1989 NPL National Passball League
– Final Standings and Playoff Results 1989
Photo Credit: A vertical shot of St. George’s Cross flag on a pole against a bright blue sky in Margate, England.by Neil via pexels
Final Standings
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Legend / Key: (*) Qualify for Playoffs (#) Forfeited all games.
1989 NPL National Passball League Northern Conference
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ross's Raiders [Leigh] | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 |
| 2 | Humberside Tide [Scunthorpe] | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 |
| 3 | Glass City Gators [St. Helens] | 1 | 4 | 1 | .250 |
| 4 | Northwest Patriots [Manchester] | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
1989 NPL National Passball League Central Conference
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cannock Chase Giants | 5 | 0 | 2 | .857 |
| 2 | Gamblers [Crewe] | 4 | 1 | 3 | .688 |
| 3 | Black Country Cats [Stourbridge] | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 |
| 4 | Coventry Bears | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 |
1989 NPL National Passball League Southern Conference
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thunderbolts [Reading] | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2 | Mets [Northampton] | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 |
| 3 | Astros [Basildon] | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 |
| 4 | Essex [Redbridge] | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Schedule
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Note: For a Recap of the Championship Game, including scorers, please click on the Game Recap in the Playoff Schedule.
1989 NPL National Passball League Playoffs
| Date | Event | Results | Article | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannock Chase Giants vs Ross's Raiders [Leigh] | 68 - 0 | Recap | Semi-Finals | |
| Thunderbolts [Reading] vs Gamblers [Crewe] | 58 - 0 | Recap | Semi-Finals | |
| Thunderbolts [Reading] vs Cannock Chase Giants | 38 - 20 | Recap | 1989 NPL Championship |
REPORT
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Thunderbolts from Reading in Berkshire were deserving champions of the 1989 National Passball League Championship in England.
Thunderbolts went through the entire season undefeated, going 6-0 during regular season play and defeating Crewe’s Gamblers 58-0 in the semi-finals before triumphing 38-20 versus Ross’s Raiders of Leigh, Greater Manchester in the Championship Game.
The Humberside Tide had started the season 4-0 and looked likely winners of the Northern Conference before a late collapse, 15-41 to Northern Conference rivals Ross’s Raiders in Week 6 before a spectacular 11-30 loss the following week to St. Helens’ Glass City Gators the following week – the Merseyside team were previously winless.
The Tide lost out by 2% on win average (0.667 to 0.688 or 66.7% to 68.8 %) to Gamblers of Crewe, runners-up in the Central Conference with 4 wins, 1 loss and incredibly, 3 ties. Cannock Chase Giants from Shropshire were Central Conference Champions, going undefeated despite two ties with the Gamblers.
The Thunderbolts won the Southern Conference in convincing fashion, winning all 6 games played, as rivals Mets of Northampton and Astros of Basildon in Essex both posted 1-4 records.
Cannock Chase Giants defeated Ross’s Raiders 68-0 in the other semi-final and then raced into a two-touchdown lead in the second quarter of the Championship Game. Thunderbolts then put 38 unanswered points on the board, with five different touchdown scorers:
A Les Jackson TD run was followed by Dave Samuel who levelled the scores in the second quarter with a safety to make it 14-14. Gordon Wylie caught a TD pass from Quarterback Tony White who subsequently ran in a TD himself, followed by an Ez Charles Fumble Recovery in the endzone and then Gary Wakefield adding two three-point conversions and a TD catch from White capped a 38-point blitz on the Giants who scored a late consolation TD on a Thomas and Mulcuck catch and pitchback for a 9 yard touchdown. The Final Score was 38-20 to Thunderbolts.
About Passball and the NPL
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The National Passball League was an Arena-style American Football League in the England, played on a smaller field than a regular American Football field, and with a focus on passing (Passball is played on a 40-yard field with two 8-yard endzones, with five downs or attempts to score, three of which must be passing plays, before the ball is turned over). It is seven-a-side.
REFERENCES
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[1] First Down (1989) “Mets March On”. Issue 173, September 30, 1989. pg. 17.
[2] First Down (1989) “Chased Down”. Issue 174, October 7, 1989. pg. 10.
[3] First Down (1989) “Flock for Sheppard!”. Issue 175, October 14, 1989. pg. 10.
[4] First Down (1989) “Fiesta for Passball Lads”. Issue 176, October 21, 1989. pg. 11.
[5] First Down (1989) “BRIT SPOT”. Issue 177, October 28, 1989. pg. 13.
[6] First Down (1989) Issue 178, November 4, 1989. pg.
[7] World American Football (1989) 2 November 1989. pg.
[8] First Down (1989) “Humber Slumber”. Issue 179, November 11, 1989. pg. 10.
[9] First Down (1989) “Ross is Boss of the North”. 16 November 1989. pg. 18.
[10] World American Football (1989) “National Passball League” 2 November 1989. pg.
[11] First Down (1989) “Chase to Face The Thunder”. Issue 181, November 25, 1989. pg. 10.
[12] First Down (1989) “Thunder ‘n Frightening”. Issue 183, December 9, 1989. pg. 10.
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
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Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive.
First Published: 15 October 2026. Last Updated: 15 October 2026
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2022.
You may quote this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.
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