Red Barons Cologne
Encyclopedia
The Red Barons Cologne were an American football
team from Cologne
, Germany
.
The clubs greatest success came in 1988, when it won its sole German Bowl
, followed by a losing appearance in the game in1989. In 1991, the club disappeared from the German football scene, having been dissolved that year.
was already playing.
The Red Barons first season in the league was quite successful, finishing third and reaching the play-off semi finals, where the team was knocked out by the Düsseldorf Panther
. However, 1984 and 1985 were less impressive, with the side finishing in the lower half of the table and missing out on the post season.
From 1986 onwards, the Red Barons improved again and would make the play-offs in every season. That year, the Panther were once more the side to knock the team out in the semi finals, while the following season saw an early loss in the round of 16 to the Dortmund Giants.
The 1988 season became the clubs best. A second place finish in the league was followed by a strong play-off performance, crowned by a 25-20 German Bowl victory against the Panther, a team that had defeated the Red Barons twice in the regular season. The 1989 season initially proved even better, with the team winning its division, on equal points with the second placed Panther. The two rivals then met once more in the semi finals and the Red Barons pulled of a 21-20 win to reach the German Bowl for a second time, but lost to the Berlin Adler
in that game.
In the 1990 season, the club finished runners-up to the Panther again in their division but lost in the quarter finals to eventual champions Berlin Adler, who went on to beat the other Cologne team, the Crocodiles, in the final.
The 1991 season was to be the clubs last. In a now unified and stronger northern division, the Red Barons came third once more, qualifying for the play-offs for a last time. In the quarter finals, the Munich Cowboys
proved the stronger side and this 17-21 loss was the clubs last recorded game. The Red Barons Cologne did not compete at league level again after this, having been dissolved at the end of the season.
Some of the teams players joined the Cologne Bears, which in itself went defunct in 1994, while others helped founding the Cologne Falcons in 1994.
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 Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, 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 clubs greatest success came in 1988, when it won its sole German Bowl
German Bowl
The German Bowl is the annual national championship game in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the German Football League....
, followed by a losing appearance in the game in1989. In 1991, the club disappeared from the German football scene, having been dissolved that year.
History
The Red Barons Cologne made their first appearance on the German football scene in 1982, having been formed that year, when they joined the tier-two 2nd Bundesliga. The following year, the club entered the elite league of German football, the American Football Bundesliga, a league in which local rival Cologne CrocodilesCologne Crocodiles
The Cologne Crocodiles are an American football team from Cologne, Germany.The clubs greatest success came in 2000, when it won the German Bowl for the first and, so far, only time...
was already playing.
The Red Barons first season in the league was quite successful, finishing third and reaching the play-off semi finals, where the team was knocked out by the Düsseldorf Panther
Düsseldorf Panther
The Düsseldorf Panther are an American football team from Düsseldorf, Germany. The club is the oldest still existing American football club in Europe, having been formed on 1 May 1978....
. However, 1984 and 1985 were less impressive, with the side finishing in the lower half of the table and missing out on the post season.
From 1986 onwards, the Red Barons improved again and would make the play-offs in every season. That year, the Panther were once more the side to knock the team out in the semi finals, while the following season saw an early loss in the round of 16 to the Dortmund Giants.
The 1988 season became the clubs best. A second place finish in the league was followed by a strong play-off performance, crowned by a 25-20 German Bowl victory against the Panther, a team that had defeated the Red Barons twice in the regular season. The 1989 season initially proved even better, with the team winning its division, on equal points with the second placed Panther. The two rivals then met once more in the semi finals and the Red Barons pulled of a 21-20 win to reach the German Bowl for a second time, but lost to 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....
in that game.
In the 1990 season, the club finished runners-up to the Panther again in their division but lost in the quarter finals to eventual champions Berlin Adler, who went on to beat the other Cologne team, the Crocodiles, in the final.
The 1991 season was to be the clubs last. In a now unified and stronger northern division, the Red Barons came third once more, qualifying for the play-offs for a last time. In the quarter finals, 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....
proved the stronger side and this 17-21 loss was the clubs last recorded game. The Red Barons Cologne did not compete at league level again after this, having been dissolved at the end of the season.
Some of the teams players joined the Cologne Bears, which in itself went defunct in 1994, while others helped founding the Cologne Falcons in 1994.
Former players
Former German international Roland Wolff played for the Red Barons from 1986 to 1991, joined the Bears in 1992, and the Crocodiles in 1994. He also played for the Düsseldorf Panther before finishing his player career with the Falcons in 2007.Honours
- German BowlGerman BowlThe German Bowl is the annual national championship game in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the German Football League....
- Champions: 1988
- Runners-up: 1989
- American Football BundesligaGerman Football LeagueThe German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
- Northern Division champions: 1989
- Play-off qualification: (7) 1983, 1986–1991
- League membership: (9) 1983–1991
German Bowl appearances
The clubs appearances in the German Bowl:| Bowl | Date | Champions | Runners-Up | Score | Location | Attendance |
| X | October 15, 1988 | Red Barons Cologne | Düsseldorf Panther | 25-20 | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
11,000 |
| XI | October 21, 1989 | Berlin Adler | Red Barons Cologne | 30-23 | Nuremberg Nuremberg Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664... |
10,500 |
- Champions in bold.