Plattling Black Hawks
Encyclopedia
The Plattling Black Hawks are an American football
team from Plattling
, Germany
. The club was, until 2004, known as the Deggendorf Black Hawks.
The clubs greatest success was earning promotion to the German Football League
in 2008 and qualifying for the play-offs for the first time in 2010.
and Southern German leagues, becoming a fixture in the tier-three Regionalliga Süd from 2001 onwards.
In 2004, the Deggendorf Black Hawks moved nine kilometres southwest, becoming the Plattling Black Hawks instead.
Under the new name, the club quickly experienced unprecedented success, winning its league and defeating the Obertshausen Blizzards to earn promotion to the southern division of the 2nd Bundesliga. Plattling spend the next three seasons at this level, successfully competing with the top teams and eventually winning the league in 2008. The team defeated the Darmstadt Diamonds in the following two promotion games and earned a spot in the German Football League
for 2009.
In the GFL in 2009, the Black Hawks managed to finish in fifth place, one above the relegation rank and Bavarian rival, the Munich Cowboys
. The following season saw the team come third despite a losing record and qualify for the play-offs. In the quarter finals, the Berlin Adler
were however to strong and the club was knock out courtesy to a 3-17 defeat.
Plattling was unable to fullfil all its fixtures in the 2011 season, suffering from a large number of injuries, losing all games except for the last three, which it cancelled. The club decided on 1 September 2011 not to apply for a GFL 2 licence for the following season but instead to compete in the third tier Regionalliga.
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 from Plattling
Plattling
Plattling is a town in the district of Deggendorf, in Bavaria, Germany.During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenburg concentration camp was located here...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The club was, until 2004, known as the Deggendorf Black Hawks.
The clubs greatest success was earning promotion to the German Football League
German Football League
The German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
in 2008 and qualifying for the play-offs for the first time in 2010.
History
The Black Hawks entered league football in 1987, when they joined the southern division of the Regionalliga Bayern. The following 19 seasons, the club remained playing in local BavarianBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and Southern German leagues, becoming a fixture in the tier-three Regionalliga Süd from 2001 onwards.
In 2004, the Deggendorf Black Hawks moved nine kilometres southwest, becoming the Plattling Black Hawks instead.
Under the new name, the club quickly experienced unprecedented success, winning its league and defeating the Obertshausen Blizzards to earn promotion to the southern division of the 2nd Bundesliga. Plattling spend the next three seasons at this level, successfully competing with the top teams and eventually winning the league in 2008. The team defeated the Darmstadt Diamonds in the following two promotion games and earned a spot in the German Football League
German Football League
The German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
for 2009.
In the GFL in 2009, the Black Hawks managed to finish in fifth place, one above the relegation rank and Bavarian rival, the Munich Cowboys
Munich Cowboys
The Munich Cowboys are an American football team based in Munich, Germany. The club, together with the Düsseldorf Panther and the Ansbach Grizzlies, is one of the oldest in Germany. The team refers to itself as The Grand Old Team of the South....
. The following season saw the team come third despite a losing record and qualify for the play-offs. In the quarter finals, the Berlin Adler
Berlin Adler
The Berlin Adler is an American football club based in Berlin, Germany. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the sport in Germany, having won six German Bowls as well as a ten Ladies Bowls and five Junior Bowls....
were however to strong and the club was knock out courtesy to a 3-17 defeat.
Plattling was unable to fullfil all its fixtures in the 2011 season, suffering from a large number of injuries, losing all games except for the last three, which it cancelled. The club decided on 1 September 2011 not to apply for a GFL 2 licence for the following season but instead to compete in the third tier Regionalliga.
Honours
- GFLGerman Football LeagueThe German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
- Play-off qualification : 2010
- League membership : (3) 2009–2011
- GFL 2German Football League 2The German Football League 2 is the second tier of American football in Germany, below the German Football League. Until 2007, the league was known as the 2nd Bundesliga.-League structure:...
- Southern Division champions: 2008
Recent seasons
Recent seasons of the club:| Year | Division | Finish | Points | Pct. | Games | W | D | L | PF | PA | Postseason |
| 2005 | Regionalliga Süd | 1st | 24–0 | 1.000 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 527 | 117 | Won PR: Obertshausen Blizzards (26–14 & 40–14) |
| 2006 | GFL 2 German Football League 2 The German Football League 2 is the second tier of American football in Germany, below the German Football League. Until 2007, the league was known as the 2nd Bundesliga.-League structure:... (South) |
3rd | 18–10 | 0.643 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 363 | 296 | — |
| 2007 | 3rd | 16–12 | 0.571 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 412 | 317 | — | |
| 2008 | 1st | 25–3 | 0.893 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 556 | 180 | Won PR: Darmstadt Diamonds (43–33 & 44–36) | |
| 2009 | GFL German Football League The German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA.... (South) |
5th | 6–18 | 0.250 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 369 | 491 | — |
| 2010 | 3rd | 11–13 | 0.458 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 294 | 242 | Lost QF: Berlin Adler Berlin Adler The Berlin Adler is an American football club based in Berlin, Germany. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the sport in Germany, having won six German Bowls as well as a ten Ladies Bowls and five Junior Bowls.... (3–17) |
|
| 2011 | 7th | 0–22 | 0.000 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 157 | 521 | — |
- RR = Relegation round
- PR = Promotion round
- QF = Quarter finals
- SF = Semi finals
- GB = German Bowl
- Final three games of the 2011 season not played.