan” Bradley in the corner of the end zone with a lobbed pass for his third touchdown pass of the season and Bradley’s second touchdown reception of the afternoon. An individual safety from linebacker Fabrizio Gargiulo and a team safety in the fourth quarter completed the scoring for the Blitz. The Blitz defense did concede a touchdown and point after late in the fourth quarter but excellent pass defense from defensive back Dion Andrade sealed the victory for the Blitz with a final score of 53-7.

After the game running back Deji Alli said: “It was my first [touchdown], I was really excited. It finally came and it was a great way for me to end [the regular] season.”

Wide receiver and team captain Rod “Spartan” Bradley said: “Everyone feels brilliant about what we’ve done so far but at the same time we have an agenda and that’s the BritBowl. We want to be there. We want to win it.”

Head Coach Mark Moss said: “It’s what we set out to do at the start of the season. We’ve gone undefeated and are division champions so it’s nice. But as Coach Mike said in the team huddle after the game, it’s [not 8-0] it’s 0-0 and we start again. If we lose the next game and don’t make the Bowl game, all of this is for nothing really.”

The London Blitz will now prepare for their next home game against the Farnham Knights, the BAFL Premier division semi-final play-off on September 6th.

If you are the media reporter for a team in the BAFL then please send me your match reports, press releases and any other information your team is looking to get out to the public to danielthenews@googlemail.com.

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All pictures courtesy of the 'London Blitz'.

The Knights Called to Arms

2009-08-15T14:01:00.000+01:00

The Knights take the short trip across London to face the Blitz. In a game which everyone in the league will take notice of?

The Blitz are already in the play offs and have home field advantage, so how do they play this game? Knowing the Blitz staff they will remind the players of the history of this fixture.

The Knights have two games reminding this season and will need to win both in order to stay away from the Blitz in the play offs.

The Blitz’s starting quarterback Frederick Boyle will be looking to finish his first senior season strongly. I’ve seen Boyle play twice this season and I have been very impressed with the young man. His ability to make plays with his feet has been key to keep drives alive and Boyle out of trouble.

Trying to stop the Blitz will the Knight defence leaded by linebacker Owen Thomas. Thomas leads the team this season with 34 total tackles. But the Knights share around the tackles with 8 players in double figures for the season. The ball Hawk of the Knights is Jules Taylor with 2 picks this season.

On the offensive side of the ball the Knights have a 3 man running attack. With Daniel ‘Apples’ Appleyard, Kingsley Ejiogu and Scott Goddard the Knights have 3 players over the 100 yards for the season. With Tim Spaull throwing the ball the Knights will be looking at these players to help the team pick up the victory on Sunday.

The Blitz’s defence like to spread the hits around with 13 players in double figures for total tackles. The defence is lead by defensive lineman Paul Summers and he will be the rock which the Knights will have to get pass in this game.

With the Knights needing to win this game I see them coming through with the victory. But this will be a bone crunching in counter and I can’t wait.

You can read the game preview from the point of view of the Blitz by clicking here.

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NFL: Around the League

2009-08-14T19:29:00.000+01:00

On this regular post you will be able to keep up to date with the top stories in the NFL. This is only a taster so the link will take you to the complete story.

Check back every morning for the update.

AFC-North

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens start preseason strongly and set their defensive bar very hard… baltimoresun.com

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are being followed by NFL films for Training Camp. The ‘Hard Knocks’ camera’s will get the behind the scene look at the NFL team… cincinnati.com

Cleveland Browns

Quinn vs. Anderson seems like the only thing going on in Cleveland... I guess we should know who wins next week… cleveland.com

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers beat the Cardinals again in this first preseason game for both teams since the super bowl. In the game undrafted rookie Issac Redman scored twice to make his mark on the game. Trying to make a NFL roster when your undrafted is a very difficult job, but Redman hand put his best foot forward in a game situation… tribtoday.com

AFC-South

Houston Texans

Day 13 of the Texans camp. Head Coach Gary Kubiak is looking at how much playing time his players will get in their first preseason game… houstontexans.com

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts rule out 11 players from their game against the Minnesota Vikings. The biggest name missing from the game will be Tight End Dallas Clark… nfl.com

Jacksonville Jaguars

Undrafted rookie makes a great impression with the Jaguars. Linebacker Russell Allen is doing everything asked of him and has a great chance of making it to the NFL. I think this shows that hard work does sometimes pay off or am I speak to early? jacksonville.com

Tennessee Titans

Catch up on Coach Fisher’s practice up… titansonline.com

AFC-East

Buffalo Bills

NFL defensive tackles do more than just smash people, they like golf as well… democratandchronicle.com

Miami Dolphins

Sanchez of the New York Jets talks up the Dolphins rookie Wide Receiver Patrick Turner… sun-sentinel.com

New England Patriots

Brady is back and boy what a big bang. Two touchdowns on his return, well done Tom… espn.com

New York Jets

The Sanchez and Clemens battle continues when the Jets meet St. Louis Rams. Can the first rookie pick Sanchez win the job in his first season… nj.com

AFC-West

Denver Broncos

The Broncos name Orton as starter for the first preseason game against the 49ers. New Head Coach Josh McDaniels will be hoping for a strong display from Orton. The first year head Coach has his job on the shoulders of the 5 year Quarter Back… denverpost.com

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs keep fans up to date with goings on at their training camp… kcchiefs.com

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders start preseason well, with McFadden showing his big play ability… mercurynews.com

San Diego Chargers

It seems like swine flu is not the only thing spreading. The Chargers are working on a Wildcat offense… cabssports.com

NFC-North

Chicago Bears

Is 33 year old Orlando Pace reborn as a Bear? The smile on the big mans face says yes… usatoday.com

Detroit Lions

Culpepper to start opening preseason game, however Lions coach Jim Schwartz says not to read too much in this move. The depth chart is yet to be finalised… detnews.com

Green Bay Packers

The Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy says the team are close to signing first round pick B.J. Raji… nfl.com

Minnesota Vikings

Sage Rosenfels gets the nod ahead of Tarvaris Jackson… twincities.com

NFC-South

Atlanta Falcons

Rookies ready for first preseason game… atlantafalcons.com

Carolina Panthers

Wide Receiver Steve Smith returns to practice on Friday. This is four days after suffering a right shoulder injury… wsoctv.com

New Orleans Saints

The talk of the town in New Orleans is one thing, defence. Can the Saints ‘D’ play close to where the offence did last season? usatoday.com

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The talk in Tampa Bay is that Josh Freeman will sit for the start of the new season. The winner of the Bucs job looks to be the big man Byron Leftwich… cbssports.com

NFC-East

Dallas Cowboys

The age of Romo begins with a loss to Oakland. Romo starts game without T.O. but Cowboys fans will be looking to Roy Williams… nfl.com

New York Giants

Did someone say money? Giants quarterback Eli Manning finally signs his new six year $97 million extension. Manning is due to earn an average of $15.3 million over the course of the contract… sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Philadelphia Eagles

There is only one story in Philadelphia… nfl.com

Washington Redskins

The Redskins website gives us 4 players to watch against the Ravens… redskins.com

NFC-West

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals start slowly in Super Bowl replay… azcardinals.com

San Francisco 49ers

Shaun Hill has the first victory by winning the starting job for the 49ers preseason game… nfl.com

Seattle Seahawks

Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones practices with the scout team. But don’t worry, it’s only to get him back on the field in time for the season opener… seahawks.com

St. Louis Rams

The Rams keep fans up to date with training camp… stlouisrams.com

Follow me on Twitter for all my latest updates on all things Football from both sides on the pond and my ramblings about Fantasy Games and other stuff.

The Return of Vick

2009-08-14T14:26:00.000+01:00

Michael Vick has signed with the Eagles, the media have reported that Vick signed a two year contract however on the Eagles web site they say he’s signed a one year deal.

Firstly can I say that whatever you think of Michael Vick he has served his time, however if you’re an Eagles fan are you happy with this deal?

Vick brings talent to the table that goes without saying. But would you want the circle at your door?

Also what does McNabb think about all this? He signed a new and improved contract this off season so was he consulted about this move? I would think he was, I can’t see Andy Reid putting this together without McNabb knowing.

The big question is where does Vick play? He wants to play Quarter Back but knows that will not happen this season. Does he become an option player? Will the Eagles now create a version of the wildcat used by Miami?

Vick will be introduced to the press later today and he had an interview with James Brown (no not that one) for 60 minutes, which airs on Sunday.

So many question still to be answer, this is why I love the NFL and why it is the number one sport for entertainment.

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British Football Online is live

2009-08-14T14:04:00.000+01:00

Welcome football fans to the only blog which covers American Football from around the world.

Each day I will update you with the top stories from all the 32 NFL teams.

I will also keep you fully up to date with the goings on around the BAFL in the run up to the playoffs.

So make sure that you check here everyday to keep you in the know about the greatest sport in the world.

Don’t forget your comments are welcome as I like to hear what you guys and girls have to say.

Follow me on Twitter for all my latest updates on all things Football from both sides on the pond and my ramblings about Fantasy Games and other stuff.