Category: Intercontinental Football League (1972-1978)

Intercontinental Football League European Championship 1978

IFL European Championship 1978

PWLTPFPAPct
Quad Cities Black Hawks (C)440095291.000
Indianapolis Capitols40402995.000
Intercontinental Football League European Championship Final Standings 1978 [Ref: 1-2]

Results

DateWinnersRunners-Up
Game 1Brussels, Belgium
25.06.1978Quad Cities Black Hawks26Indianapolis Capitols14
Game 2Antwerp, Belgium
28.06.1978Quad Cities Black HawksWIndianapolis CapitolsL
Game 3Rotterdam, Netherlands
01.07.1978Quad Cities Black Hawks42Indianapolis Capitols0
Game 4Ludwigshafen, Germany
04.07.1978Quad Cities Black Hawks7Indianapolis Capitols5
Intercontinental Football League European Championship Results 1978 [Ref: 1-2]

Report

The Final Intercontinental Football League European Championship in 1978, again featured Professional teams visiting from America on a 5-game tour. This time the teams were the Quad Cities Black Hawks and Indianapolis Capitols of the AA (3rd Level) Northern States Football League.

The Quad Cities Black Hawks won all four games played, in Brussels and Antwerp (Belgium), Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Ludwigshafen (Germany) with the Final match again cancelled due to the massive losses incurred.

This was to be Bob Kapp and the Intercontinental Football League’s last throw of the dice regards establishing Professional American Football in Europe, and the task was to be taken up by another US promoter in the USSR in 1979.

The real legacy of these tours and the IFL, however, was the establishment of teams in Dusseldorf, Vienna and Milan, by Europeans who wanted to play the sport themselves. With the Dusseldorf Panther and Milano Rhinos still in existence today, it has proved to be a fruitful venture for American Football in the long term, even though it lost a phenomenal amount of money at the time.

References

Website / Sources

[1] Mark L. Ford and Massimo Foglio, The Coffin Corner Volume 27,No. 6, Pro Football Researchers Association (2002) THE FIRST “NFL EUROPE”[Internet] Available from: http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/27-06-1101.pdf [Accessed 20 October 2019]

Bibiography

[2] Massimo Foglio with Mark L. Ford (2017), Touchdown in Europe – How American Football Came to the Old Continent. Second Edition “The Trailblazers: Bleu et Rouge, College and Semi-Pro”. pg. 151-188. Published by the Author (2015, 2017)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Louise Wills (Kenny) and John Wills.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 11 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 Resereved.

Intercontinental Football League College and Air Force Games 1972-1973

Results

DateWinnersRunners-Up
IFL 1972 College GameRhein-Main, Germany
25.11.1972Air Force All-Stars42Rota Naval Base Admirals7
IFL 1973 Turkey BowlRhein-Main, Germany
22.11.1973U Rhode Island Rams34USAFE All-Stars6
Intercontinental Football League College and Air Force Games 1972-1973 [Ref: 1-2]

Report

The Intercontinental Football League was the National Football League’s first attempt at starting Professional Football outside North America.

It started after the film M*A*S*H became a worldwide hit in 1970, with its’ climactic ball game between the 4077th and 325th EVAC. There was enough interest for people to start clubs, and in 1973 Bob Kap, who had introduced professional Soccer to sceptical Texans, decided to try and sell Professional American Football to Europeans.

The first games were matches between visiting US Colleges and Air force teams stationed in Europe during the Cold War, and playing in the United States Air Force in Europe League (USAFE) the matches were promoted as “Turkey Bowls”, taking place as they did on Thanksgiving.

The Air Force All-Stars a visiting College team from USA in 1972 and the University of Rhode Island Rams, also a visiting American College team in 1973, both beat their USAFE counterparts in the matches staged in Rhein-Main, Germany.

The next step for Bob Kapp and the Intercontinental Football League wasto be the establishment of a Professional League in Europe.

References

Website / Sources

[1] Mark L. Ford and Massimo Foglio, The Coffin Corner Volume 27,No. 6, Pro Football Researchers Association (2002) THE FIRST “NFL EUROPE”[Internet] Available from: http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/27-06-1101.pdf [Accessed 20 October 2019]

Bibiography

[2] Massimo Foglio with Mark L. Ford (2017), Touchdown in Europe – How American Football Came to the Old Continent. Second Edition “The Trailblazers: Bleu et Rouge, College and Semi-Pro”. pg. 151-188. Published by the Author (2015, 2017)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Louise Wills (Kenny) and John Wills.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 11 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 Resereved.

Intercontinental Football League European Championship 1977

IFL European Championship 1977

PWLTPFPAPct
Newton Nite Hawks (C)5500126411.000
Chicago Lions505041126.000
Intercontinental Football League European Championship Final Standings 1977 [Ref: 1-2]

Note: The IFL European Championship of 1977 was a 5-game tour by two Chicagoland League Semi-Pro teams.

Results

DateWinnersRunners-Up
Game 1Versailles, France
02.06.1977Newton Nite Hawks26Chicago Lions6
Game 2Lille, France
06.1977Newton Nite Hawks15Chicago Lions13
Game 3Kaiserslautern, Germany
09.06.1977Newton Nite Hawks26Chicago Lions16
Game 4Graz, Austria
14.06.1977Newton Nite Hawks29Chicago Lions6
Game 5Vienna, Austria
06.1977Newton Nite Hawks30Chicago Lions0
Intercontinental Football League Results 1977 [Ref: 1-2]

Report

The second Intercontinental Football League season in Europe was again a six-game tour by two North American Football teams, this time Semi-Pro teams the Newton Nite Hawks and Chicago Lions from the Chicagoland League.

The games were all big wins for the Nite Hawks, played in Versailles and Lille (France), Kaiserslautern (Germany) and Graz and Vienna in Austria. Even though the League and Tour lost a substantial amount of money, it was to return for one more season in 1978.

References

Website / Sources

[1] Mark L. Ford and Massimo Foglio, The Coffin Corner Volume 27,No. 6, Pro Football Researchers Association (2002) THE FIRST “NFL EUROPE”[Internet] Available from: http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/27-06-1101.pdf [Accessed 20 October 2019]

Bibiography

[2] Massimo Foglio with Mark L. Ford (2017), Touchdown in Europe – How American Football Came to the Old Continent. Second Edition “The Trailblazers: Bleu et Rouge, College and Semi-Pro”. pg. 151-188. Published by the Author (2015, 2017)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Louise Wills (Kenny) and John Wills.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 11 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 Resereved.

Intercontinental Football League European Cup 1976

IFL European Cup 1976

PWLTPFPAPct
Texas A&I Javelinas (C)550096471.000
Henderson State Reddies50504796.000
Intercontinental Football League European Championship Final Standings 1976 [Ref: 1-2]

Note: the IFL European Cup of 1976 was a 5-game tour by two NAIA Colleges.

Results

DateWinnersRunners-Up
Game 1West Berlin, Germany
01.06.1976Texas A&I Javelinas17Henderson State Reddies6
Game 2Vienna, Austria
03.06.1976Texas A&I Javelinas21Henderson State Reddies7
Game 3Mannheim, Germany
09.06.1976Texas A&I Javelinas20Henderson State Reddies6
Game 4Nuremburg, Germany
13.06.1976Texas A&I Javelinas17Henderson State Reddies15
Game 5Paris, France
17.06.1976Texas A&I Javelinas21Henderson State Reddies13
Intercontinental Football League European Cup Results 1976 [Ref: 1]

Report

Following on from the National football League and US Air Force games in Europe in 1972 and 1973, and the failed attempt at starting a Professional American Football League in Europe, Bob Kapp continued undeterred with with his attempts to bring American Football to Europe.

The European Cup of 1976 was actually a six-game tour by two NAIA (Junior) Colleges: Texas A&I Javelinas and Henderson State Reddies. The Javelinas won the first game in West Berlin 17-6, and proceeded to win the next four, in Vienna (Austria), Mannheim and Nuremburg (Germany) and Paris, France. the tour lost so much money that the final game of the Cup was cancelled.

The European Championship returned, however in 1977 and 1978, also both tours by American sides.

References

Website / Sources

[1] Mark L. Ford and Massimo Foglio, The Coffin Corner Volume 27,No. 6, Pro Football Researchers Association (2002) THE FIRST “NFL EUROPE”[Internet] Available from: http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/27-06-1101.pdf [Accessed 20 October 2019]

Bibiography

[2] Massimo Foglio with Mark L. Ford (2017), Touchdown in Europe – How American Football Came to the Old Continent. Second Edition “The Trailblazers: Bleu et Rouge, College and Semi-Pro”. pg. 151-188. Published by the Author (2015, 2017)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Louise Wills (Kenny) and John Wills.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 11 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 Resereved.