October 3, 2025October 3, 2025

AFL American Football League (UK) 1985

American Football League (UK) 1985

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

football helmet beside football on gray asphalt road

Final Standings

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

AFL (UK) Northern Division 1985

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pts
1	*Manchester Spartans	10	2	0	30
2	+Leeds Cougars	9	2	1	28
3	$Tyneside Trojans	9	3	0	27
4	+Glasgow Lions	7	4	1	22
5	Glasgow Diamonds	3	9	0	9
6	£ Edinburgh Blue Eagles	2	9	0	6
7	£ Fylde Falcons	0	11	0	0

AFL (UK) Midlands Division 1985

Pos	Team	W	L	Pts
1	*Birmingham Bulls	12	0	36
2	+Milton Keynes Bucks	10	2	30
3	+Nottingham Hoods	7	5	21
3	Northants Stormbringers	7	5	21
5	Walsall Titans	3	9	9
6	King's Lynn Patriots	2	10	6
7	Warwickshire Bears	1	11	2

AFL (UK) North Central Division 1985

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pts
1	*Leicester Panthers	10	0	0	30
2	+Manchester All Stars	6	2	1	19
3	Mansfield Express	4	5	0	12
4	Staffordshire Stampeders	3	6	0	9
5	>Newcastle Browns	0	6	1	1
6	%Locomotive Derby	0	0	0	0

AFL (UK) Southern Division 1985

Pos	Team	W	L	Pts
1	*Streatham Olympians	7	1	21
2	+Colchester Gladiators	4	4	12
3	^Wessex Wildcats	3	5	9
4	Southend Sabres	0	8	0
5	~Southampton Wolverines	0	4	0
6	%Rockingham Rebels	0	0	0

AFL (UK) Capital Division 1985

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pts
1	*London Ravens	10	0	0	30
2	+Greenwich Rams	6	3	1	19
3	+Ealing Eagles	5	3	2	17
4	Stock Exchange Stags	4	6	0	12
5	Harlow Warlords	2	8	0	6
6	Crawley Raiders	1	8	1	4

AFL (UK) South Western Division 1985

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pts
1	*Oxford Bulldogs	8	1	1	25
2	+Thames Valley Chargers	7	2	1	22
3	+Heathrow Jets	5	5	0	15
4	Southampton Seahawks	5	5	0	15
5	Portsmouth Warriors	4	6	0	12
6	Taunton Wyverns	0	10	0	0
7	~Dorset Broncos	1	5	0	3

*Division Champions

+Wildcard Qualifiers for Playoffs

$Tyneside Trojans declined to field a team in the Playoffs. Glasgow Lions took their place in the Playoffs.

^Wessex Wildcats were formed in Week 10 by the merger of Southampton Wolverines and Dorset Broncos. The Wildcats took the record of Southampton Wolverines going forward. Dorset Broncos record and results expunged.

~Dorset Broncos (1-5) and Southampton Wolverines (0-4) merged to form Wessex Wildcats after Week 10.

>Newcastle Browns did not complete their fixtures – three games outstanding.

%Locomotive Derby (AAFC) and Rockingham Rebels (BAFF) left AFL (UK) before season started for Regional Leagues.

£ Edinburgh Blue Eagles v Fylde Falcons not played.

AFL (UK) Playoffs 1985

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

AFL American Football League (UK) Playoffs 1985

Date	Event	Results	Venue	Match Day
1985-07-28 19:54:16July 28, 1985	Oxford Bulldogs vs Ealing Eagles	29 - 7	N/A	Round 1
1985-07-28 20:14:37July 28, 1985	Greenwich Rams vs Heathrow Jets	19 - 13	N/A	Round 1
1985-07-28 20:16:38July 28, 1985	London Ravens vs Colchester Gladiators	66 - 0	N/A	Round 1
1985-07-28 20:18:04July 28, 1985	Leicester Panthers vs Milton Keynes Bucks	26 - 6	N/A	Round 1
1985-07-28 20:19:48July 28, 1985	Leeds Cougars vs Nottingham Hoods	20 - 7	N/A	Round 1
1985-07-28 20:21:04July 28, 1985	Manchester Spartans vs Manchester Allstars	20 - 26	N/A	Round 1
1985-07-28 20:22:31July 28, 1985	Birmingham Bulls vs Glasgow Lions	49 - 6	N/A	Round 1
1985-07-28 20:24:06July 28, 1985	Streatham Olympians vs Thames Valley Chargers	26 - 20	N/A	Round 1
1985-08-05 20:27:04August 5, 1985	Birmingham Bulls vs Greenwich Rams	33 - 13	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1985-08-05 20:28:13August 5, 1985	London Ravens vs Oxford Bulldogs	20 - 0	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1985-08-05 20:29:40August 5, 1985	Leicester Panthers vs Leeds Cougars	46 - 6	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1985-08-05 20:30:50August 5, 1985	Streatham Olympians vs Manchester Allstars	20 - 0	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1985-08-12 20:31:57August 12, 1985	London Ravens vs Leicester Panthers	40 - 14	N/A	Semi-Finals
1985-08-12 20:33:30August 12, 1985	Streatham Olympians vs Birmingham Bulls	15 - 13	N/A	Semi-Finals
1985-08-24 20:34:43August 24, 1985	London Ravens vs Streatham Olympians	45 - 7	N/A	Summerbowl I

Summer Bowl I

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

London Ravens 45 vs 7 Streatham Olympians

Details

Date	League	Season	Match Day
August 24, 1985	AFL (UK) Playoffs	1985	Summerbowl I

Results

Team
London Ravens
Streatham Olympians

London Ravens

Player	Position	PAT	TD	Comp	Att	Pass Yds	Rush Att	Rush Yds	Rec	Rec Yds	Int	Fum	FR	Sack	PR	KR	Punt	PYds	PAvg
Ario De Cruz	Quarterback	0	2	8	23	126	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mark Delaney	Wide receiver	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	45	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mark Wynnick	Running back, Wide receiver	0	1	0	0	0	9	42	1	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
English	Wide receiver	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	22	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Downer	Wide receiver	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	42	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grant	Punter, Running back	0	0	0	0	0	3	14	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	63	16
Joe St. Louis	Running back	0	2	0	0	0	8	106	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mark Walcott	Running back	0	0	0	0	0	9	94	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Brown	Running back	0	0	0	0	0	2	-3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Victor Ebubedike	Running back	0	1	0	0	0	11	75	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Higgins	Punt Returner	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0
Phillips	Punt Returner	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Clifford	Punt Returner	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Campbell	Kicker	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Brugnani	Kick Returner	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Slue	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Ugwuegbuim	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Rahman	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Scott	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		2	7	8	23	126	44	330	6	115	3	4	4	2	4	2	4	63	16

Streatham Olympians

Player	Position	TD	Comp	Att	Pass Yds	Rush Att	Rush Yds	Rec	Rec Yds	Fum	Lost	FR	KR
Graham Hart	Quarterback	0	10	31	152	5	11	0	0	0	0	0	0
Earl Livermore	Running back, Wide receiver	1	0	0	0	3	5	2	20	0	0	0	4
A Smythe	Wide receiver	0	0	0	0	1	3	4	46	0	0	0	0
Innis	Wide receiver	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	65	0	0	0	0
Morgan	Running back	0	0	0	0	8	12	1	21	0	0	0	0
Carney	Running back	0	0	0	0	6	10	0	0	0	0	0	0
Scarlett	Running back	0	0	0	0	3	16	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cooper	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kevin Allen	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nunes	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bryant	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bird	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dean	-	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		1	10	31	152	26	57	10	152	7	3	4	4

Venue

Villa Park, Birmingham
//tboy.co/maps_embed?q=Villa+Park%2C+Trinity+Road%2C+Aston%2C+Birmingham%2C+West+Midlands+Combined+Authority%2C+West+Midlands%2C+England%2C+B6+6HE%2C+United+Kingdom&center=52.5091264,-1.8850354312212985&zoom=15&maptype=roadmap
Villa Park, Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands Combined Authority, West Midlands, England, B6 6HE, United Kingdom

Scoring

First Quarter RAV – Delaney 26 Pass from De Cruz [6-0] RAV – Ebubedike 49 Run [12-0] Second Quarter OLY – Livermore Run (Cooper PAT) [12-7] RAV – De Cruz 1 Run [18-7] RAV – Wynnick 6 Pass from De Cruz (Campbell PAT) [25-7] Third Quarter RAV – De Cruz 1 Run [31-7] RAV – St. Louis 2 Run (Higgins PAT) [38-7] Fourth Quarter RAV – St. Louis 77 Run (PAT) [45-7]

Report

The Original Britball (British Gridiron Football) team London Ravens showed why they continued to be unbeaten versus British opposition by dominating London rivals Streatham Olympians 45-7 in the first ever AFL UK Summerbowl, held before 7,100 fans at Villa Park, Birmingham. Joe St. Louis won the MVP (Most Valuable Player) Award with two touchdown runs, and 106 yards off 8 carries. Victor Ebubedike also played a magnificent game, scoring one TD on the ground from 11 carries. Quarterback Ario De Cruz had an up-and-down day, throwing for 5 interceptions but also going over for two QB sneaks for touchdowns from close range. Mark Wynnick scored the Ravens other TD. Keith Allen was the best of the Olympians, the linebacker making a total of 10 tackles, 7 of those unassisted. Earl Livermore scoring Streatham’s only TD, bringing them to within 5 points early in the second quarter, making the score 12-7 with the conversion from Cooper, but the London Ravens rattled off 33 unanswered points to finish deserving Champions of the first full British Gridiron Football season.

References

[1] Gridiron UK “Crafty Cockneys” October 1985, pg. 15-16. Published by Southern Newspapers PLC, Christchurch, Dorset. Executive Ed: Bob Goddard. Reports: Ross Biddiscombe, Steve Downton, Jon Chandler, Bev Wills, Eugene Maynard, Graham Trott, Alan Beastall, Ian Christy, Bob Armstrong, Chris Tofalos, Janine Kilroe, Wayne Paulo and Mike Allen. [2] Gridiron UK “British Fixtures” April 1985, pg. 23. Published by Southern Newspapers PLC, Christchurch, Dorset. Executive Ed: Bob Goddard.

About AFL (UK)

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

The American Football League of 1985 – usually shortened to the acronym AFL (UK) – was the second season of the first-ever fully British-based Gridiron Football League in Britain featuring primarily British-born players. The sport gained a wide following in the mid-to-late 1980s after being introduced to British audiences by the Channel 4 TV station. The 1985 season was the first full season of AFL (UK) with set scuedules and playoffs culminating in the Summerbowl, played at Villa Park, Birmingham (home of Aston Villa FC) in front of 7,100 paying fans. 36 teams started this season, with two teams merging mid-way through the season.

The success of the league led in 1986 to the USA Drinks giant, Budweiser, getting involved, starting its’ own league with a large sponsorship input. This led to a split in the AFL (UK) with most Southern-based teams joining the new Budweiser League with its’ professional approach and most Northern-based teams and some Midlands and Southern teams remaining in the AFL (UK) – re-named BAFL British American Football League – for 1986.

About American Football

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

American Football is a North American version of Football, dating back over 100 years and resembling Rugby more than Soccer but played with 11 players on each team on the field at any one time (as in Soccer rather than Rugby). There is unlimited substitution in the Stateside-version of the game and Offense (Attack) and Defense have two entirely separate squads within each team – when the attacking teams’ Offense is on the field the opposing teams Defense is also on the field and vice-versa.

Scoring is by primarily by running or passing the ball into the opposing teams’ Endzone (a 15-yard area at either end of the 100-yard field) to score a Touchdown – worth 7 points – although despite the name and unlike in Rugby when scoring a Try this does not have to be touched down for the score to count – the ball just has to pass the ‘plane’ of the Endzone cleanly – in other words with the scoring players both feet in bounds and in clear possession of the ball). A TD is converted by the choice of either kicking the ball through the uprights (posts) for 1 point or by passing or running it successfully into the endzone for 2 points (this is in addition to the 6 points for the Touchdown (TD).

If a Touchdown appears unlikely during the attacking teams’ ‘Drive’ they can opt to kick a Field Goal worth 3 points. A ‘Drive’ is the cumulated plays of a teams’ single possession, and ends with either a score or a turnover – a change of possession such a pass being intercepted or the ball being ‘fumbled’ (dropped) and being recovered by the opposition. If a team is not within scoring range it may opt to ‘punt’ the ball – kick it back into the opposing teams’ end to gain better field position – and in doing so handing possession back to the opposition.

A third way of scoring is by a Safety – usually a defensive score whereby the ball carrier is tackled in his own Endzone. A Safety is Worth 2 Points.

Each game is 60 minutes long – divided into 4 quarters of 15 minutes – although unlike Rugby, Soccer or GAA there is no running clock, with the clock being stopped every time the ball is ‘dead’ – in other words goes out of the playing area or in other cases such as a score, incomplete pass or change of possession. Each game thus lasts up to 3 hours 30 minutes or sometimes more.

The National Football League (NFL) in USA is the Major Professional League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football programmes are also very big in USA.

References

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

Bibliography

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

[2] Gridiron UK “British Fixtures” April 1985, pg. 23. Published by Southern Newspapers PLC, Christchurch, Dorset. Executive Ed: Bob Goddard.

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

Published: 3 October 2025. Last Updated: 3 October 2025

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

About Eirball

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

Eirball is an Archive of Irish, North American and World Sports Results and Statistics, with a focus primarily on the sports’ respective leagues in Ireland and Irish-born players abroad. It is the work of Enda Mulcahy. Eirball.ie is the Gridiron Football (American Football) subsite of the Eirball.sport main landing site.

September 8, 2025September 8, 2025

1986 BAFL British American Football League National Conference

1986 BAFL

—National Conference

Featured image credit: Football on Field by Jean-Daniel Francouer

Scoreboard

—Standings

BAFL National Conference Northern Division 1986

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pts
1	*Glasgow Lions	7	4	1	15
2	Edinburgh Blue Eagles	4	8	0	8
2	Tyneside Trojans	4	8	0	8

BAFL National Conference Pennine Division 1986

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pts
1	*Manchester Spartans	10	0	2	22
2	Manchester Allstars	9	3	0	18
3	Leeds Cougars	5	6	1	11
4	Mansfield Express	1	11	0	2

BAFL National Conference Central Division 1986

Pos	Team	W	L	Pts
1	*Birmingham Bulls	10	2	20
2	+Leicester Panthers	9	3	18
2	+Nottingham Hoods	9	3	18
4	Walsall Titans	2	10	4

BAFL National Conference Southern Division 1986

Pos	Team	W	L	Pts
1	*Milton Keynes Bucks	7	5	14
2	Portsmouth Warriors	4	8	8
3	Ealing Eagles	1	11	2

Scoreboard

—Playoffs

BAFL British American Football League Playoffs 1986

Date	Event	Results	Venue	Match Day
1986-08-17 14:59:30August 17, 1986	Milton Keynes Bucks vs Leicester Panthers	22 - 27	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1986-08-17 15:15:14August 17, 1986	Glasgow Lions vs Nottingham Hoods	44 - 14	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1986-08-17 15:17:20August 17, 1986	Manchester Spartans vs Luton Flyers	52 - 28	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1986-08-17 15:19:25August 17, 1986	Birmingham Bulls vs Fylde Falcons	28 - 14	N/A	Quarter-Finals
1986-08-31 15:21:20August 31, 1986	Glasgow Lions vs Leicester Panthers	27 - 15	N/A	Semi-Finals
1986-08-31 15:23:05August 31, 1986	Manchester Spartans vs Birmingham Bulls	7 - 35	N/A	Semi-Finals
1986-09-11 15:25:09September 11, 1986	Glasgow Lions vs Birmingham Bulls	2 - 23	N/A	Summerbowl II

Report

—1986 BAFL season

For the 1986 BAFL season, 36 teams were divided into two Conferences (National and Anglo) with most of the Northern teams from the 1985 AFL (UK) season (see below) aligning with the BAFL and most Southern teams with the rival Budweiser League.

Birmingham Bulls won Summerbowl II – the official Championship Game of Britain – defeating Glasgow Lions 23-2 in the decider after completing the regular season with 10 wins and 2 losses to Glasgow’s 7 wins, 4 losses and one tie. The Lions had knocked out Leicester Panthers in the Semi-Finals, while Birmingham upset the previously-undefeated Manchester Spartans 35-7 in the Semi-Finals. In all 6 teams qualified for the Playoff Quarter-Finals from the 14-team National Conference to be joined by the Fylde Falcons (Blackpool) and Luton Flyers, who had both finished the regular season undefeated with 10 wins apiece in the Anglo Conference.

A planned all-Britain Championship game involving the Summerbowl II Champions Bulls versus the Budweiser League Champions (and 1985 Summerbowl Champions) London Ravens to decide Britain’s representatives in the EFL Eurobowl never materialised.

Report

—About the BAFL

The British American Football League (BAFL) was a follow-on from the American Football League (United Kingdom) – shortened to AFL (UK) which had played one season in 1985 – the first full season of Gridiron (American) Football in Britain. The BAFL itself lasted only one season, the 1986 season, after which most teams merged with the Budweiser League.

The Budweiser League was an Alternative Football League in Britain, running parallel to the BAFL in 1986, and had significant financial input from the USA drinks giant, enabling the Budweiser League’s teams to import professional players from USA. Such was the high level of play, and confusion also, as to which league’s champions was the true Champion of Britain, that on a number of occasions, the Budweiser League’s Champions and its’ successor League’s champions (the Coca-Cola sponsored NDMA which ran from 1990 to 1993) were barred from official European Football League (EFL) competition.

As a result, the 1986 BAFL Champions, the Birmingham Bulls, represented Britain in the 1986 Eurobowl. The 1986 BAFL season included division-winning teams from the BAFL National Conference (the official top division in Britain) and the BAFL Anglo Conference (the official second division) in the season-ending playoffs.

REferences

—Bibliography

[1] Eden Phillips (ed.) (1986) “How the British Leagues finished in 1986” American Football – NFL Official Guide in 18 Parts – Part 17. pg 541. Published by Marshall Cavendish Partworks Ltd. London, UK.

About

—About Eirball

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish, North American and Word Sports Archives.

Last Updated: 8 September 2025. First Published: 8 September 2025.

August 16, 2025December 12, 2025

NIAFA Northern Ireland American Football Association Unkitted League 1986

Scoreboard

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

League Standings

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

NIAFA Northern Ireland American Football League Unkitted League 1986

Pos	Team	W	L	Pct	PF	PA	Net Pts	Streak
1	Bangor Buccaneers	3	0	1.000	70	22	48	W3
2	Jordanstown Jaguars	1	0	1.000	0	0	0	W1
3	Belfast Blitzers	1	1	0.500	53	22	31	L1
4	Aldergrove Hawks	0	2	0.000	22	53	-31	L2
5	Belfast Spartans	0	2	0.000	22	70	-48	L2

NIAFA Junior (Unkitted) League Champions

League Schedule

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

NIAFA Northern Ireland American Football Association Junior League (Unkitted) 1986


July 20, 1986 53 - 22 N/A Belfast Blitzers vs Aldergrove Hawks
August 24, 1986 22 - 40 N/A Belfast Spartans vs Bangor Buccaneers
September 1, 1986 L - W N/A Aldergrove Hawks vs Bangor Buccaneers
December 31, 1986 W - L N/A Jordanstown Jaguars vs Belfast Blitzers
December 31, 1986 0 - 30 N/A Belfast Spartans vs Bangor Buccaneers

Report

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

Bangor Buccaneers won the 1986 Northern Ireland American Football Association Junior (Unkitted Pre-Pads) League which appears to have been a contact unkitted adult league operating as a second tier or division with the NIAFA. Five teams are known to have taken part in this competition: Bangor Buccaneers, Belfast Blitzers, Jordanstown Jaguars, Aldergrove Hawks and Belfast Spartans. The Buccaneers final record was 7 Wins and 0 Losses.

References

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

Websites

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

[1] Britballnow.co.uk (2019) 1986 Results [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/results-section.html [Accessed 17 August 2019]

[2] Britball Now (2016) Bangor Buccaneers [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Britball%20Teams/BangorBuccaneers.htm [Accessed 23 March 2018]

[3] Belfast Spartans (2019) Team History | Grinding to a start [Internet] Available from: http://www.belfastspartans.co.uk/team-history.html [Accessed 20 March 2018]

Social Media

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

[4] 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]

Magazines

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

[5] Stacher, Steve (1987) “An Official History of American Football Ireland” Receiver. 1987

Newspapers

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

[6] Anon. (1986) “Buccaneers move up” Belfast Telegraph. Monday, August 25, 1986. pg. 16.

[7] Anon. (1986) “Cowboys look for revenge” Belfast Telegraph. Friday, August 29, 1986. Pg. 22.

Note: Past copies of the Belfast Telegraph are available to view online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service

Social Media

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

[8] Andrew Wilson’s reply to Eirball’s post, March 27, 2020 [Internet] Available at : https://www.facebook.com/eirballenda/posts/2433567573622264?comment_id=2696161900696162&notif_id=1612882525056885&notif_t=feed_comment&ref=notif [Accessed 11 February 2021]

About Eirball

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

About this document

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 12 December 2025. First Published: 16 August 2025

June 17, 2025December 15, 2025

Irish International American Football Exhibition Matches 1985

Irish International American Football Exhibition Matches 1985

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

Scoreboard

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

Irish Club International Gridiron Friendlies 1985


Match Day International Exhibition Match
October 27, 1985 (International Exhibition Match) 0 - 32 N/A Bristol Bombers vs Dublin Celts

Please click on the game above to see Rosters and Scorers

Report and About

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

Report

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

According to a news report in Quarterback UK, the Dublin Celts, formed less than a year previously, and only having just received their playing gear, were already turning out to be a “formidable outfit” with a running-game similar to USA’s College Giants the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Directed by Kevin Kelly at Quarterback, the Dublin Celts out-played the Bristol Bombers, of Britain, 32-0, with Glenn Webster the star of the day, running in three touchdowns. Joe Moore and Wide Receiver Declan Docherty added the other two touchdowns for the vistitors in front of 500 locals at Whitchurch Stadium in Bristol, on a chilly Sunday in October.

It was not all offense for the Celts, as their defense held the Bombers up all day, with two interceptions courtesy of Martin Murphy, who ran his interception back 62 yards; and Steven Kavanagh.

With only four teams in Ireland at the time (the Celts joined by Coleraine Chieftains, Belfast Blitzers and Craigavon Cowboys) and over 100 in Britain, the result bode well for the game in Ireland. [See References: 5]

About Gridiron Football

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

American Football, also known as Gridiron Football, is an American sport derived from the same roots as Rugby Union, Gaelic Football and Soccer. It is 11-a-side and was popularised in Britain by Channel 4 Television who introduced the sport to British viewers in 1983. RTE Television in Ireland followed suit a couple of years later.

The Celts game in Bristol versus the Bombers was the first game of its’ kind involving a team made up of Irish players. [See References: 5]

References and About Eirball

– Photo by Ricardo CL on Pexels.com

References

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

Programme

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

Dublin Celts (Facebook) (2018) Post, August 2, 2018 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/groups/259540917772370/permalink/718640911862366/ [Accessed: 29 November 2018][Last Accessed 17 June 2025]

Dublin Celts (Facebook) (2018) Post, August 2, 2018 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2020590151588129&set=g.259540917772370[Accessed: 29 November 2018][Last Accessed 17 June 2025]

Dublin Celts (Facebook) (2018) Post, August 2, 2018: Bombers [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2020590171588127&set=pcb.718640911862366 [Accessed: 29 November 2018][Last Accessed 17 June 2025]

Dublin Celts (Facebook) (2018) Post, August 2, 2018: Celts [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2020590271588117&set=pcb.718640911862366 [Accessed: 29 November 2018][Last Accessed 17 June 2025]

Newspaper Reports

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

Anon. (1985) IRISH VISITORS – BOMBERS DOWNED Quarterback UK. November 1, 1985. pg. 15. Published by C.S.L. Ltd, Goodhead Press Ltd, at Chaucer International Estate, Launton Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX6 7QZ

About Eirball

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

– Photo by Jean Daniel Francouer on Pexels.com

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 15 December 2025. First Published: 17 June 2025

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.

Kyoto/Japan-11/22/2019 :The Land of the First Kick in Shimogamo-Jinja. Rugby football (sawatw) shrine's special votive picture tablet.

June 5, 2025June 5, 2025

2000 APFL Asia Pacific Football League

Scoreboard

2000 APFL League Standings

APFL Asia Pacific Football League 2000

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
0	Beijing Pandas	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Hong Kong Dolphins	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Osaka Express	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Shanghai Sharks	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Taipei Dragons	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Tokyo Typhoon	0	0	0	0.000	0	0

2000 APFL Schedule

APFL Asia Pacific Football League 2000

Date	Event	Results	Venue	Match Day
2000-08-19 23:08:13August 19, 2000	Taipei Dragons vs Hong Kong Dolphins	-	N/A	Week 1
2000-08-19 23:09:20August 19, 2000	Beijing Pandas vs Shanghai Sharks	-	N/A	Week 1
2000-08-19 23:10:36August 19, 2000	Tokyo Typhoon vs Osaka Express	-	N/A	Week 1
2000-08-26 23:11:37August 26, 2000	Shanghai Sharks vs Taipei Dragons	-	N/A	Week 2
2000-08-26 23:12:32August 26, 2000	Osaka Express vs Beijing Pandas	-	N/A	Week 2
2000-08-26 23:13:32August 26, 2000	Hong Kong Dolphins vs Tokyo Typhoon	-	N/A	Week 2
2000-09-02 23:14:31September 2, 2000	Tokyo Typhoon vs Taipei Dragons	-	N/A	Week 3
2000-09-02 23:15:33September 2, 2000	Beijing Pandas vs Hong Kong Dolphins	-	N/A	Week 3
2000-09-02 23:16:27September 2, 2000	Shanghai Sharks vs Osaka Express	-	N/A	Week 3
2000-09-09 23:17:32September 9, 2000	Beijing Pandas vs Taipei Dragons	-	N/A	Week 4
2000-09-09 23:18:35September 9, 2000	Osaka Express vs Hong Kong Dolphins	-	N/A	Week 4
2000-09-09 23:19:29September 9, 2000	Tokyo Typhoon vs Shanghai Sharks	-	N/A	Week 4
2000-09-16 23:20:28September 16, 2000	Taipei Dragons vs Osaka Express	-	N/A	Week 5
2000-09-16 23:21:32September 16, 2000	Tokyo Typhoon vs Beijing Pandas	-	N/A	Week 5
2000-09-16 23:22:32September 16, 2000	Hong Kong Dolphins vs Shanghai Sharks	-	N/A	Week 5
2000-09-23 00:00:36September 23, 2000	Osaka Express vs Tokyo Typhoon	-	N/A	Week 6
2000-09-23 00:00:44September 23, 2000	Hong Kong Dolphins vs Taipei Dragons	-	N/A	Week 6
2000-09-23 00:00:50September 23, 2000	Shanghai Sharks vs Beijing Pandas	-	N/A	Week 6
2000-09-30 00:00:03September 30, 2000	Beijing Pandas vs Osaka Express	-	N/A	Week 7
2000-09-30 00:00:03September 30, 2000	Tokyo Typhoon vs Hong Kong Dolphins	-	N/A	Week 7
2000-09-30 00:00:50September 30, 2000	Taipei Dragons vs Shanghai Sharks	-	N/A	Week 7
2000-10-06 00:00:10October 6, 2000	Osaka Express vs Shanghai Sharks	-	N/A	Week 8
2000-10-06 00:00:10October 6, 2000	Hong Kong Dolphins vs Beijing Pandas	-	N/A	Week 8
2000-10-06 00:00:56October 6, 2000	Tokyo Typhoon vs Taipei Dragons	-	N/A	Week 8
2000-10-13 00:00:36October 13, 2000	Taipei Dragons vs Beijing Pandas	-	N/A	Week 9
2000-10-13 00:00:48October 13, 2000	Hong Kong Dolphins vs Osaka Express	-	N/A	Week 9
2000-10-13 00:00:51October 13, 2000	Shanghai Sharks vs Tokyo Typhoon	-	N/A	Week 9
2000-10-20 00:00:01October 20, 2000	Shanghai Sharks vs Hong Kong Dolphins	-	N/A	Week 10
2000-10-20 00:00:57October 20, 2000	Osaka Express vs Taipei Dragons	-	N/A	Week 10
2000-10-20 00:00:59October 20, 2000	Beijing Pandas vs Tokyo Typhoon	-	N/A	Week 10

2001 APFL Planned Expansion

APFL Asia Pacific Football League 2001

Pos	Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA
0	Bangkok Elephants	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Beijing Pandas	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Hong Kong Dolphins	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Manilla Fighting Cocks	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Maui Hawaiian Warriors	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Osaka Express	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Seoul Stallions	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Shanghai Sharks	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Taipei Dragons	0	0	0	0.000	0	0
0	Tokyo Typhoon	0	0	0	0.000	0	0

Report

The Asia Pacific Football League was planned intiatilly for 1999, but the first season was postponed to 2000. The plan was for a Professional Gridiron Football League spanning the Pacific Rim, from Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to start with in 1999-2000 and expansion to South East Asia (Philippines, Thailand), Hawai’i and South Korea before eventual expansion to Australia, New Zealand, Continental USA and Canada.

The League’s owners, Texas Corporation, of Quorum Drive, Dallas, TX, had noted Gridiron Football was well established in Japan and South Korea, with the sport introduced from USA following the wars in the region.

The APFL had enlisted Preston Pearson, as per the website, a former National Football League (NFL) player with Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys (1967-1980), as the APFL’s consultant.

After the League’s inaugural season in 1999 was postopned until 2000, and even though a schedule released in 2000 (with Hong Kong Dolphins renamed the Tigers; and Beijing Pandas renamed the Bears), the league folded without playing a down.

The initial steps had been set forth in 1993, when an American private investor hired Patrick Van Rooyen (APFL CEO) to research the feasability of playing a league in the Pacific Rim , thus forming the UFL (United Football League). By June 1994 Cheerleaders arrived to make appearances in shopping malls and in July 1994 a team of USA All-Stars played the Taipei Dragons at Chung Shan Stadium before 22,000 spectators. Negotiations between the UFL and Chinese investors broke down, however, and the UFL folded.

A new league was restructured under Van Rooyen, and in April 1997, the APFL was incorporated in Texas. By April 1998 the APFL had unveiled its’ official logo and website, and in March 1999 setting a tryout camp date.

The ambitious league, was not to be, however, and twice postponed it’s inaugural season, before fizzling out.

The ‘Land of the First Kick’ Shrine Stock Image

References

Asia Pacific Football League (2000) APFL Teams [Internet] Available from: http://www.apfl.com/teams.html [Accessed 21 March 2000][Broken Link][Available online at the Wayback Machine Web Archive at: https://web.archive.org/web/20000410212325/http://www.apfl.com/teams.html [Accessed 4 June 2025]

Asia Pacific Football League (1999) Preston Pearson [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/19991115165455/http://apfl.com/prestonpearson.html [Accessed 4 June 2025]

Asia Pacific Football League (1999) APFL Timeline [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/19991110003126/http://www.apfl.com/news2.html [Accessed 4 June 2025]

Asia Pacific Football League (1999) Season 2000 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/19991001062815/http://www.apfl.com/schedule2.html [Accessed 4 June 2025]

Asia Pacific Football League (1999) helmetfront [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20001002114409im_/http://apfl.com/gifs/helmetfront.jpg [Accessed 4 June 2025]

About Eirball

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

First Published: 4 June 2025. Last Updated: 4 June 2025

May 13, 2025May 13, 2025

2019 CNFL Chinese National Football League

Scoreboard

Final Regular Season Standings

CNFL Chinese National Football League East Division 2019

Pos	Team	W	L	Pct	PF	PA
1	Shanghai Titans	4	0	1.000	140	17
2	Shanghai Warriors	3	1	0.750	122	21
3	Hangzhou Smilodons	2	2	0.500	135	43
4	Shanghai Street Cats	0	3	0.000	0	122
5	Hangzhou Generals	0	3	0.000	0	194

CNFL Chinese National Football League North Division 2019

Pos	Team	W	L	Pct	PF	PA
1	Beijing Barbarians	5	0	1.000	294	10
2	Taiyuan Troops	4	1	0.800	138	42
3	Qingdao Conquerors	3	2	0.600	116	92
4	Shenyang King Kong	1	3	0.250	66	124
5	Beijing Iron Brothers	1	3	0.250	56	204
6	Tianjin Pirates	0	5	0.000	24	222

CNFL Chinese National Football League South Division 2019

Pos	Team	W	L	Pct	PF	PA
1	Hong Kong Warhawks	4	1	0.800	69	48
2	Taipei Predators	3	2	0.600	142	45
3	Foshan Tigers	3	2	0.600	50	50
4	Guangzhou Apaches	2	3	0.400	50	88
5	Hong Kong Combat Orcas	1	3	0.250	35	72
6	Hong Kong Cobras	1	3	0.250	42	85

CNFL Chinese National Football League West Division 2019

Pos	Team	W	L	Pct	PF	PA
1	Wuhan Berserkers	4	0	1.000	192	30
2	Chengdu Pandaman	3	1	0.750	112	50
3	Zhengzhou Steamer	1	3	0.250	14	122
4	Mountain City Fury	0	4	0.000	24	140

Playoff Results

CNFL Chinese National Football League Playoffs 2019

Date	Event	Results	Venue	Match Day
2019-11-16 22:01:41November 16, 2019	Taiyuan Troops vs Zhengzhou Steamer	26 - 14	N/A	First Round Playoffs
2019-11-16 22:04:40November 16, 2019	Shanghai Warriors vs Taipei Predators	42 - 18	N/A	First Round Playoffs
2019-11-16 22:06:28November 16, 2019	Foshan Tigers vs Hangzhou Smilodons	25 - 22	N/A	First Round Playoffs
2019-11-16 22:08:53November 16, 2019	Chengdu Pandaman vs Qingdao Conquerors	21 - 0 #	N/A	First Round Playoffs
2019-11-30 13:00:12November 30, 2019	Shanghai Titans vs Taiyuan Troops	62 - 0	N/A	Quarter-Finals
2019-11-30 22:13:32November 30, 2019	Hong Kong Warhawks vs Chengdu Pandaman	21 - 0 #	N/A	Quarter-Finals
2019-12-14 22:22:40December 14, 2019	Shanghai Titans vs Hong Kong Warhawks	23 - 12	N/A	Semi-Finals
2019-12-14 22:26:00December 14, 2019	Wuhan Berserkers vs Shanghai Warriors	84 - 40	N/A	Semi-Finals
2019-11-30 12:00:49November 30, 2019	Beijing Barbarians vs Shanghai Warriors	8 - 36	N/A	Quarter-Finals
2019-12-01 10:00:13December 1, 2019	Wuhan Berserkers vs Foshan Tigers	52 - 8	N/A	Quarter-Finals
2020-01-11 22:28:28January 11, 2020	Wuhan Berserkers vs Shanghai Titans	36 - 13	N/A	CNFL Championship

CNFL Championship Game 2019

Wuhan Berserkers 36 vs 13

Shanghai Titans

Details

Date	League	Season	Match Day
January 11, 2020	CNFL Chinese National Football League Playoffs	2019	CNFL Championship

Results

Team
Wuhan Berserkers
Shanghai Titans

Wuhan Berserkers

#	Player	Position	TD
5	Jarred Evans	Quarterback	2
1	Wang Shida	Wide receiver	1
	Wu Jinjin	Wide receiver	1
	Total		4

Shanghai Titans

#	Player	Position	TD
9	Datong Wang	Quarterback	0
6	Thomas Defede	Wide receiver	1
32	Ben Wong	Running back	1
	Total		2

Scoring

First Quarter

WUH – Jarred Evans TD Run;

WUH – Wang Shida TD Pass from Jarred Evans 22-0;

Second Quarter

SHT – Thomas Defede TD Pass from Datong Wang (PAT Kick) 22-7;

WUH – Wu Jinjin TD Pass from Jarred Evans 28-7;

Third Quarter

SHT – Ben Wong TD Run 28-13;

Fourth Quarter

WUH – TD Pass from Jarred Evans (2XP) 36-13;

REferences

[15] American Football International (2020) 01/10/2020: China: Championship final classic story of new vs old as Wuhan Berserkers face Shanghai Titans [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/china-championship-final-classic-story-of-new-vs-old-as-wuhan-berserkers-face-shanghai-titans/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[16] American Football International (2020) 01/23/2020: China: Wuhan Berserkers live up to billing, outgun Shanghai Titans to capture CNFL championship! [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/china-wuhan-berserkers-live-up-to-billing-outgun-shanghai-titans-to-capture-cnfl-championship/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

Championship Report

The Berserkers raced out to a 22-0 lead early on in the Championship, with Quarterback Jarred Evans going over for two touchdowns from close range with quarterback sneaks, and then a deep Touchdown pass to Wang Shida.

For a while it looked like another blowout like previous Wuhan games in the 2019 season, but the Titans clawed their way back with a Touchdown pass late in the first half from Datong Wang to Thomas Defede, cutting the score to 22-7, but within the two-minute warning Evans connected with a second receiver, Wu Jinjin, making it 28-7 at the halftime whistle.

The teams traded scores in the second half, and for a while it looked as if a Titans comeback was on the cards as they came out fighting in the second half, re-establishing their running game with Ben Wong scoring a touchdown, but a third Evans touchdown pass to add to the two he scored himself sealed victory for Wuhan Berserkers 36-13.

Regular Season Results

CNFL Chinese National Football League Regular Season 2019

Date	Event	Results	Venue	Match Day
2019-08-03 22:50:13August 3, 2019	Qingdao Conquerors vs Tianjin Pirates	44 - 0	N/A	Week 0
2019-08-10 21:15:18August 10, 2019	Hong Kong Warhawks vs Hong Kong Combat Orcas	13 - 0	N/A	Week 1
2019-08-10 21:31:08August 10, 2019	Foshan Tigers vs Taipei Predators	8 - 0	N/A	Week 1
2019-08-10 21:33:31August 10, 2019	Guangzhou Apaches vs Hong Kong Cobras	21 - 0	N/A	Week 1
2019-08-10 21:41:33August 10, 2019	Beijing Barbarians vs Beijing Iron Brothers	100 - 0	N/A	Week 1
2019-08-10 21:44:21August 10, 2019	Tianjin Pirates vs Taiyuan Troops	0 - 40	N/A	Week 1
2019-08-10 21:47:08August 10, 2019	Shenyang King Kong vs Qingdao Conquerors	14 - 32	N/A	Week 1
2019-08-17 21:49:51August 17, 2019	Shanghai Titans vs Hangzhou Generals	59 - 0	N/A	Week 2
2019-08-17 21:56:07August 17, 2019	Shanghai Warriors vs Hangzhou Smilodons	18 - 7	N/A	Week 2
2019-08-17 21:59:50August 17, 2019	Foshan Tigers vs Guangzhou Apaches	21 - 8	N/A	Week 2
2019-08-17 23:06:46August 17, 2019	Taipei Predators vs Hong Kong Combat Orcas	38 - 14	N/A	Week 2
2019-08-24 22:07:15August 24, 2019	Chengdu Pandaman vs Mountain City Fury	32 - 0	N/A	Week 3
2019-08-24 22:09:39August 24, 2019	Wuhan Berserkers vs Zhengzhou Steamer	52 - 0	N/A	Week 3
2019-08-24 22:13:34August 24, 2019	Beijing Barbarians vs Tianjin Pirates	42 - 0	N/A	Week 3
2019-08-24 22:17:54August 24, 2019	Taiyuan Troops vs Shenyang King Kong	18 - 0	N/A	Week 3
2019-08-24 22:22:23August 24, 2019	Qingdao Conquerors vs Beijing Iron Brothers	40 - 0	N/A	Week 3
2019-08-24 23:11:01August 24, 2019	Hong Kong Warhawks vs Hong Kong Cobras	18 - 15	N/A	Week 3
2019-08-30 22:26:13August 30, 2019	Beijing Barbarians vs Shenyang King Kong	74 - 0	N/A	Week 4
2019-08-31 22:28:53August 31, 2019	Taipei Predators vs Hong Kong Warhawks	12 - 17	N/A	Week 4
2019-08-31 22:30:44August 31, 2019	Hong Kong Cobras vs Foshan Tigers	21 - 0 #	N/A	Week 4
2019-08-31 22:32:33August 31, 2019	Hong Kong Combat Orcas vs Guangzhou Apaches	21 - 0 #	N/A	Week 4
2019-09-07 22:35:35September 7, 2019	Shanghai Warriors vs Shanghai Street Cats	48 - 0	N/A	Week 5
2019-09-07 22:37:13September 7, 2019	Hangzhou Smilodons vs Shanghai Titans	7 - 25	N/A	Week 5
2019-09-07 22:43:53September 7, 2019	Taiyuan Troops vs Qingdao Conquerors	30 - 0	N/A	Week 5
2019-09-07 22:47:32September 7, 2019	Beijing Iron Brothers vs Tianjin Pirates	44 - 24	N/A	Week 5
2019-09-07 22:55:35September 7, 2019	Zhengzhou Steamer vs Wuhan Berserkers	0 - 42	N/A	Week 5
2019-09-07 22:58:08September 7, 2019	Mountain City Fury vs Chengdu Pandaman	0 - 46	N/A	Week 5
2019-09-28 21:24:49September 28, 2019	Chengdu Pandaman vs Zhengzhou Steamer	28 - 6	N/A	Week 6
2019-09-28 21:30:07September 28, 2019	Hangzhou Generals vs Shanghai Warriors	0 - 46	N/A	Week 6
2019-09-28 21:44:16September 28, 2019	Guangzhou Apaches vs Taipei Predators	0 - 46	N/A	Week 6
2019-09-28 23:18:44September 28, 2019	Hangzhou Smilodons vs Shanghai Street Cats	32 - 0	N/A	Week 6
2019-09-28 23:25:48September 28, 2019	Taiyuan Troops vs Beijing Barbarians	10 - 30	N/A	Week 6
2019-10-12 19:29:50October 12, 2019	Taipei Predators vs Hong Kong Cobras	46 - 6	N/A	Week 7
2019-10-12 19:32:27October 12, 2019	Mountain City Fury vs Wuhan Berserkers	24 - 54	N/A	Week 7
2019-10-12 19:35:43October 12, 2019	Guangzhou Apaches vs Hong Kong Warhawks	21 - 0 #	N/A	Week 7
2019-10-12 19:37:29October 12, 2019	Foshan Tigers vs Hong Kong Combat Orcas	21 - 0 #	N/A	Week 7
2019-10-19 19:41:54October 19, 2019	Shenyang King Kong vs Tianjin Pirates	52 - 0	N/A	Week 8
2019-10-19 19:44:46October 19, 2019	Qingdao Conquerors vs Beijing Barbarians	0 - 48	N/A	Week 8
2019-10-19 19:46:30October 19, 2019	Shanghai Warriors vs Shanghai Titans	10 - 14	N/A	Week 8
2019-10-26 20:53:21October 26, 2019	Zhengzhou Steamer vs Mountain City Fury	8 - 0	N/A	Week 9
2019-10-26 20:55:39October 26, 2019	Beijing Iron Brothers vs Taiyuan Troops	12 - 40	N/A	Week 9
2019-10-26 20:57:41October 26, 2019	Wuhan Berserkers vs Chengdu Pandaman	44 - 6	N/A	Week 9
2019-11-02 21:35:42November 2, 2019	Hangzhou Smilodons vs Hangzhou Generals	89 - 0	N/A	Week 10
2019-11-02 21:39:54November 2, 2019	Hong Kong Warhawks vs Foshan Tigers	21 - 0 #	N/A	Week 10
2019-11-09 21:55:06November 9, 2019	Shanghai Titans vs Shanghai Street Cats	42 - 0	N/A	Week 11

Report

Wuhan Berserkers lived up to their name, out-gunning the rest of the 21-team Chinese National Football League and growing in confidence as the 2019 season progressed.

The ‘Best in the West’ went 4-0 in the Regular Season, dethroning Chengdu Pandaman who would not go into the Playoffs as division winners for the first time ever after the Berserkers defeated the Pandaman 44-6 to finish the Regular Season.

In the Playoff Quarter-Finals Wuhan outgunned Foshan Tigers (4-2) 52-8 to take on Shanghai powerhouse Warriors in the Semi-Finals where they put up an unbelievable 84 points to the Warriors 40 in a shootout to become the first team outside of Shanghai to reach the Championship game since 2013.

In The Championship Game Wuhan met Shanghai Titans, the ‘Beast from the East’, themselves undefeated after also going 4-0 in the Regular Season and defeating first Taiyuan Troops 62-0 in the Quarter-Finals before stumbling to a 23-12 victory over a surprising Hong Kong Warhawks in the other Semi-Final.

Wuhan Berserkers triumhed 36-13 over Shanghai Titans in the Championship (see report above). Following the game, Quarterback Jarred Evans signed for Bern Grizzlies in the Swiss Nationalliga A, one of the top National Leagues in Europe.

Wuhan Berserkers became the first ever team to make it into the American Football International / Inside Sport Japan Top 250 Teams in the World (outside USA and Canada) with the Championship win. [Reference: 16]

References

Websites

[1] American Football International (2019) 08/23/2019 Chinese National Football League in full swing [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-in-full-swing/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[2] American Football International (2019) 08/30/2019 Chinese National Football League kicking into high gear [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-kicking-into-high-gear/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[3] American Football International (2019) 09/06/2019 Chinese National Football League: Political unrest in Hong Kong disrupts travel but 2 games played [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-political-unrest-in-hong-kong-disrupts-travel-but-2-games-played/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[4] American Football International (2019) 09/15/2019 Tops teams surging in Chinese National Football League [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/tops-teams-surging-in-chinese-national-football-league/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[5] American Football International (2019) 10/10/2019 Chinese National Football League heading past midseason [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-heading-past-midseason/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[6] American Football International (2019) 10/22/2019 China: Favorites starting to pull away in CNFL [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/china-favorites-starting-to-pull-away-in-cnfl/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[7] American Football International (2019) 10/26/2019 China: Division Titles clinched, CNFL playoff bracket begins to take shape [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/china-division-titles-clinched-cnfl-playoff-bracket-begins-to-take-shape/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[8] American Football International (2019) 11/01/2019 Chinese National Football League: Playoff matchups decided as North and West wrap up regular season [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-playoff-matchups-decided-as-north-and-west-wrap-up-regular-season/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[9] American Football International (2019) 11/14/2019 Chinese National Football League heads into playoffs [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-heads-into-playoffs/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[10] American Football International (2019) 11/16/2019 5 Things to Consider heading into the Chinese National Football League playoffs: [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/5-things-to-consider-heading-into-the-chinese-national-football-league-playoffs/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[11] American Football International (2019) 11/26/2019 Chinese National Football League marches through playoffs [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-marches-through-playoffs/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[12] American Football International (2019) 11/28/2019 Chinese National Football League quarterfinals set for this weekend [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/chinese-national-football-league-quarterfinals-set-for-this-weekend/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[13] American Football International (2019) 12/13/2019 China: CNFL cream rises to the top in quarterfinals [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/china-cnfl-cream-rises-to-the-top-in-quarterfinals/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

[14] American Football International (2019) 12/30/2019: Allen Hu – [Internet] Available from: https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/road-to-championship-down-to-two-in-chinese-national-football-league/ [Accessed 12 April 2025]

About Eirball

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 13 May 2025. First Published: 13 May 2025

February 24, 2025

GAA Hurling Christy Ring Cup 2021

GAA Logo [Reference: 1]

Tables

Christy Ring Cup 2021	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Group 1
Wicklow
Derry
Offaly
Sligo
Group 2
Down
Roscommon
Kildare
London

[Reference: 2]

About Hurling

Hurling is an ancient Gaelic Irish Sport, and one of the four Charter GAA Sports of 1884. It is played with a Hurl or Hurley (stick) and a sliotar (ball) and is one of the fastest team sports in the world. It is 15-a-side and Goals (worth 3 points) are scored as well as points (over the bar – worth one point). It is organised on a Club and County basis like most GAA Sports and has County, Provncial and All-Ireland Championships. Within both Club and County Championships there is the Hurling League (usually run over winter) and the Hurling Championship (usually run over summer). There are about 12 Top Level (Division 1) Counties that play for the Liam McCarthy Cup, as well as the Christy Ring Cup (Division 2), and Nicky Rackard (Division 3) and Lory Meaghar Cups (Division 4). Outside of Ireland there are 14 Counties that also play Gaelic Football and sometimes Hurling, with London, Warwickshire and Lancashire taking part in the lower levels of the All-Ireland Championships. The Christy Ring Cup is the Level 2 All-Ireland County Championship in Hurling, named after the great Cork player.

References

Websites

Images

[1] Donegal Daily (2017) GAA Logo [Internet] Available from: http://www.donegaldaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/gaa-logo.png [Accessed 2 December 2017]

Websites

[2] GAA (2019) Hurling Christy Ring Cup Tables [Internet] Available from: https://www.gaa.ie/hurling/christy-ring/tables [Accessed 28 December 2020]

[3] GAA (2019) Hurling Christy Ring Cup [Internet] Available from: https://www.gaa.ie/hurling/christy-ring/ [Accessed 28 December 2020]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Gabriel McCloyne & Tom Dunne.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | GAA World Archive

Last Updated: 28 December 2020

February 24, 2025

Athletic Union League Futsal League Premier Division 2020-21

Athletic Union League Logo [Reference: 1]

Table

AUL Futsal Premier	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Ballymun United
Blue Magic Futsal
Bohemian AFC
Dublin City Futsal
Dublin Deaf Futsal
Home Farm/ St. Ita’s Futsal
Old Boys BM
ProBrazil Football Academy
Puskas Hagi Futsal
St. Ita’s Futsal (Seniors)
Tolka Rovers

[Reference: 2]

References

Images

[1] Stoppage Time (2017) AUL Logo [Internet] Available from: http://stoppagetime.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/aul.png [Accessed 8 February 2017]

Websites

[2] Athletic Union League (2017) AUL Futsal Premier League 2020-21 Table [Internet] Available from: [Accessed 28 December 2020]

[3] Athletic Union League (2017) AUL Futsal Premier League 2020-21 Matches [Internet] Available from: [Accessed 28 December 2020]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Paul Foley, Emerson Callender and Niall Brennan.

About this document

Prepared and maintained by Enda Mulcahy for the Irish North American and World Sports Archive Last Updated: 25 June 2020 (c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020 You are may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.

February 24, 2025

Irish Basketball Association Men’s Junior B U19 Sprite Cup 1997-98

Regional Finals

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	North West
14.12.1997	Longford Falcons	88	Ballina	71
	East
14.12.1997	Kilnamanagh	113	Cobras Trim	35

[Reference: 1]

Report

In the Regional Finals of the Irish Basketball Association Men’s Under 19 B Junior Sprite Cup in mid-December 1997, Longford Falcons defeated Ballina (Co. Mayo) by 16 points in the North West Final, while Kilnamanagh (Dublin) had an easy 113 to 35 win over Cobras Trim of Co. Meath in the East Final.

About Basketball Ireland / Irish Basketball Association Cups

The Irish Basketball Association ran the National Cup for the Top Two Divisions as well as any regional teams that wished to enter in both Men’s and Women’s as well as Junior (Under 19) Cup for both Men and Women as well as a Junior B (U19) Regional Cup for both Men and Women. The Cups were Knockout (single elimination) from the First Round. They were replaced by Super League and Division 1 Cups when the Association rebranded as Basketball Ireland in 2003. The Junior (U19) Cups were replaced by Under 20 and Under 18 Cups. Other Cups included the Irish Wheelchair Basketball Cup and introduced in the late 2010s the National Intermediate Cup Competition (Tier 3).

References

Newspapers

[1] Anon. (1997) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, December 15, 1997. Pg. 32-33.

[2] Anon. (1998) “A-Z of Weekend Sport: Basketball” Irish Independent. Monday, January 26, 1998, Pg. 31

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Jim Naughton.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 19 December 2020

February 24, 2025

Offaly GAA Brosna Press Senior Hurling Final 2019

Offaly GAA Crest [Reference: 1]

Group Tables

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
Group 1
Kilcormac-Kiloughey	4	3	1	0	95	80	7
Ballinamere	4	3	0	1	86	71	6
Kinnitty	4	2	1	1	70	68	5
Coolderry GAA	4	1	0	3	78	85	2
Belmont GAA	4	0	0	4	60	85	0
Group 2
Birr	4	4	0	0	103	55	8
St. Rynagh’s Hurling Club	4	3	0	1	59	58	6
Shinrone	4	2	0	2	72	51	4
Seir Kieran	4	1	0	3	66	94	2
Tullamore	4	0	0	4	59	101	0

Offaly GAA Brosna Press Division 1 Hurling League 2019 [References: 2]

Group Results

*Date*	*Home Team*		*Away Team*
	Group 1
09.03.2019	Kinnitty	0-17	Kilcormac-Killoughey	1-14
10.03.2019	Ballinamere	2-12	Belmont GAA	0-9
23.03.2019	Coolderry GAA	1-17	Ballinamere	4-13
24.03.2019	Belmont GAA	1-14	Kinnitty	1-17
20.04.2019	Kinnitty	1-15	Coolderry	1-14
23.04.2019	Kilcormac-Killoughey	1-22	Belmont GAA	1-15
06.05.2019	Coolderry GAA	2-13	Kilcormac-Killoughey	0-26
07.05.2019	Ballinamere	2-11	Kinnitty	1-12
30.05.2019	Kilcormac-Killoughey	1-24	Ballinamere	3-17
03.06.2019	Belmont GAA	0-16	Coolderry GAA	0-22
	Group 2
09.03.2019	Birr	2-28	Tullamore	0-10
09.03.2019	St. Rynagh’s Hurling Club	1-18	Seir Kieran	2-11
23.03.2019	Shinrone	conc.	St. Rynagh’s Hurling Club	0-0
14.04.2019	Seir Kieran	1-12	Birr	2-14
23.04.2019	Birr	1-19	Shinrone	1-9
20.04.2019	Tullamore	3-10	Seir Kieran	0-21
07.05.2019	St. Rynagh’s Hurling Club	1-15	Birr	2-21
08.05.2019	Shinrone	3-17	Tullamore	2-10
30.05.2019	Seir Kieran	1-10	Shinrone	2-28
04.06.2019	Tullamore	1-11	St. Rynagh’s Hurling Club	3-11

Offaly GAA Brosna Press Division 1 Hurling League 2019 [References: 2]

References

Images

[1] Offaly GAA (2019) offaly-gaa-logo-01 [Internet] Available from: https://offaly.gaa.ie/wp-content/themes/c_and_c_offaly/img/offaly-gaa-logo-01.png [Accessed 9 September 2020]

Websites

[2] Offaly GAA (2019) Adult Leagues – Brosna Press Div 1 Hurling League [Gr. 1][Gr. 2] [Internet] Available from: http://www.offaly.gaa.ie/fixtures-results/leagues [Accessed 30 August 2019]

[3] Offaly GAA (2019) Adult Leagues – Brosna Press Div 1 Hurling League [Fixtures-Results – Senior] [Internet] Available from: https://offaly.gaa.ie/2019-fixtures-results/senior/ [Accessed 9 September 2020]