Category: East Side / Belfast Jets

East Side Jets Irish American Football Team Roster and Match Reports 1987

IAFL 1987 Mourne Conference Table

PWLTPFPAPct
Mourne Conference
*Belfast Blitzers10910.900
Carrickfergus Cougars10550.500
Dublin Tornadoes10550.500
Coleraine Chieftains10280.200
East Side Jets10280.200
[1]

1987 Results

WeekDateH/AOppositionW/LScore
PS 11987AAldergrove HawksW6-0
PS 215.03.1987HBangor BuccaneersW7-2
127.04.1987HBelfast BlitzersL0-92
417.05.1987ACraigavon CowboysL0-58
524.05.1987HBelfast SpartansL9-30
707.06.1987AColeraine ChieftansL0-31
814.06.1987HBelfast GiantsL0-46
1105.07.1987ABangor BuccaneersL0-25
1426.07.1987ACarrickfergus CougarsL0-1 #
1616.08.1987HDublin TornadoesL0-1 #
1723.08.1987ADublin CeltsL0-1 #
1830.08.1987HJordanstown JaguarsW1-0 #
[4]

Preseason Week 1

Aldergrove Hawks 0 East Side Jets 6

The East Side Jets, from Castlereagh in East Belfast, made a successful start to their Irish American Football preseason, winning 6-0 on their debut against Aldergove Hawks, at RAF Aldergrove in Antrim.

At RAF AldergroveQ1Q2Q3Q4Total
East Side Jets6
Aldergrove Hawks0
IAFL Preseason week 1 – Aldergrove Hawks 0 East Side Jets 6 Box-Score [Ref: 6]

Preseason Week 2

East Side Jets 7 Bangor Buccaneers 2

In Week 2 of the IAFL Preseason, East Side Jets defeated Bangor Buccaneers 7-2 on their home debut, with a fourth quarter touchdown from Mark Dunwoody, who ran in from 25 yards out.

At Q1Q2Q3Q4Total
Bangor Buccaneers2
East Side Jets7
IAFL Preseason week 2 – East Side Jets 7 Bangor Buccaneers 2 [Ref: 4]
TeamScorersScore
Quarter ??
BANSafety0-2
4th Quarter
ESJMark Dunwoody 25yd Run (XP Kick Good)7-2
IAFL Preseason Week 2 – East Side Jets 7 Bangor Buccaneers 2 Scorers [Ref: 4]

Week 1

East Side Jets 0 Belfast Blitzers 92

The East Side Jets and Belfast Blitzers met in week 1 of the Irish American Football League’s second season. The Blitzers won 92-0 with F. Lynch, D. McHugh, H. Davis, I. Smyth, J. Smyth, D. McCourt and A. McCandless among the scorers.

AtQ1Q2Q3Q4Total
Belfast Blitzers92
East Side Jets0
IAFL 1987 Week 1 -East Side Jets 0 Belfast Blitzers 92 Box_Score [Ref: 5]
TeamScorerScore
BLIF. Lynch
BLID. McHugh
BLIH. Davis
BLII. Smyth
BLIJ. Smyth
BLID. McCourt
BLIA. McCandless
IAFL Week 1 – East Side Jets 0 Belfast Blitzers 92 Scorers [Ref: 5]

Week 4 – 17 May 1987

Craigavon Cowboys 58 East Side Jets 0

The Craigavon Cowboys overwhelmed the East Side Jets 58-0 in this Week 4 encounter in Lurgan. The Cowboys amassed 464 yards in Offense during the game.

AtQ1Q2Q3Q4Total
East Side Jets0
Craigavon Cowboys58
IAFL 1987 Week 4 – Craigavon Cowboys 58 East Side Jets 0 Box-Score [Ref: 6]

Team Roster 1987

PlayerPosition
Don Bird
Barry HillQuarterback
Craig Dobbin
Staurt Hooks
Alan Boyd
Paul KirbyCenter
Steve Wright
Mark DunwoodyRunning Back
East Side Jets Team Roster 1987 [Ref: 3]

Coaches and Management 1987

NameRole
Coaches
Don BirdDefensive Co-Ordinator
Management
Alan HyndsChairman
East Side Jets Coaches and Management 1987 [Ref: 3]

Season Report

The Preseason went well for the East Side Jets first ever season, winning 6-0 against Aldergrove Hawks, and then 7-2 against Bangor Buccaneers in their home debut with a fourth quarter touchdown from Mark Dunwoody.

In their first Regular Season game, however, they came up against IAFA Champions from 1986, the Belfast Blitzer, who ran up the score 92-0, and the in their second week they were overwhelmed 58-0 by Shamrock Bowl Champions the previous year, Craigavon Cowboys.

The Jets never recovered after that, and the 9 points they scored against the Belfast Blitzers were to be the only ones they would score all season. They folded after 6 of 10 games, although a match against the Jordanstown Jaguars was overturned in their favour after the Jaguars also pulled out.

East Side Jets Defensive Co-Ordinator Don Bird [Ref: 7]

Websites

[1] Britball Now (2016) Results Section [1987] [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/results-section.html [Accessed 23 March 2017]

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

Newspapers

[3] Anon. (1986) “The Jets learn to be mean”Belfast Telegraph. Wednesday, December 10, 1986. pg. 9 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

[4] Anon. (1987) “Successful start by Belfast Jets”Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday, March 17, 1987. pg. 21 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

[5] Anon. (1986) “American Football”Belfast Telegraph. Monday, April 27, 1987. pg. 29 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

[6] Anon. (1986) “Cowboys run riot”Belfast Telegraph. Monday, May 18, 1987. pg. 23 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

Images

[7] Anon. (1986) “Don Bird…in full flight”Belfast Telegraph. Wednesday, December 10, 1986. pg. 9 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Niall Brennan.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 22 May 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

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