Tamworth Phoenix

Last updated

Tamworth Phoenix
Tamworthphoenixlogo.png
Founded2004;19 years ago (2004)
League BAFA National Leagues
DivisionPremier Division North
Location Coleshill, Warwickshire
Stadium Pack Meadow
ColoursBlack Helmets, White, Orange and Black Jerseys, Black Pants
General managerEliot Walters
Division titles7: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Playoff berths12: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
BritBowl titles1: 2017
Website www.tamworthphoenix.co.uk
Uniforms
Tamworthphoenixuni16.png

The Tamworth Phoenix are an American football team based in Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues Premier Division North, the highest level of British American football. They operate from Pack Meadow in Coleshill, but represent the Town of Tamworth. Formed in 2004, The Phoenix are one of the most successful American Football teams in the UK and have won four back-to-back Premier Division North titles from 2016 to 2019. In 2017 they won Britbowl XXXI in 2017 against the London Blitz at Sixways Stadium in Worcester.

Contents

History

Early history

The Phoenix were founded in 2004 by Dave Winter, Jay Alexander, Ed Winter and Ryan Baker, after re-establishing youth football in the area, as the Tamworth Trojans, a year earlier. In their first season 2008, the Phoenix came 2nd in the BAFL2 Central conference behind champions the Nottingham Caesars. However, they avenged this by defeating them in the playoffs en route to a BritBowl 2 final defeat to the London Cobras, also a first year club.

Despite defeat in the BritBowl 2 final, Tamworth Phoenix were promoted to BAFL1 division and placed in the South-West Conference. The Phoenix completed the regular season with a record of 9–1, winning the South-West Conference, and moved into the playoffs as the #2 seed. After a victory over the Kent Exiles in the first round of the playoffs, their run was halted at the semi-final stage by the East Kilbride Pirates.

In the 2010 season, Tamworth completed a perfect 10–0 season, and a perfect post-season, winning the BritBowl against the East Kilbride Pirates, and moving to the BAFACL Premiership. It was a memorable season for the Phoenix as earlier in the year they had the chance to compete against the Australian Gridiron team as part their tri-nations warm up, and matched-up well, only losing 27–22 to the tourists.

Graham Kelly took over from Jay Alexander as head coach, and began life in the Premier League with a win against the East Kilbride Pirates at Lichfield Rugby Club. They built on this success with a 5-5 regular season record with victories over some of the established premiership teams. They were defeated by the London Warriors in the semi-finals of the Play-offs.

The 2014 season was the most successful Premiership campaign for the Phoenix. Having secured the second seed in the Northern Conference, the team beat the Bristol Aztecs in the National Playoffs before succumbing to the London Warriors in the semi-final.

2015 saw the appointment of James Hossack as team president, and Martin Hilton to the position of head coach (the fourth in the team's short history) and a fledgling partnership with the Atherstone Sports Hub, where the Phoenix will play their home games.

The next three seasons saw a serious up-tick in performances on the field. In 2015 the Phoenix finally defeated old-rivals East Kilbride in a regular season fixture, before a shock defeat at home to Sheffield saw them relinquish pole position in the conference, but a strong performance away at the defending champion London Warriors in the semi gave hope for things to come.

2016 saw a series of firsts for the club; namely the first undefeated regular season in the Premier League, and the team's first Conference crown, which paved the way for the Phoenix's first home playoff tie. Unfortunately they couldn't hold the momentum, as they lost to the London Blitz.

National success

In 2017, the Phoenix continued their successes in the regular season by once again running the table against BAFA Premier North opposition, scoring nearly 500 points in the process. The highlight of the season was a 62–3 win against the Merseyside Nighthawks in the last week of the season, going into the play-offs.

Despite being considerable underdogs, the Tamworth Phoenix took a 28–7 lead against the London Warriors in the semi-final, before the reigning national champions fought back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. A Will Hussey touchdown, Alex Lenkowski Field Goal, and two huge defensive stands saw the Phoenix outlast the Warriors, and earn a shot at the national title.

In the National Final on 26 August, at Sixfields Stadium Worcester, Tamworth faced the London Blitz for Britbowl XXXI. Pat Daley opened the scoring, before the Blitz answered back. Daley Scored another, before Lenkowski added a field goal to give the Phoenix a 17–7 lead just before the half.

A resurgent Blitz added a scores either side of the interval to give them the lead, before Daley threw an interception which lead to another London score. As the Phoenix trailed 28–17, Tamworth fought back. First through a Daley to Hussey touchdown pass, before Lenkowski reduced the deficit to 28–27. With 8 minutes left in the game, Ben Davies stepped in front of a Joe Thompson pass, to score an interception return and secure the 34–28 win.

Pat Daley was named Britbowl MVP, and the London Blitz were condemned to a fifth Britbowl defeat in as many years.

European football and the Jason Scott era

Martin Hilton announced his retirement shortly after Britbowl XXXI, with long-time Coordinator Jason Scott being handed the reins. Scott was part of the first Phoenix staff that helped establish the team, and his return from coaching in the United States coincided with James Hossack's naming as president.

As national champions, the Phoenix were invited into the Northern European Football League alongside the Carlstad Crusaders, Oslo Vikings and Copenhagen Towers. The Nix went to Copenhagen full of confidence, as they trounced the Manchester Titans, 57–6, in the opening game of the 2018 season, but were handily dispatched by a much bigger, more physical Towers team. A closer fought game against the Carlstad Crusaders brought another defeat, but the Nix rallied to beat the Oslo Vikings, 47–12, in the final match day in the NEFL.

The Nix romped to another undefeated regular season, and a third consecutive Northern Conference Title, scoring 552 points per game whilst leaking only 59; they beat the London Blitz in the National Semi-finals, 30–17, setting up another trip to Britbowl.

In a rainy day in Leeds, at the John Charles Stadium, the Tamworth Phoenix took on the London Warriors, who also made light work of their conference. Despite both teams boasting stingy defenses, the game was a shootout, won eventually by the Warriors 48–34.

The 2019 season saw many retirements; with stand-out players Tom Levick, Adam Hope and Will Hussey deciding to hang up their cleats. Talismanic quarterback Pat Daley joined the Hamburg Spartans in GFL2, joining Will Hobbs, Lewis Thomas and Wayne Drew in Europe. A total of 17 players left the club during the offseason, leading to a rebuilding year for the Phoenix.

Despite the high turnover of players, it was largely business as usual for Tamworth, despite the Manchester Titans handing the Phoenix their first regular season loss in four seasons. A 7–6 win against the London Blitz in the semi-finals, set up a repeat date with the Warriors in Britbowl XXXIII

Youth team

In February 2012 a new team was introduced, the youth team. The youth team games last 30 minutes and it is 5 vs 5. They faced a difficult first season having to forfeit nine games due to lack of players, but competed well against established teams like Standish Raiders, Birmingham Bulls and the Leicester Falcons.

In 2013, the appointment of Andrew Garrett brought new optimism to the Youth Program. Andrew Garrett had been promoted to the position of head coach. The following season they saw huge improvements on the field, beating Coventry Jets in the opening game of the year. They continued a rich vein of form by beating an experienced Yorkshire Rams team, before narrowly losing to Leicester. They also hosted their first home tournament, and built links for the future. 2014 brought more success as the Youth Team won their first tournament in Doncaster, and made the playoffs for the first time in their history.

Coaching staff

Roster

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers


Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Seasonal records

SeasonDivisionWinsLosses Ties PF PA Final Position Playoff RecordNotes
2008BAFL Division Two North Midlands62222745National Runners UpBeat Merseyside Nighthawks 173 in quarter-final.
Beat Nottingham Caesars 288 in semi-final.
Defeated by London Warriors 306 in final.
Conference champions.
Promoted to Division One.
2009BAFL Division One South West Conference91032251Defeated Semi-finalistsBeat Kent Exiles 2720 in quarter-final.
Defeated by East Kilbride 280 in semi-final.
Conference champions.
2010BAFL Division One South West Conference100042848National ChampionsBeat Gateshead Senators 2100 in quarter-final.
Beat Cambridge Cats 477 in semi-final.
Beat East Kilbride 3514 in final.
Conference champions.
Division 1 Champions.
Promoted to Premier League
2011BAFACL Premier55165124Did not make playoffs
2012BAFACL Premier640201176Defeated in first round of playoffsDefeated by London Olympians in quarter final
2013BAFACL Premier640178198Defeated in first round of playoffsDefeated by London Warriors in quarter final
2014BAFACL Premier North810229144Defeated Semi-finalistsBeat Bristol Aztecs 288 in quarter-final.
Defeated by London Warriors 4417 in semi-final
Seeded as #2 team in the North. Conference Runners Up
2015BAFACL Premier North82024690Defeated Semi-finalists
Defeated by London Warriors 149 in semi-final
Seeded as #2 team in the North. Conference Runners Up.
2016BAFACL Premier North1000229144Defeated Semi-finalistsDefeated by London Blitz 4417 in semi-finalSeeded as #1 team in the North.

Northern Conference Champions

2017BAFA Premier North100049279BRITBOWL XXXI ChampionsDefeated London Warriors 38–34 in Semi-final

Defeated London Blitz 34–28 in National Final

Seeded as #1 team in the North.

Northern Conference Champions.

National Champions

First National Championship in team history.

2018BAFA Premier North100055259Defeated in BRITBOWL XXXIIDefeated London Blitz 30–17 in Semi-final

Defeated by London Warriors in National Final

Seeded as #1 team in the North

Northern Conference Champions

2019BAFA Premier North91030384Defeated London Blitz 7–6 in Semi-finalSeeded as #1 team in the North

Northern Conference Champions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Aztecs</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

The SGS Bristol Aztecs are an American football team based in Filton, South Gloucestershire, England, who operate in the BAFA National Leagues Premier South, the highest level of British American football. They are the south-west's only Premiership team. They operate from the South Gloucestershire and Stroud College in Filton, and they represent the City of Bristol which is where the team was formed. Founded in 1990, The Aztecs are two-time BritBowl runners-up having missed out on the prize in 1999 and 2004. In 2020 the Aztecs football programme merged with the Filton Academy Pride setup, basing their full Academy setup at the SGS College, which has some of the best facilities in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Blitz (American football)</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

The London Blitz are an American football team based in Finsbury Park, North London, England, who compete BAFA National Leagues Premier Division South, the highest level of British American football. They were formed in 1995 and operate from Finsbury Park Athletics Stadium. They are one of the Britain's most successful teams and are five-time BritBowl winners as well as European Champions following their EFAF Cup triumph in 2011. They have also seven divisional titles to their name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridgeshire Cats</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

The Cambridgeshire Cats are an American football team based in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England who compete in BAFA National Leagues Premier Division South, the top level of British American football. They play their home games played at Coldhams Common in Cambridge. The club was first formed in 1984, entered senior competition in 1985 and won two divisional titles in the 1990s as well appearing in the playoffs a further six times before folding in 1998. They reformed once again in 2002 and re-entered senior competition, gaining promotion in 2003 only to be relegated two seasons later. Most recently, they won the South East Conference of Division One before losing to the Solent Thrashers in the playoff final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colchester Gladiators</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

The Colchester Gladiators are an American Football team competing in the South East National League of British American Football League (BAFL). They play their home games at the Corporal Budd VC Gymnasium. The club was first formed in 1983 and entered senior competition in 1985 where they enjoyed a degree of success, winning the Budweiser League Premier Division playoffs in 1988 and only failing to make the post season playoffs on three occasions before the team folded in 1995. They reformed again in 2003 after a high-profile charity reunion match which featured TV presenter Dermot O'Leary. The Gladiators entered the BAFL the following year, gaining promotion in 2006 only to be relegated after just one season. The Gladiators went on to win the 2013 National League title after recording an unbeaten 13–0 season.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Trojans</span> Former American Football team based in the United Kingdom (2004–2018)

The West Coast Trojans were an amateur American Football team based at Pro-Life Gym in Paisley, Scotland. In their final season, the Trojans competed in the BAFANL Division 2 North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Wales Warriors</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

The South Wales Warriors are a British American Football team based in Llanharan, Mid Glamorgan, Wales. They play in SFC 1 West for the 2022 season. The team was formed in 2001 after the Tiger Bay Warriors had disbanded due to the departure of head coach Rob Mota, along with key staff and players, by the remaining players and staff; the staff used equipment, resources and shirts from the folded Tiger Bay Warriors for economical purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Kilbride Pirates</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Bulls (American football)</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

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 East Kent Mavericks are an American Football team based in Canterbury, Kent. First formed in 2001 as a flag football team, they are the BAFA National Leagues D2 National Champions, D2 SFC Conference Champions and D2 SFC East Division Champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Warriors</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford Saints</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

Oxford Saints American Football Club is a British American football club that competes in the BAFANL. Currently the team competes at senior level and operate a women's only team (17+)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bournemouth Bobcats</span> American Football team based in the United Kingdom.

The Bournemouth Bobcats is an English American football team based in Bournemouth, Dorset competing in the first division of the British American Football Association's Southern Conference. The team's home ground is at Slades Farm, Bournemouth, BH10 4BU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Caesars</span> American football team based in the United Kingdom

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 David Ross Sports Village at the University of Nottingham in Beeston, Nottingham . 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 history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden State Warriors. Along with their inaugural championship win in the 1946–47 season, the Warriors have won six others in the team's history, including another in Philadelphia after the 1955–56 season, and five more as Golden State after the 1974–75, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2021–22 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatoon Valkyries</span> Womens football team

The Saskatoon Valkyries are a women's football team in the Western Women's Canadian Football League's (WWCFL) Prairie Conference. The team is based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They are the most successful WWCFL team, winning eight of the leagues eleven championships since play began in 2011, including the first four. Their primary rivals are the Regina Riot, the only other WWCFL team to win the championship.

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 2016–17 Golden State Warriors season was the 71st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 55th in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the climax season of the Warriors’ dynasty, they won their fifth NBA championship, setting the best postseason record in NBA history by going 16–1. This Warriors team is widely in debates for the greatest team in NBA history. They entered the season as runners-up in the 2016 NBA Finals, after a record breaking regular-season in 2015–16. With the acquisition of free agent Kevin Durant in the offseason, the Warriors were hailed as a "superteam" by the media and fans, forming a new All-Star "Fantastic Four" of Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The Warriors broke over 20 NBA records on their way to equaling their 2014–15 regular-season record of 67–15, their second most wins in franchise history.

References