Category: British Gridiron Football League (Levels 4-5 – 1987-1988)

British Gridiron Football League 1987-1988

BGFL 1987

PWLTPFPAPct
West
*Mersey Centurions6600290481.000
*Hartlepool Steelers6420100137.666
Preston Pirates624011095.333
Oldham Phoenix606012232.000
Westhoughton Greyhounds #52303969.400
East
*Leicester Huntsmen10910310113.900
*East Kent Cougars10730242113.700
Boston Blitz10550139158.500
Rotherham Redskins10460150132.400
Burton Braves10370147323.300
Doncaster Jaguars10280125276.200
British Gridiron Football League Final Standings 1987 [Ref: 1-2]
DateHome TeamAway Team
Playoffs
22.08.1987Leicester Huntsmen28Hartlepool Steelers12
22.08.1987Mersey Centurions28East Kent Cougars13
Brit Bowl
29.08.1987Mersey Centurions20Leicester Huntsmen16
British Gridiron Football League Playoff Results 1987 [Ref: 1-2]

Note: Westhoughton Greyhounds pulled out of League after 5 games – results expunged.

BGFL 1988

PWLTPFPAPct
Northern
*Hartlepool Steelers1091041650.900
*Carlisle Kestrels1091024489.900
Cleveland Dragons10460166144.400
Furness Phantoms10271154334.250
Lancaster Bombers1009150410.050
Pennine
*Oldham Phoenix1091033854.900
*Prestatyn Panthers10910430108.800
Bolton Buccaneers10460231182.400
Barnsley Bears10370116334.300
Rochdale Cobras10010048473.000
Northwest
*Mersey Centurions101000452241.000
Cheshire Cats1082026077.800
Halton Demons10550110204.500
Preston Pirates1055056176.500
Wigan Wolverines1028035347.200
Gwynedd Knights10010015195.000
Humber
*Harrogate Hawks1090144390.950
*Huddersfield Rams1081124887.850
Kingston Liberators10631315196.650
Doncaster Jaguars10460247161.400
Yorvik Vikings10361104285.350
Grimsby Scorpions10370115265.300
Scarborough Warlords10010057465.000
Midlands
*Crewe Railroaders1091061963.900
*Leicester Huntsmen1091043848.900
Rotherham Redskins10550178220.500
Burton Braves10550262252.500
Redditch Raiders1028055352.200
Nuneaton Norsemen10010012666.000
Anglian
*Peterborough Hustlers1091018379.900
Newmarket Hornets1072113053.750
Nottingham Crusaders1063113078.650
South Lincs Blitz1046096151.400
Heanor Hawks1037063199.300
Breckland10010036237.000
County
*St. Albans Kestrels6600162181.000
F14 Tomcats63305294.500
Chiltern Cheetahs606018118.000
Severn
*Cardiff Mets1091035477.900
Weston Wolfpack1073030970.700
Newport Mustangs1073025987.700
Bath Gladiators10451162175.450
Yate Thundercats10271113210.250
Bristol Blackhawks10010020599.000
Thames
*East Kent Cougars101000470771.000
Bexley Barons10820431187.800
Gravesend Lions10640239138.600
Ashford Raiders10370113192.300
Maidstone M-20s1028055463.200
Tonbridge Tigers10190108377.100
Capital
*LA Panthers8800199101.800
Grays Saxons8530158106.625
Brent Bandits844012099.500
London Mets835061120.375
Croydon Cyclones80806118.000
Channel
*Woking Generals10100050301.000
Meon Valley Vikings1072125674.750
Oakland Raiders10460107324.400
Horsham Predators10352125127.400
Weymouth Warlords1027159352.250
Eastleigh Royals1017268241.200
British Gridiron Football League Final Standings 1988 [Ref: 3]
DateHome TeamAway Team
First Round
1988Hartlepool Steelers15Huddersfield Rams12
1988Crewe Railroaders50Oldham Phoenix0
1988Leicester Huntsmen12Peterborough Hustlers6
1988Woking Generals48Bexley Barons14
1988Mersey Centurions88Prestatyn Panthers0
1988East Kent Cougars19LA Panthers6
1988Cardiff Mets42St. Albans Kestrels6
1988Harrogate Hawks22Carlisle Kestrels7
Quarter-Finals
1988Hartlepool Steelers8Mersey Centurions52
1988Harrogate Hawks32Crewe Railroaders41
1988Leicester Huntsmen12Cardiff Mets2
1988East Kent Cougars19Woking Generals36
Semi-Finals
1988Mersey Centurions46Crewe Railroaders26
1988Leicester Huntsmen13Woking Generals20
Britbowl
1988Mersey Centurions13Woking Generals20
British Gridiron Football League Playoffs 1988 [Ref: 4]

Report

The British Gridiron Football League was a Fifth Level American Football League in the North and Midlands of England in 1987, after which it absorbed the Capital League and a large number of UKAFL teams to form a Fourth Level League in 1988. In 1989 it merged with the UKAFA to form the British National Gridiron League, playing Levels 5 to 7 below the NDMA (First Level) and Combined Gridiron League (Levels 2 to 4)

Ulsterman Geoff Mackey, who was introduced to the game of American Football while studying at Liverpool Polytechnic, played for the Mersey Centurions in 1988, where he reached the Britbowl, losing 20-13 to the Woking Generals. In 1987 the Mersey Centurions had won the Britbowl 20-16 against the Leicester Huntsmen. His exploits for the Centurions saw him called up to the British and Irish Bulldogs for a five-week tour, taking in training in the United States, and then three Test Matches in Australia, from 4 November 1988 to the middle of December.

Geoff Mackey who played for the Mersey Centurions in 1988 and was called up to the British and Irish Lions for a three Test Tour of Australia that year [Ref: 6]

References

Newspapers

[1] Anon. (1987) “Results – Standings – Fixtures: BGFL” First Down. August 22, 1987. pg. 16

[2] Anon. (1987) “Results – Standings – Fixtures: BGFL Final Standings” First Down. August 29, 1987. pg. 17

[3] Anon. (1988) “Scoreboard: Complete UK match points: BGFL” American Football News. July 28, 1988. pg. 8.

[5] Anon. (1986) “Geoff’s Bulldog spirit” Belfast Telegraph. Thursday, November 3, 1988. pg. 51 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

Websites

[4] Britball Now (2016) Results Section [1987][1988] [Internet] Available from: http://www.britballnow.co.uk/history-index/results-section.html [Accessed 23 March 2017]

Images

[6] Anon. (1986) “Geoff’s Bulldog spirit” Belfast Telegraph. Thursday, November 3, 1988. pg. 51 [Internet] Available online at the Irish Newspaper Archive at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ which is a subscription service.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Nora Mulcahy, Enda Fahy, Bernard Dunne & John Doody.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 6 May 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.