History
The Steelers were formed in 2013, and lost their first game in the associate process to the Shropshire Revolution 42–12. In 2014, they were granted full BAFA status [1] and placed in the National Leagues Central division, in the second tier of the British league structure. [2] They would finish the season bottom of the division with a 2–8 record, defeating the Lincolnshire Bombers and Leicester Falcons in their debut season.
After a realignment in league structure for 2015, the Steelers were placed in the third tier in the NFC2 South. [3] Under head coach Jay Alexander, The Steelers finished with a perfect 10–0 record atop their division, and beat the Leicester Falcons and Newcastle Vikings before defeating the Peterborough Saxons 24–7 in the NFC2 Bowl at the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds. [4]
After promotion, they were placed in the Midlands Football Conference 1. They finished with a 9–1 record, and were eliminated from the playoffs by eventual Division 1 National Champions, the Bury Saints. Following this game, Jay Alexander stepped down as head coach, and was replaced by former Birmingham Lion and Steelers' O-Line and assistant head coach, Ross Barrow. [5] After another realignment, the Steelers were placed in the Northern Football Conference 1 South, and were considered amongst the favourites for promotion to the Premier division. [6]
In week two of the 2017 season, the Steelers set a new club record for their biggest victory, defeating the Coventry Jets 71–0. [7] Ahead of the 2018 season, Ross Barrow stepped down from the role of head coach, and was replaced by former Brunel University defensive co-ordinator Maxwell Petitjean. [8]
In 2019, the Steelers completed a perfect regular season in the NFC1 South. [9] In the post-season, they came back from a twenty-point deficit to defeat the East Kilbride Pirates, and defeated the #2 seed Northumberland Vikings in the northern final to secure promotion to the premier division for the first time in their history. [10]
Women's team
The Sandwell Steelers Women's team was formed in January 2014 [14] and compete in a number of different formats. In August 2014, the team competed in their first friendly game against the Chester Romans at home, securing their first ever victory winning 35–0. In 2015 the team entered the BAFA leagues competing in their first 5v5 full contact Sapphire Series finishing 11th out of 13 teams.
In 2016, the league was restructured due to the influx of new women's teams and the Steelers entered the 5v5 Sapphire Series in Division 2 South, competing in four rounds and eight games. [15] In 2017, the Steelers competed in the 5v5 Sapphire Series in the Division 2 North & West Conference competing in four rounds and eight games and finished with their first ever winning season with a 5–3 record, placing third in the Division 2 North & West. [16]
In 2018, the Steelers moved up to the 7v7 format of the game and competed in the Sapphire Series in the Division 2A North Conference taking part in four rounds and eight games. Sandwell went into Round 4 top of the North so skipped straight to the semi-finals, ultimately winning against the Wembley Stallions 27–7. Sandwell advanced to the finals against the Portsmouth Dreadnoughts and lost 18–14, securing second place in the Division. [17] In 2018/19 the Steelers were promoted to Division 1. The Steelers won their opening game against Portsmouth but lost all subsequent games finishing 3rd in the Conference.
In 2019, some of the Steelers joined ranks with local rival the Birmingham Lions to play an 11v11 fixture against the Arlanda Jets in Stockholm. The game ending 7–0 to Arlanda. A number of the Steelers Women have represented the GB Lions since their inception. [18] Steelers current head coach Sam Rafferty is also defensive line coach for the women's GB team for 2019.
As of 2012 the Berkshire Renegades are an American Football team currently competing in the Division 2 South British American Football League. play their home games at the University of Reading in Reading, Berkshire. First formed in 1985, they competed in the United Kingdom American Football Association, the Budweiser League, the Combined Gridiron League and the British National Gridiron League before folding in 1990. They were reformed in 2005 and entered the BAFL the following year. At the conclusion of the 2009 season, the BAFL ceased to operate and the Berkshire Renegades joined the BAFA Community Leagues. At the conclusion of the 2011 Season the Berkshire Renegades were invited to compete in the BAFA National Leagues Division 1 for the 2012 Season. The team accepted and were placed in Division 1 Central & South. At the conclusion of the 2012 season, the BAFANL decided to re-align the league once again and the Renegades were put in the Premier South division.
The Coventry Jets were an American football team based in Coventry, England.The club ceased to exist in 2018 and dropped out of the BAFA National Leagues with all club assets and teams being moved over to the Etone Jaguars based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
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 1 Central, the second level of British American Football. They currently operate from the UCLAN Sports Arena and were formed in 1989 but were a coming together of two previous sides that had folded, the Wigan Wolverines and the Lancashire Chieftains. The Wolverines folded again in 2004 but had reformed and been re-instated by 2007. Aside from their current home, the team has previously operated from other towns within the area namely Blackburn and Wigan in Greater Manchester.
The East Kilbride Pirates are an American Football team based in Glasgow, Scotland, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues Premier North, the highest level of British American football. The club although formed in East Kilbride currently operate in Glasgow and play their home games at Braidholm. They are both the most successful and the oldest surviving American Football team in Scotland having been formed in 1985. The club has won Division 1 National titles in 2011 and 2022 and are eleven-time Divisional champions.
The Leicester Panthers are an American football team based in Leicester, England, that competes in the BAFA National Leagues Premier Division North, the top level of British American football. Their current home ground is at Aylestone Park F.C., having previously played at De Montfort Park and Leicester Forest RFC.
The Birmingham Bulls are an American football team based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. They play their home games at Kings Norton RFC in Hopwood. They are a member of the NFC Division One South in the BAFA National Leagues.
The London Warriors are an American football club based in Thornton Heath, London, England, they compete in the BAFA National Leagues Premier Division South, the highest level of British American football. They operate from Selhurst Sports Arena and were formed in 2007 as the London Cobras, but changed their name to Warriors a couple of years later.
The Peterborough Saxons were a British American Football team based in Thorney, Cambridgeshire. They played in the BAFA Nation League's Midlands Conference Division One for the 2016 season but dropped out the League after one regular season game. The senior team was first formed in 2001 as the East Midlands Saxons and entered senior competition the following year. Particular seasons of note are 2008, 2012, and 2015, where the Saxons have won a significant number of games, achieved the play-offs or final, and achieved promotion. The Saxons folded in 2016 following an opening day defeat to the Nottingham Caesars.
The Hertfordshire Cheetahs are an American football team based in Watford, including a senior kitted team (contact) competing in the BAFA National Leagues (BAFANL), Under 16 and under 19 kitted teams (contact) a women's kitted team and The Hertfordshire Cheetahs Flag Football under 11 and under 14 Flag football (non-contact) teams playing in the Youth Flag Football League (YFFL). Currently all teams train and host their home games at Sun Postal Sports & Social Club, Bellmount Wood Avenue, Watford, WD17 3BN. The senior team was first formed in 1986 and entered a senior competition the following year, making them the third-longest continuously competing team in the United Kingdom behind only the Birmingham Bulls and Glasgow Tigers. During their history, the Cheetahs have reached the Divisional Playoff final on four occasions: in 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2018.The 2018 final was their first championship victory beating the Portsmouth Dreadnoughts for division 2 honours.
The Nottingham Caesars are an American football team based in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, who operate in the BAFA National Leagues NFC South 1, the second level of British American football. They are based at the Harvey Hadden Stadium in the Bilborough area of the city. The team is affectionately known by its players and fans as "The Big C" and was formed in 1984 initially as the youth team of the Nottingham Hoods before later splitting off to form its own adult side.
The BAFANL are the primary American football domestic League competition in Great Britain. 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 Great Britain national American football team, known as the GB Lions represents the UK in international gridiron. It is controlled by the British American Football Association.
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.
The Manchester Titans are an American football team based in Manchester, England, that competes in the BAFA National Leagues Premier Division North, the highest level of British American Football. The team operate from the National Speedway Stadium in Gorton. The Titans were given British American Football League status in 2003, although they missed the following season in order to be restructured for the 2005 campaign. The team was founded in 2003 by two Ex-Manchester Allstars Youth team players who had been playing their football outside of the city.
The Sheffield Giants are an American football team based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, that competes in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 South, the second level of British American football. They were formed in 2008 as the Sheffield Predators but re-branded to the Giants in 2016 in a nod to the Steel City Giants who folded in the 1980s. In 2012 they were crowned Division Two Bowl Champions after defeating the Peterborough Saxons at the Don Valley Stadium.
The Northumberland Vikings are an American Football team based in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, they compete in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 Central, the second level of British American football. They play at Druid Park and were formed in 2014 as the Newcastle Vikings. The Vikings entered the League in 2015 and after early success and a promotion they went on to lose in 2017 Division 1 Play-offs, shortly afterwards they announced that they had merged with BAFA Division 2 side Northumberland Lightning(formed in 2012). The new Vikings adopted the Northumberland title but retained their original colours, logo and continued to operate from Newcastle with the Lightning vacating their base at Ashington to absorb into the Vikings setup in Newcastle.
The Halton Spartans are an American Football team based in Widnes, Cheshire, England, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 Central, the second level of British American Football. They are currently homeless. Formed in 2014 as the Runcorn Spartans the club were elected to the League the following year and went on to win the NFC 2 West title in 2019 earning promotion to Division 1.
The Yorkshire Academy Bobcats are a British American football team based in Leeds, West Yorkshire who play in the BAFA National Leagues at Associate Level. The club was formed as the Leeds Bobcats in 2008 as a youth football team following ties with the Celina Bobcats from Texas. A Bobcats senior team began playing associate Football from 2011 onwards until being granted BAFA status in 2014 in order to debut in the 2015 season. The club has since grown from strength to strength from then onward making it to the playoffs in their second season.
The Scunthorpe Alphas are an American football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England that competes in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 Central, 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. The Alphas were made full BAFA members in October 2020 and will play in Division Two for the 2022 season.
