AFL 1986-87
| Date | Home Team | Away Team | ||
| Test Game | ||||
| 27.04.1986 | Rockford Metros | 30 | Chicago Politicians | 18 |
| Showcase Game | ||||
| 27.02.1987 | Chicago Bruisers | 30 | Miami Vice | 33 |
AFL 1987
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pct | |
| Pittsburgh Gladiators (C) | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 268 | 199 | .667 |
| Denver Dynamite (P) | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 261 | 252 | .667 |
| Chicago Bruisers | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 217 | 310 | .333 |
| Washington Commandos | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 288 | 273 | .333 |
Reference: [1]
| Home Team | Away Team | ||
| Arena Bowl I | |||
| Denver Dynamite | 45 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 16 |
Reference: [1]
AFL 1988
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pct | |
| Chicago Bruisers (C) | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 526 | 374 | .792 |
| Detroit Drive (P) | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 472 | 310 | .750 |
| Pittsburgh Gladiators (P) | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 507 | 491 | .500 |
| Los Angeles Cobras (P) | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 463 | 449 | .458 |
| New England Steamrollers | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 330 | 506 | .250 |
| New York Knights | 12 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 337 | 505 | .167 |
Reference: [1]
| Home Team | Away Team | ||
| Semi-Finals | |||
| Detroit Drive | 34 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 25 |
| Chicago Bruisers | 29 | Los Angeles Cobras | 16 |
| Arena Bowl II | |||
| Detroit Drive | 24 | Chicago Bruisers | 13 |
Reference: [1]
AFL 1989
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pct | |
| Detroit Drive (C) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 154 | 84 | .750 |
| Denver Dynamite (P) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 159 | 147 | .750 |
| Pittsburgh Gladiators (P) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 159 | 147 | .750 |
| Chicago Bruisers (P) | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 167 | 155 | .250 |
| Maryland Commandos | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 79 | 170 | .000 |
Reference: [1]
| Home Team | Away Team | ||
| Semi-Finals | |||
| Detroit Drive | 43 | Chicago Bruisers | 10 |
| Pittsburgh Gladiators | 39 | Denver Dynamite | 37 |
| Arena Bowl III | |||
| Detroit Drive | 39 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 26 |
AFL 1990
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pct | |
| Detroit Drive (C) | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 326 | 215 | .750 |
| Dallas Texans (P) | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 299 | 308 | .750 |
| Denver Dynamite (P) | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 289 | 287 | .500 |
| Pittsburgh Gladiators (P) | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 289 | 287 | .375 |
| Albany Firebirds | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 188 | 268 | .375 |
| Washington Commandos | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 244 | 264 | .250 |
| Home Team | Away Team | ||
| First Round | |||
| Detroit Drive | 61 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 30 |
| Dallas Texans | 26 | Denver Dynamite | 25 |
| Arena Bowl IV | |||
| Detroit Drive | 51 | Dallas Texans | 27 |
AFL 1991
| P | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pct | |
| *Detroit Drive | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 437 | 262 | .900 |
| *Tampa Bay Storm | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 421 | 309 | .800 |
| *Denver Dynamite | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 389 | 365 | .600 |
| *Albany Firebirds | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 427 | 342 | .600 |
| Dallas Texans | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 286 | 334 | .400 |
| New Orleans Night | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 314 | 401 | .400 |
| Orlando Predators | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 321 | 363 | .300 |
| Columbus Thunderbolts | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 241 | 460 | .000 |
| Home Team | Away Team | ||
| Semi-Finals | |||
| Detroit Drive | 37 | Albany Firebirds | 35 |
| Tampa Bay Storm | 40 | Denver Dynamite | 13 |
| Arena Bowl V | |||
| Tampa Ba Storm | 48 | Detroit Drive | 42 |
Report
On February 11, 1981, James Foster witnessed an Indoor Soccer game at Madison Square Garden, and drew out the outline of an Indoor American Football field on a manilla envelope, using the same basic premise of a football field on a converted Ice Hockey rink. [2]
The first AFL test game was held on 27 April 1986 in Rockford, Illinois between the Rockford Metros and Chicago Politicians , and following positive public response the first “showcase game” in Chicago in front of 8,200 fans on February 27, 1987. [2; 4-5]
The AFL debut season began on 19 June 1987, with four teams: Chicago Bruisers, Denver Dynamite, Pittsburgh Gladiators & Washington Comandos. Denver Dynamite won Arena Bowl I, defeating Pittsburgh Gladiators 45-16 [2]
The second AFL season featued an additional three teams: Los Angeles Cobras, New England Steamrollers & New York Knights, who played only that season. Washington Commandos sat out the season Detroit Drive won Arena Bowl II, 24-13 over Chicago Bruisers. [2]
The third AFL season, in 1989, was a shortened four-game season, with five teams, including the returned Commandos, now playing in Maryland. Detroit again won the Arena Bowl, beating Pittsburgh 39-26. Following the season, the league played two successful exhibition games in Paris (France) & London (England). THE US Patent office granted the league a Patent, making it the first patented, rival-free sports league in history. [2]
the fourth AFL season, saw an expansion of two teams: Albany Firebirds & Dallas Texans, with Chicago dropping out. Detroit Drive won the Arena Bowl for the third year in succession, defeating Dallas 51-27. [2]
A further expansion in 1991, saw teams added in Orlando (Predators) and New Orleans (Night) and Columbus (Thunderbolts), with Pittsburgh relocating to Tampa Bay, becoming the Storm and the Commandos ceasing operation.The league’s expansion into the Southeast would prove enduringly successful, with the Tampa Bay & Orlando franchises remaing in existence right through to the league’s waning years in the late-2010s. Detroit was defeated in the Arena Bowl 48-42 by the Tampa Bay Storm, ending the Drive’s attempts at a four-in-a-row. [2]
In 1992 the league expanded to 12 teams and three divisions, ending the AFL’s formative years, and beginning the AFL’s rise to become what the Wall Street Journal called the fifth Major [2].
References:
Bibliography
[1] Arena Football League (2016) “2016 Record and Fact Book” pp. 57-65.
[2] Arena Football League (2016) “2016 Record and Fact Book” pp. 52-56.
Social Media
[3] Arena Fan Facebook Page (2021) Post, April 27, 1987 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/arenafan/posts/10160818695018222 [Accessed 4 June 2021]
Websites
[4] Arena Fan (2021) History 1986 Schedule [Internet] Available from: http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=yearly&histleague=1&fpage=schedule&year=1986 [Accessed 4 June 2021]
[5] Arena Fan (2021) History 1987 Schedule [Internet] Available from: http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=yearly&histleague=1&fpage=schedule&year=1987 [Accessed 4 June 2021]
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Richard Conville, Conor Lynch, Maurice Lynch, Dylan Brennan, Jonathan Brennan, Simon Brennan & Robert Byron.
About this document
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball – Irish North American & World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 4 June 2021
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019-21
You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved. The Logos and Photos used in this article remain the property of the organisations and individuals which own the copyright and are used here for educational and information purposes only.
