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| Established | 1984 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Based in | Crewe | ||||||||||||||||
| Head coach | Simon Richards | ||||||||||||||||
| League | BAFA National Leagues | ||||||||||||||||
| Division | NFC 2 West | ||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Railroaders | ||||||||||||||||
| Division titles | 1988 BNGL Midlands Div 1985 UKAFA Central Div | ||||||||||||||||
| Current uniform | |||||||||||||||||
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The Crewe Railroaders are an American football team based in Crewe, Cheshire, England, founded in 1984. They play in NFC 2 West of the BAFA National Leagues. [1] The team resumed playing competitive games in 2012, having reformed in 2010 after folding in 1990. [2]
The Crewe Railroaders were formed in November 1984 by Gary Delaney. [3] The team competed with the Hereford Chargers and took part in the first season of American Football in Great Britain. The Railroaders were crowned inaugural Central Division Champions with a record of 5–2–1. [4]
The team was renamed to Railroaders '89 under Kevin Randle. They won the 1989 season with a 5-4-1 record. 1990 was the Railroaders final season. The team lost with a record of 3–7–0. [5]
The team collapsed in 1993 and later re-formed in 2010. [2] The team had around 200 registered members before it folded. [6]
In 2010, former Railroaders got together and agreed that Crewe needed an American Football team again. These veterans were quickly joined by some newer players after a recruitment drive [7] and a "rookie day" were held. [8] At the start of 2015 the club welcomed over 40 players for their first training session of the year. [9]
The team is the subject of a film called Gridiron UK, [10] the screenplay of which was written by team founder, coach and player Gary Delaney. [11] [12] The film premiered in September 2016. [13]
In 2021 the team lost all games they played [14] and in 2023 the team finished 0–8 in the NFC 2West division. [15] The club dropped to associate status in March 2024 [16]
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of the town's links with the rail industry, and also commonly known as 'The Alex', they have played at their current Gresty Road location since 1906. The supporters' fiercest rivalry is with Staffordshire-based side Port Vale.
Crewe is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The civil parish of Crewe had a population of 55,318 in the 2021 census. The larger Crewe built-up area, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston, Shavington cum Gresty and Wistaston, had a total population of 76,437 in 2021.
Alsager is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north-west of Stoke-on-Trent and east of Crewe. The town's population was 13,389 at the 2021 census.
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David John Artell is a football manager and former professional player who is head coach of EFL League Two club Grimsby Town.
The Lincolnshire Bombers are a British American football team based in North Hykeham, Lincolnshire, England. The team in its current form was founded in 2005. They currently play in the BAFA NFC South 2 for the 2019 season. The original team the Lincoln Bombers were formed in the late 1980s and in 1992 the team was renamed the Lincoln Saints. The Saints were 1993 National First Division champions. Following several mergers with other regional clubs The Saints disbanded leaving the county without an American Football team until the club reformed in 2005.
The Lancashire Wolverines are an American football team based in Preston, Lancashire, England, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 2 North, the third level of British American Football.
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The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) is the primary American football domestic league competition in Great Britain. Originally formed in 1983, the league is run by the British American Football Association to coordinate contact football within England, Scotland and Wales. The top level is the Premier Division and the BritBowl is the annual final championship game. The league was reformed in 2010 following the collapse of the British American Football League, which had run in a number of different guises since the early 1980s. Previous names of the league were the UKAFL (UK American Football League), the Budweiser League and the BNGL (British National Gridiron League). From 1998 until 2005 the league was known as the BSL (British Senior League). Tensions grew throughout 2009 between the directors of BAFL and those of the governing body the British American Football Association, and at the beginning of 2010 the BAFL formally, but unconstitutionally, withdrew from BAFA. This led to uproar from the teams within BAFL, ultimately signalling the end for BAFL as an entity. The league ceased operations on 1 April 2010 and was replaced by the BAFA Community Leagues for the 2010 season, rebranding in 2011 to become the BAFANL. Notable players to have come from the BAFANL who have gone on to play in the NFL are Efe Obada, Aden Durde, Jermaine Allen and Marvin Allen.
The Aberdeen Roughnecks are an American football club based in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 Scotland, the second level of British American Football. The team operate from the Sports field within Hazlehead Park that they nickname "The Rig". They were formed in 2012 and after progressing out of Associate status they debuted in the 2014 season. The club have paid homage to the previous Aberdeen-based side the Granite City Oilers and have considered themselves a continuation of the Oilers.
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The Chester Romans are an American Football team based in Chester, Cheshire, England, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 South, the second level of British American football. The club operate from Cheshire County Sports Club and were formed in 1986, making them one of the oldest surviving teams in the UK. They are five-time Divisional champions and operate an affiliated youth team called the Flintshire Romans for ages from 8 to 19.
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The Humber Warhawks are a British American football team based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire who play in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 2 East, the third level of American football in the country. The club represent the counties of East Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire by taking their name from the Humber Estuary that flows between the two counties and the Humber Bridge which connects them. The club were formed in 2014 when the Kingston Warhawks merged with fellow associate team the Grimsby Scorpions, it was decided to use the term "Humber" due to the Humber Estuary and Humber Bridge that separate Hull and the county of East Yorkshire and Grimsby and the county of North East Lincolnshire. They were later granted official BAFA status and debuted in the 2015 season.
Thomas Richard Lowery is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Portsmouth.
Oliver Vincent Finney is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kidsgrove Athletic.
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The Scunthorpe Alphas are an American football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England that competes in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 North, the second tier of British American football. The club play their home games at Quibell Park Stadium and were formed in late 2018 by a consortium of coaches and former players who had previously played together at other local sides. In formation the Alphas became the second American football team to represent Scunthorpe following the Steelers who folded in 1990.
