Crewe Railroaders
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| Established | 1984 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Based in | Crewe | ||||||||||||||||
| Head coach | Simon Richards | ||||||||||||||||
| League | BAFA National Leagues | ||||||||||||||||
| Division | NFC 2 West | ||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Railroaders | ||||||||||||||||
| Division titles | 1988 BNGL Midlands Div 1985 UKAFA Central Div | ||||||||||||||||
| Current uniform | |||||||||||||||||
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The Crewe Railroaders are an American football team based in Crewe, Cheshire, England, founded in 1984. They play in NFC 2 West of the BAFA National Leagues.[1] The team resumed playing competitive games in 2012, having reformed in 2010 after folding in 1990.[2]
History
[edit]The Crewe Railroaders were formed in November 1984 by Gary Delaney.[3] The team competed with the Hereford Chargers and took part in the first season of American Football in Great Britain. The Railroaders were crowned inaugural Central Division Champions with a record of 5-2-1.[4]
The team was renamed to Railroaders '89 under Kevin Randle. They won the 1989 season with a 5-4-1 record. 1990 was the Railroaders final season. The team lost with a record of 3-7-0.[5]
The team collapsed in 1993 and later re-formed in 2010.[2] The team had around 200 registered members before it folded.[6]
In 2010, former Railroaders got together and agreed that Crewe needed an American Football team again. These veterans were quickly joined by some newer players after a recruitment drive[7] and a "rookie day" were held.[8] At the start of 2015 the club welcomed over 40 players for their first training session of the year.[9]
The team is the subject of a film called Gridiron UK,[10] the screenplay of which was written by team founder, coach and player Gary Delaney.[11][12] The film premiered in September 2016.[13]
In 2021 the team lost all games they played[14] and in 2023 the team finished 0-8 in the NFC 2West division.[15] The club dropped to associate status in March 2024 [16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Crewe Railroaders - UK American Football Live | TeamStats". www.teamstats.net. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ a b Morse, Peter (11 January 2012). "American Football: Crewe Railroaders rejoice at big league return". crewechronicle. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Griffiths, Gwyn (17 January 2022). "Films in Crewe: the story of an American Football team and a dystopian street race". Crewe Nub News. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Cougarball - Programmes". www.leedscougars.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "CREWE RAILROADERS". www.britballnow.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Live, Cheshire (19 September 2006). "Movie magic needs former players' help". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Cooke, Rhiannon (17 August 2011). "American footballers wanted for Crewe team". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Morse, Peter (22 February 2012). "American Football: Crewe Railroaders offer enthusiasts rookie chance". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Crewe Railroaders American Football return to action". 9 January 2015.
- ^ "Crewe Railroaders to hit the silver screen". Great British Life. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Movie crew touches down seeking help". The Sentinel. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Ryan, Belinda (26 January 2011). "Crewe filmmaker waiting to hear from Hollywood superstar". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Ellams, Barry (30 September 2016). "Gridiron UK movie premiere in Crewe theatre". crewechronicle. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Griffiths, Gwyn (4 September 2022). "American Football: Crewe Railroaders plan recruitment drive after a season of improvement". Crewe Nub News. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "BAFA ADULT CONTACT 2023 SEASON". BAFA Adult Contact. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ {{|URL=https://www.instagram.com/p/C4ny3FwIaQK/?igsh=MTV3dzRycWQ1MzFkeA==%7Clanguage=en}}