IAFL Senior Team 1986-1988
Home Ground: Cooke Rugby Club, Belfast [2]
Colours: Red / Red / White [2]
Honours: Shamrock Bowl Runners-Up 1988 / Conference Champions 1987, 1988. IAFA Champions 1986, NIAFA Champions 1986.
History: The fourth team formed in Ireland in March 1985, and the second to become fully-kitted in March 1986, after the Dublin Celts [Reference: 8]. The Blitzers were one of the top teams in the early years of the IAFL, winning their Conference in both full IAFL seasons they played, losing to the Craigavon Cowboys in the Semi-Finals in 1987, and the Dublin Celts in Shamrock Bowl III in 1988. Won the IAFA Championship & NIAFA Championship in 1986 but declined to take part in the Shamrock Bowl. [1][4][5]
Home Venue Map
Year-by-Year Record
| Lge | RS W-L-T | Pts / Pos | PS W-L-T | Champ | Other | Champ | |
| 1986 | IAFL | 3-1-0 | NIAFA | ||||
| 1987 | IAFL | 9-1-0 | ,900 / 1st | 0-1-0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | |
| 1988 | IAFL | 5-1-0 | .833 /1st | 1-1-0 | 0-0-0 |
Links to Year-by-Year Rosters & Match Reports
Belfast Blitzers Team Photo 1986 [6]
1986 Results
| Week | Date | H/A | Opposition | W/L | Score |
| 01.06.86 | A | Dublin Celts | L | 7-46 | |
| 22.06.86 | H | Dublin Celts | W | 24-20 | |
| 1986 | H | Craigavon Cowboys | W | 46-0 | |
| 1986 | A | Craigavon Cowboys | W | 40-0 |
[1]
1987 Results
| Week | Date | H/A | Opposition | W/L | Score |
| 1 | 27.04.87 | A | East Side Jets | W | 92-0 |
| 3 | 10.05.87 | A | Jordanstown Jaguars | W | 28-0 |
| 5 | 24.05.87 | H | Coleraine Chieftans | W | 52-0 |
| 6 | 31.05.87 | H | Bangor Buccaneers | W | 76-0 |
| 9 | 21.06.87 | H | Belfast Spartans | W | 53-0 |
| 10 | 28.06.87 | A | Craigavon Cowboys | W | 22-0 |
| 15 | 02.08.87 | H | Belfast Giants | W | 38-3 |
| 16 | 16.08.87 | A | Dublin Celts | L | 14-26 |
| 17 | 25.08.87 | A | Carrickfergus Cougars | W | 36-6 |
| SF | 12.09.87 | H | Craigavon Cowboys | L | 20-28 |
[4]
1988 Results
| Week | Date | H/A | Opposition | W/L | Score |
| 1 | 17.04.88 | H | Dublin Celts | L | 7-20 |
| 3 | 08.05.88 | H | Craigavon Cowboys | W | 14-3 |
| 5 | 29.05.88 | A | Dublin Tornadoes | W | 36-6 |
| 6 | 12.06.88 | H | Dublin Tornadoes | W | 40-0 |
| 7 | 19.06.88 | H | Dublin Celts | W | 20-19 |
| 9 | 24.07.88 | A | Craigavon Cowboys | W | 19-3 |
| SF | 14.08.88 | H | Craigavon Cowboys | W | 26-12 |
| SB III | 21.08.87 | N | Dublin Celts | L | 6-34 |
[5]
Websites
[1] Britball Now (2016) Results Section [1986] [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/results-section.html [Accessed 23 March 2017]
[2] Britball Now (2016) Belfast Blitzers [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Britball%20Teams/BelfastBlitzers.htm [Accessed 4 July 2018]
[3] Irish American Football Association (2018) Shamrock Bowl History [Internet] Available from: hhttp://www.americanfootball.ie/american-football/shamrock-bowl-history/ [Accessed 23 March 2018]
[4] Britball Now (2016) Results Section [1987] [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/results-section.html [Accessed 23 March 2017]
[5] Britball Now (2016) Results Section [1988] [Other Kitted] [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/results-section.html [Accessed 27 February 2017]
Images
[6] Belfast Blitzers | Facebook (2019) Team Photo Post by Billy Graham, August 3, 2019 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10219352128812012&set=p.10219352128812012&type=3&theater [Accessed 9 August 2019]
[7] Belfast Blitzers | Facebook (2019) Belfast Blitzers Logo [Internet] Available from: https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67510518_2229601940484282_4045526367226298368_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_oc=AQl1RH5LGTyzP7JMEVoPCpPxclJUvZJLdfcQ4B410nJOwq86JZKgmCdGwLxt9Ohiu_LX86-8QPWKraapOFn6Q0ai&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=28e5b0bd6891c62c2b9a18b51ad283a1&oe=5DE33CA5 [Accessed 8 August 2019]
Magazines
[8] Stacher, Steve (1987) “An Official History of American Football Ireland” Receiver. 1987.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to David Turner
About this document
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
REirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 19 November 2020
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019-2020
You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.
The game results are not accurate. We played the Cowboys at Shane Park Rugby Club between both Celts games and won 40-0 , it’s documented in the Belfast Telegraph and the photos are on our FB page. T he Aldergrove Hawks game was a flag football game played in 1985 at Cherryvale playing fields in Belfast and we defiantly played the Celts twice in 1987.