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]

Team	Home Venue
Antrim Cobras	Allen Park, Antrim

[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]

[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.

Thanks to

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

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019

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