Bedfordshire Blue Raiders
Encyclopedia
The Bedfordshire Blue Raiders are an American Football
team competing in Division 2 East of the BAFA Community Leagues
(BAFACL). They entered the league in 2008 as one of five expansion teams, and play their home games at the Bedford International Athletics Stadium.
, Dunstable
and Milton Keynes
who all found success during the 1980s and 1990s. After quickly recruiting coaches (starting with Chris Wallis, former Head Coach of local rivals Peterborough Saxons
and Cambridgeshire Cats
who Guy knew from their time together at the University of Cambridge
BCAFL team in the mid-1990s) and a full playing squad, they were accepted as associate members of the BAFL in August 2007.
As part of the BAFL's requirements for associate members, the Blue Raiders arranged the two friendly matches which would enable them to gain full membership and enter the league the following season. The first of these was a home game played on 9 September 2007 against the Maidstone Pumas
. Despite the visiting team scoring a first period touchdown
, the Raiders were able to come back to win 18–8. Their away friendly was played four weeks later against the Leicester Falcons
, who themselves were associate members aiming to join the league. The Raiders lost 0–32. Two weeks later they played their third friendly match away to another associate team, the Milton Keynes City Pathfinders
. Despite an early setback when their player-coach Anthony Coverdale dislocated his knee during the kickoff, they recorded a convincing 35–0 win.
The following month, it was confirmed that the Blue Raiders application to become full members had been accepted by the BAFL, and so they were entered into the league for the 2008 season where they were placed into the Eastern Conference of Division Two alongside the Peterborough Saxons
, Cambridgeshire Cats
, Watford Cheetahs
and fellow expansion team the Milton Keynes City Pathfinders
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team competing in Division 2 East of the BAFA Community Leagues
BAFA Community Leagues
The BAFA National Leagues are the primary American football competition in England, Scotland and Wales. They were formed by the British American Football Association in 2010 to coordinate contact football and flag football across all age ranges...
(BAFACL). They entered the league in 2008 as one of five expansion teams, and play their home games at the Bedford International Athletics Stadium.
History
The Blue Raiders were formed in August 2006 by Dave Pankhurst and present-day Team Manager Steve Guy to replace the former teams from local towns such as LutonLuton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
and Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
who all found success during the 1980s and 1990s. After quickly recruiting coaches (starting with Chris Wallis, former Head Coach of local rivals Peterborough Saxons
Peterborough Saxons
The Peterborough Saxons are an American football team competing in Division 1 South East of the BAFA Community Leagues , with their home games played at Stanground College in Peterborough. The senior team was first formed in 2001 and entered senior competition the following year...
and Cambridgeshire Cats
Cambridgeshire Cats
The Cambridgeshire Cats are an American football team competing in Division 1 Central of the BAFA Community Leagues , with 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...
who Guy knew from their time together at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
BCAFL team in the mid-1990s) and a full playing squad, they were accepted as associate members of the BAFL in August 2007.
As part of the BAFL's requirements for associate members, the Blue Raiders arranged the two friendly matches which would enable them to gain full membership and enter the league the following season. The first of these was a home game played on 9 September 2007 against the Maidstone Pumas
Maidstone Pumas
The Maidstone Pumas are an American Football team based in Maidstone, Kent. The team were formed in 1997 as a continuation of the former youth team of the same name, and currently play in Division 2 East of the BAFA Community Leagues .-History:...
. Despite the visiting team scoring a first period touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, the Raiders were able to come back to win 18–8. Their away friendly was played four weeks later against the Leicester Falcons
Leicester Falcons
The Leicester Falcons are a British American football team based in Leicestershire, England. The Falcons play in Division 1 of the British American Football Association National Leagues.-History:...
, who themselves were associate members aiming to join the league. The Raiders lost 0–32. Two weeks later they played their third friendly match away to another associate team, the Milton Keynes City Pathfinders
Milton Keynes City Pathfinders
The Milton Keynes City Pathfinders are an American Football team based in Milton Keynes, England, competing in Division 2 East of the BAFA Community Leagues . They play their home games at the Emerson Valley Sports Pavillion in Milton Keynes, which they share with Milton Keynes Rugby Club...
. Despite an early setback when their player-coach Anthony Coverdale dislocated his knee during the kickoff, they recorded a convincing 35–0 win.
The following month, it was confirmed that the Blue Raiders application to become full members had been accepted by the BAFL, and so they were entered into the league for the 2008 season where they were placed into the Eastern Conference of Division Two alongside the Peterborough Saxons
Peterborough Saxons
The Peterborough Saxons are an American football team competing in Division 1 South East of the BAFA Community Leagues , with their home games played at Stanground College in Peterborough. The senior team was first formed in 2001 and entered senior competition the following year...
, Cambridgeshire Cats
Cambridgeshire Cats
The Cambridgeshire Cats are an American football team competing in Division 1 Central of the BAFA Community Leagues , with 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...
, Watford Cheetahs
Watford Cheetahs
The Watford Cheetahs are an American football team, based in Watford competing in Division 2 East of the BAFA Community Leagues , with their home games played at Fullerians Rugby Club...
and fellow expansion team the Milton Keynes City Pathfinders
Milton Keynes City Pathfinders
The Milton Keynes City Pathfinders are an American Football team based in Milton Keynes, England, competing in Division 2 East of the BAFA Community Leagues . They play their home games at the Emerson Valley Sports Pavillion in Milton Keynes, which they share with Milton Keynes Rugby Club...
.
Senior team season records
| Season | Division | Wins | Losses | Ties Tie (draw) To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as... |
PF | PA | Final Position | Playoff Playoff The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S... Record |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | BAFL Division Two East | 4 | 6 | 0 | 128 | 197 | 3 / 5 | — | — |
| 2009 | BAFL Division Two East | 8 | 2 | 0 | 203 | 73 | 2 / 4 | Lost 16–41 to Colchester Gladiators Colchester Gladiators The Colchester Gladiators are an American Football team competing in the South East Conference of British American Football League Division 2. They play their home games at the Broad Lane stadium in Wivenhoe, Essex and train at the Sir Charles Lucas Centre for Sport and Art in Colchester... in quarter-final. |
— |
Roster
| Bedfordshire Blue Raiders 2009 Roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
|
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