Rushmoor Knights

Rushmoor Knights
Established	1985;40 years ago
Based in	Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire
Home stadium	King George V playing fields
Head coach	Coach Paul "Benny" Wakeford
League	BAFA National Leagues
Division	Premiership South
Colours	Scarlet Red, Columbia Blue, Grey, White ;
Franchise record	974–340–43 (.734)
League titles	One (2004)
Division titles	Three (2000, 2007, 2015)
Current uniform

Last updated March 17, 2025

The Rushmoor Knights American Football Club (formerly Southern Seminoles, Personal Assurance Knights/PA Knights, Delonghi Knights, Farnham Knights) are a British American football club based in Rushmoor, Hampshire. The Club has three teams; the Rushmoor Knights (20+), the Rushmoor Knights U19 (16 - 19) and the Rushmoor Knights U16 (14 - 16). The Knights play in the Premiership South of the British American Football Association National Leagues and were the Britbowl champions in 2004.

Origins

Farnham Knights Logo, 1985–2019

Cheerleader's jacket 2015

The team was founded as the Farnham Knights in 1985, under Head Coach Marc Salazar, who was an American service member, serving in the United States Air Force, at RAF Greenham Common. The team played their first friendly in 1985 as the Farnham Knights against the Thames Valley Chargers. The franchise joined the Budweiser League, Div 1, for the league's inaugural season in 1986 and went on to a successful 5 - 5 season. Their second season, 1987, saw the Knights complete their conference schedule undefeated to win their first conference title.

During 1994 the Farnham Knights merged with the Hampshire Cavaliers and were renamed the Southern Seminoles. Personal Assurance stepped in during 1997 to sponsor the side which led to the return of the Knights moniker, the Personal Assurance Knights. In 2007, MH Football Shop took over the main sponsorship of the club, to rename them the Farnham MH Knights.

In 2008, a new main sponsor, Fast Lane, stepped in with a two-year deal. The team were then known as the Farnham Fast Lane Knights.

League placing and catchment

As the only club in the Blackwater Valley the Knights have drawn players from across Surrey and Hampshire, within 20 miles (32 km) are Woking, Guildford, Farnborough, Aldershot, Bracknell and Basingstoke.

All games were played at Farnham Rugby Club from 2013, the first season in the club's history that it has been based in the town of Farnham itself after only playing 1 game at Farnham Rugby Club's old ground in Wrecclesham.^[1] They have since moved to King George V playing fields in Farnborough back in the borough of Rushmoor, leading to the re-naming.

Farnham Knights rebranded to the Rushmoor Knights ahead of the 2021 BAFANL season.

Honours

Budweiser League Div 1 Southern League Champions 1986
BSL Div 2 Conference Champions 1987
BNGL National Bowl Runners-Up 1992
National Passball Champions 1993
BSL Div 2 Conference Champions 1994
BYAFA Youth National Runner-up 1994 (1)
BYAFA Youth National Champions 1996 (1)
BSL Div 2 Conference Champions 1997
BYAFA Youth National Runner-up 1997 (1)
BYAFA Youth National Runner-up 1998 (1)
BSL Div 2 National Champions 2000
BSL Div 2 Conference Champions 2000
BSL Div 1 National Championship Runners-Up 2002
BYAFA Junior Kitted Champions 2004
EFAF Cup Runners Up 2004^[2]
BSL Div 1 Southern Conference Champions 2004
BAFL National Championship Winners 2004
BAFL Div 1 Southern Conference Champions 2005^[3]
BAFL Div 1 National Championship Runners up 2005
BAFL Div 1 National Championship Winners 2007
BAFL Youth National Championship Runners up 2007 (1)
BAFL Youth National Championship Winners 2009 (1)
BAFANL Youth South West Conference Champions 2013
BAFANL Juniors Southern Conference Champions 2014
BAFANL Juniors National Championship Runners up 2014
BAFANL Southern Football Conference (Division 1) Champions 2015
BAFANL Oak Bowl SFC Division 1 Play Off Final - Winners 2015

(1) Prior to 2011, the term "Youth" was used for 16 to 19 year olds. Since 2011, Youth is for 14 to 17 year olds and Juniors is for 16 to 19 year olds.

Season-by-season Records

1980s
Head Coach	Season	League	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
Marc Salazar	1985	Budweiser League	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	—
Marc Salazar	1986	Budweiser League	5	5	0	.500	—	0	0	.000	—
Marc Salazar	1987	Budweiser League	10	0	0	1.00	—	0	1	.000	Southern Division Champions. Lost to the Ashton Oilers in the postseason.
Marc Salazar	1988	NGL (Premiership)	5	5	0	.000	3rd	0	0	.000	—
Frank Snyder	1989	CGL (Premiership)	7	3	0	.700	—	0	1	.000	Lost to the Rockingham Rebels in the postseason.

1990s
Head Coach	Season	League	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
Mike Hassett	1990	BNGL (Premiership)	3	6	1	.350	—	0	0	.000	—
John Archer	1991	BNGL (Premiership)	7	3	0	.700	—	1	1	.500	—
Richard Foster	1992	BNGL (Premiership)	6	2	0	.750	—	1	1	.500	Southern Division Champions. Lost to Colts 30-26 in the BNGL Championship.
Mike Reeves	1993	BNGL (Premiership)	6	2	0	.750	—	1	1	.500	Lost to the Bournemouth Buccanears in the Semi-finals.
Phil Maltby	1994	BNGL (Premiership)	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	Merged with the Hampshire Cavaliers, and played as a Southern Seminoles.
Phil Maltby	1995	BNGL (Premiership)	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	Played as the Southern Seminoles
Phil Maltby	1996	BNGL (Premiership)	3	6	1	.350	—	0	0	0	Played as the Southern Seminoles
Steve Rains	1997	BNGL (Premiership)	10	0	0	1.00	—	1	1	.500	Renamed to the Farnham Knights. Lost to the Bristol Aztecs in the Semi-finals 13-12.
Steve Rains	1998	BNGL (Premiership)	4	6	0	.400	—	0	0	.000	—
Steve Rains	1999	BNGL (Premiership)	1	8	1	.150	—	0	0	.000	Relegated to Division 2.

2000s
Head Coach	Season	League	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
Steve Rains	2000	Division 2	8	0	0	1.00	—	3	0	.000	Won the Division 2 National Championship vs Ipswich Cardinals 41-7. Promoted to Premiership.
Steve Rains	2001	Premiership	5	3	0	.625	—	0	1	.000	—
Steve Rains	2002	Premiership	8	2	0	.800	—	2	1	.667	Lost to London Olympians in the Championship.
Steve Rains	2003	Premiership	8	2	0	.800	—	0	1	.000	1-1 in EFAF Play.
Steve Rains	2004	Premiership	9	0	1	.955	—	1	1	.500	Won the National Championship vs London Olympians 28-14. Qualified for the EFAF Cup. 1-2 in EFAF Play.
Steve Rains	2005	Premiership	9	1	0	.900	—	1	1	.500	Lost to London Olympians in Division 1 Championship 22-21. Qualified for the EFAF Cup. 1-1 in EFAF Play.
Steve Rains	2006	Premiership	5	5	0	.500	—	0	0	.000	Qualified for the EFAF Cup. 1-2 in EFAF Play. Relegated due to league reorganisation.
Steve Rains	2007	Division 1	10	0	0	1.00	—	2	0	1.00	Won the Division 1 National Championship vs Ipswich Cardinals 47-7.^[4]
Ian Ellis	2008	—	0	0	0	0.00	—	—	—	—	—
Ian Ellis	2009	—	0	0	0	0.00	—	—	—	—	—

2010s
Head Coach	Season	League	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
Ian Ellis	2010	—	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	—
Ian Ellis	2011	—	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	—
	2012	—	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	Team withdrew from play for the 2012 Season. Relegated to Division 1.
Shaun Gray	2013	Division 1	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	—
Steve Rains	2014	Division 1	9	1	0	.900	—	0	1	.000	—
Steve Rains	2015	Division 1	8	1	1	.855	—	2	0	1.00	Division 1 South Champions. Promoted to the Premiership
Steve Rains	2016	Premiership	0	0	0	.000	4th	0	0	.000	—
Tango Lockwood	2017	Premiership	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	—
Tango Lockwood	2018	Premiership	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	—
Tango Lockwood	2019	Premiership	1	9	0	.100	—	0	0	.000	Relegated to Division 1 for 2020 Season

2020s
Head Coach	Season	League	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
	2020	Division 1	0	0	0	.000	—	0	0	.000	Season cancelled due to COVID-19.
Pete Fields	2021	Division 1	4	4	0	.500	2nd (League)	1	1	.500	Lost to Solent Thrashers in Division 1 Championship 34-14.
Pete Fields	2022	Division 1	8	2	0	.800	3rd (League)	0	1	.000	Lost to Hertfordshire Cheetahs in Divisional Round 21-12.
Paul Wakeford	2023	Division 1	6	4	0	.600	5th (League)	0	1	.000	Lost to London Olympians in Wildcard Round 24-21.
Paul Wakeford	2024	Division 1	8	0	0	1.00	1st (League)	2	1	.667	Lost to Nottingham Caesars in Division 1 Championship 49-9. Earned promotion to the Premiership for the 2025 season.