Category: Junior Two-Touch

July 29, 2019October 29, 2023

East Coast Junior Football Association (Junior Two-Touch American Football) 1987

Table

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
St. Brendan’s Gulls
St. Brendan’s Rats
Sutton Seahawks
Bray Seahawks
Co. Offaly Team

Reference: [1][2]

About

There was a Junior League for 8-14 year-olds, probably two-touch in the Leinster Area in 1987 featuring teams from Coolock-Darndale (St. Brendan’s Youth Club) as well as Sutton, Bray Seahawks (Wicklow) and a team from Co. Offaly. A picture of one player, ‘ET’ Roche (Gulls) appeared in the Sunday Tribune in 1987.

References:

Sources:

[1] Anon. (1987) “Picture Caption” The Sunday Tribune. 22 February 1987. pg. 3.

[2] Anon. (1989) “Bray has its own American football team” Wicklow People. Friday, November 31, 1989.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Peter Comerford.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 29 July 2019

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Resereved.

April 3, 2019December 27, 2025

Northern Ireland Junior American League 1988

Scoreboard

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Standings

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NIJAL Northern Ireland Junior American League Regular Season 1988

Pos	Team	W	L	Pct	PF	PA
1	Antrim Cobras	1	0	1.000	30	0
2	Bay City Colts	0	0	0.000	0	0
2	Belfast Junior Spartans	0	0	0.000	0	0
2	Peel Crusaders	0	0	0.000	0	0
2	Prospect Pumas	0	0	0.000	0	0
6	Ballymena Wolfhounds	0	1	0.000	0	30

Playoffs

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NIJAL Northern Ireland Junior American League Playoffs 1988


July 24, 1988 (Semi-Finals) 6 - 0 N/A Bay City Colts vs Belfast Junior Spartans
August 20, 1988 (Junior Final) 26 - 20 N/A Bay City Colts vs Peel Crusaders

Regular Season Results

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NIJAL Northern Ireland Junior American League 1988


May 9, 1988 (Week 1) 30 - 0 N/A Antrim Cobras vs Ballymena Wolfhounds

Report

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Season Recap

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The Northern Ireland Junior American League (Two-Touch American Football – a version of Flag Football) played its first season in 1988, with at least six teams: Bay City Colts (the Junior team of the Belfast / Tennents Giants); Belfast Junior Spartans; Antrim Cobras (the Junior team of the A26 Bulldogs); Prospect Pumas (Carrickfergus team that became the Carrickfergus Knights Senior Kitted team in 1994); Ballymena Wolfhounds; and the Peel Crusaders from the Isle of Man.

The Bay City Colts won their Semi-Final 6-0 against the Belfast Junior Spartans, played in Newtownards, thanks to an interception return for touchdown by Cornerback Stan McDowell. They met the Peel Crusaders in the Final, played in Old Belvedere Rugby Club in Dublin, on 20 August 1988, where they won 26-20 after three periods of overtime. [3; 6]

Home Venues

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Team	Home Venue
Antrim Cobras	Allen Park, Antrim

Northern Ireland Junior American League Home Venues 1988 [Ref: 1]

References

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Media

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[1] mistermo – You Tube Channel (2012) Antrim Cobras 1988 – [5:35] 18-0 to Antrim Cobras / [8:08] Antrim TD 24-0 / [9:10] Antrim TD 30-0 / [Internet] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlR8kI96Lcs [Accessed 18 July 2018]

Newspapers and Magazines

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[2] Anon. (1988) “Picture Caption” Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday, February 23, 1988. pg 11. [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

[3] Anon. (1988) “Picture Caption” Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday, July 26, 1988. pg 28-29. [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

[4] Saddened American Footballer’s Dad, Belfast. (1988) “Letters: American Football” Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday, July 7, 1988. pg 9. [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

[5] Anon. (1988) “Letters : Use of Mouth Guard Important” Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday, September 6, 1988. pg 9. [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

[6] Bill Boys (1988) “Not Quite the last round-up” Gridiron UK. October 1988. p. 50. Published by Southern Newspapers PLC, Christchurch, Dorset, UK. Ed: Nick Halling.

About Eirball

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Acknowledged

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Thanks to

About this document

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 27 December 2025. First Published: 3 April 2019

April 2, 2019October 29, 2023

East Coast Junior Football Association 1986

League Table

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
Dublin Panthers	1	1	0	0	41	0	1.000
Drimnagh Pirates	1	0	1	0	0	41	.000
Dublin Celts
Dublin Tornadoes
Marlay Chargers

Compiled from [1][2][3]

Regular Season Results

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	Week 1
	Dublin Panthers	41	Drimnagh Pirates	0

[1]
[2]

Home Venues

Team	Home Venue
Drimnagh Pirates	Brickfield Park, Drimnagh

[1]

[2]

Report

The ECJFA was a two-touch American Football League in the Dublin Area. The first ever junior match in Ireland was played in the ECJFA between Drimnagh Pirates and Dublin Panthers in 1986, with Dublin Panthers winning 41-0

References

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Websites

[1] Britball Now (2016) Drimnagh Pirates [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Britball%20Teams/DrimnaghPirates.htm [Accessed 18 July 2018]

[2] Britball Now (2016) Dublin Panthers [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Britball%20Teams/DublinPanthers.htm [Accessed 18 July 2018]

[3] Britball Now (2016) List of Britball Teams [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/list-of-britball-teams/ [Accessed 18 July 2018]