Gloucester Centurions
Established | 2007 |
---|---|
Folded | 2015 |
Based in | Gloucester |
Home stadium | Sir Thomas Rich's School, Gloucester |
League | BAFA National Leagues |
Division | National South |
Colours | Purple and Black |
The Gloucester Centurions [1] were an American football team based in Gloucester. They competed in the National South League of the BAFA National Leagues.[2]
History
1985-1993
American football has been played in Gloucester since its début in the United Kingdom. The first league team to play in the area was the Gloucester Boars, who played in the 1985 United Kingdom American Football Association. The team progressed to the Budweiser League and played as the Cotswold Bears during 1986 and 1987. They won the SW conference; on the way they played at Kingsholm Stadium, (the home of Gloucester Rugby) against the Cardiff Tigers in front of a crowd of 3000.
The Bears folded at the end of the 1987 season. A new team was set up at Plock Court, Gloucester, playing under the name of the Severn Vale Royals. The Royals took part in the British National Gridiron League during the 1989 to 1993 seasons, reaching a Bowl Final in their rookie year, but losing out to their bitter rivals, the Cheltenham Chieftains. The Severn Vale Royals closed at the end of the 1993 season, and the team was replaced the following year by the West Country Phoenix. But less than a year later, the Phoenix disappeared. Several youth teams emerged during the mid-1990s, but without any real success. However, in 2007, American football returned to Gloucester.
2007-2008
In early 2007, a team called the Gloucester Banshees set up in the city of Gloucester. Many of the Banshees staff were involved in previous teams, such as the Severn Vale Royals, West Country Phoenix, Cheltenham Chieftains, Cotswold Bears and the Gloucester Boars. After a 10-month feasibility study (to see if the interest was still there for American football), training began in early February 2008. The Banshees' first fully kitted game was with Premiership "giants"
Going on the strength of superb facilities that included a full-sized 100-yard playing field, the British American Football League promoted the Banshees to full league membership in November 2008. The Banshees drafted players from the now-defunct Hereford Chargers[3] in preparation for their first season as full members of the British American Football League.
2009
The Banshees were placed into Division 2 Southwest conference and scheduled to meet the
2010
With Coach Myers still at the helm the Banshees approached the season with confidence that they could improve upon the previous year, however, the early season loss of American quarterback Yenerall and dominant nose tackle Marcus Campbell to the nearby Premiership giants
2011
At the start of the 2011 season, the club members elected a new committee at the annual AGM. Three games into the season both the head coach and administrator resigned due to an internal dispute with regards to player selection. The Banshees appointed Colin Branagh to fulfill the vacant head coach position. A tough schedule including perennial title favourites
Shortly after the end of the season, head coach Branagh tendered his resignation and subsequently took up the general manager's role at
2012
The 2012 season saw the Centurions scheduled against
Team colours
The Gloucester Centurions play in a purple home kit with silver trim and their alternative is the old Banshees second strip (white with red trims).
Media
The Banshees were featured on
References
- ^ "Gloucester Centurions (Facebook)". Facebook. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ "League realignment - the details". BAFA National Leagues. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ "Hereford players in British American Football League". Hereford Times. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
- ^ "Gloucester Centurions". Oxford Saints. Retrieved 27 October 2019.