Preseason Standings
Irish American Football League Preseason 1986
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Net Pts | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Dublin Celts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 46 | 7 | 39 | W1 |
| 2 |  Belfast Blitzers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 | 53 | 46 | 7 | W1 |
| 3 | Carrickfergus Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 |  Coleraine Chieftains | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 |  Craigavon Cowboys | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | 46 | -46 | L1 |
Preseason Results
Irish American Football League Preseason 1986
|
(Preseason Capitol Bowl 1st Leg)
46 - 7Dublin Celts vs Belfast Blitzers |
|
(Preseason)
0 - 46Craigavon Cowboys vs Belfast Blitzers |
Report
The American Football Association of Ireland played its first season in 1986, with a preseason game in Shane Park, Lurgan between Craigavon Cowboys and Belfast Blitzers being the first ever full contact kitted game between two Northern Ireland teams, and possibly the first between two Irish teams. Belfast Blitzers won that match 46-0.
The Preseason featured the first ever fully kitted game between two Irish teams played in Ireland and the first ever fully kitted game between two Northern Irish teams played in Northern Ireland. It also featured the first leg of the Capitol Cup between the Belfast Blitzers and Dublin Celts, a match-up that would happen four times over the course of the season.
REFERENCES
[1] Belfast Blitzers Facebook Page (2019) Post, August 12, 2019 at 1:31 PM [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastblitzers/posts/2244208692356940?notif_id=1565921781157641¬if_t=comment_mention [Accessed 17 August 2019]
REFERENCES
[1] Anon. (1986) “Stylish motors take to the roads” Belfast Telegraph. Saturday, May 31, 1986. pg. 22. [Past Copies of the Belfast Telegraph are available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ]
[1] Miriam Lord (1986) “Crunch: but could they handle Moss Keane?” Irish Independent. Monday, March 17, 1986. pg. 7
[2] BritballNow (2017) British and Irish sides Friendly results against foreign opposition [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/UKClubsForeignOppo.html [Accessed 16 November 2017]
[3] James Mulcahy (1986) “Savage Celts” Irish Independent. Thursday, March 27, 1986. pg. 9.
[4] BritballNow (2017) Newcastle Senators [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Britball%20Teams/NEWCASTLESENATORS.htm [Internet] [Accessed 25 June 2021]
[5] Irish American Football League (2002) Other Events [Internet] Available from: http://americanfootball.ie/iafl/otherevents02.htm [Accessed 20 March 2018]
[6] Anon. (1986) “Cowboys into Shamrock Bowl” Belfast Telegraph. Monday, September 29, 1986. Pg. 18.
Past Copies of the Belfast Telegraph are available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/
[7] Anon. (1986) “American Football comes to Dublin” Irish Press. Wednesday, November 12, 1986. Pg. 11. [Past Copies of the Irish Press are available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ]
[8] Anon. (1986) “Today’s sport” Irish Press. Wednesday, Friday, November 28, 1986. pg. 22 [Past Copies of the Irish Press are available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ]
[9] Anon. (1986) “Marlboro on the march” Irish Press. Wednesday, Friday, November 28, 1986. pg. 17 [Past Copies of the Irish Press are available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ]
[10] Sean Moloney (1986) “Shamrocks from USA are playing to win” Evening Herald. Saturday, November 29, 1986. pg. 6.
WEBSITES
[11] Britball Now (2016) History of the Game in Ireland [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/ireland/history-of-the-game-in.html [Accessed 02 October 2016]
[12] Britball Now (2008) UK Clubs Against Foreign Opposition [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/UKClubsForeignOppo.html [Accessed 16 November 2008]
[13] Semi-Pro Football (2017) Eastern Football League Champions [Internet] Available from: http://www.semiprofootball.org/minor/champs/eastfl.htm [Accessed 16 November 2017]
SOURCES
[14] Kevin Sharkey (2020) “The Dublin Celts” Word Document shared by John Gunning on Facebook Messenger with permission.
REFERENCES
[1] Anon (1986) “Crunch: but could they handle Moss Keane?” Irish Independent. Monday, March 17, 1986. pg. 7
Past copies of the Irish Independent are available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/
REFERENCES
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) Bangor Buccaneers [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Britball%20Teams/BangorBuccaneers.htm [Accessed 23 March 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] Britballnow.co.uk (2019) 1986 Results [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/results-section.html [Accessed 17 August 2019]
INTERNET ARCHIVES
[5] Craigavon Cowboys | Wayback Machine (2017) Charles ‘Chuck’ Ebron Interview [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20170514064407/http://www,craigavoncowboys.co.uk:80/news [Accessed 10 October 2018]
SOCIAL MEDIA
[6] Belfast Blitzers | Facebook (2019) Comments on Post by David Turner, August 12-17, 2019 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastblitzers/posts/2244208692356940 [Accessed 17 August 2019]
[7] Belfast Blitzers | Facebook (2019) Comments on Post by David Turner, September 7, 2019 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastblitzers/posts/2286790341432108?comment_id=2287705898007219&reply_comment_id=2292185984225877¬if_id=1568031304420635¬if_t=feed_comment [Accessed 9 September 2019]
NEWSPAPERS
[8] Anon. (1986) “A cracking good show for grid-iron fans” Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday, September 23, 1986. pg. 24 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[9] Anon. (1986) “American flavour” Belfast Telegraph. Friday, August 8, 1986. pg. 26 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[10] Anon. (1986) “Cowboys into ‘Shamrock Bowl’” Belfast Telegraph. Monday, September 29, 1986. pg. 18 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[11] Anon. (1986) “Cowboys triumph’” Belfast Telegraph. Monday, October 6, 1986. pg. 19 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[12] Anon. (1986) “Picture caption’” Belfast Telegraph. Monday, August 11, 1986. pg. 30 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
IMAGES
[13] Anon. (1986) “Picture by Rick Hewitt’” Belfast Telegraph. Monday, August 11, 1986. pg. 30 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[14] Anon. (1986) “Cowboys to meet Celts’”Belfast Telegraph. Saturday September 27, 1986. pg. 24 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[15] Anon. (1986) “Blitzers turn the tables”Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday June 24, 1986. pg. 28 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[16] Anon. (1986) “Cowboys into Shamrock Bowl’”Belfast Telegraph. Saturday September 29, 1986. pg. 18 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.
[17] Anon. (1986) “Sport in Brief: American Football” Sunday Press. August 17th, 1986. pg. 25.
[18] Anon. (1986) “Dublin Celts are Blitzed” Sunday Press. August 17th, 1986. pg. 25.
MEDIA
[19] BBC Sport NI Facebook (2020) Video, May 20, 2020 [Comment by player at 1:00-1:10] [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/BBCSPORTNI/videos/693338128160962 [Accessed 30 August 2020]
SOCIAL MEDIA
[1] Belfast Blitzers Facebook Page (2019) Post, August 12, 2019 at 1:31 PM [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/belfastblitzers/posts/2244208692356940?notif_id=1565921781157641¬if_t=comment_mention [Accessed 17 August 2019]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Jo Buchanan (Craigavon Cowboys), Kevin Sharkey (Dublin Celts) and David Turner (Belfast Blitzers)
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 17 July 2021
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019-2021
You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved. The Logos and Photos used in this article remain the property of the organisations and individuals which own the copyright and are used here for educational and information purposes only.
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