Cologne Crocodiles
Encyclopedia
The Cologne Crocodiles are an American football
team from Cologne
, Germany
.
The clubs greatest success came in 2000, when it won the German Bowl
for the first and, so far, only time. Prior to this, the club had made five losing appearances in the championship game, stretching from 1982 to 1997.
The club, a long-term member of the German Football League
, became insolvent in 2003, folded and reformed. For a number of years after that it operated a youth department before fielding a senior team once more beginning in 2009.
The club joined the American Football Bundesliga in 1981, in the third year of the leagues existence, and were an instant success in this league, finishing second in their division and reaching the play-off semi finals. The clubs second season was even more successful, winning their division with only one loss all season, against future arch-rival Düsseldorf Panther
, and reaching their first-ever German Bowl
. In this game however, the Ansbach Grizzlies
were the stronger side and the Crocodiles would suffer their first of five German Bowl defeats.
The club remained a strong side in the northern division of the Bundesliga the following seasons, but had the misfortune of being in the same division with the all-dominating Düsseldorf Panther. Finishing second behind the team from Düsseldorf
, the club then had to face southern power house Ansbach Grizzlies in the semi-finals and was knocked out on each occasion in 1981, 1983 and 1984.
In 1985, the Crocodiles were less successful, finishing only third and being knocked out in the quarter finals, the year after the club didn't qualify for the play-offs at all, something it experienced only three times in its 23 seasons at the elite level. The 1987 season saw another quarter final exit, followed by missing the post season once more in 1988. To make matters worse, local rival Red Barons Cologne
defeated the Düsseldorf Panther in the German Bowl that year and brought home the first senior national title in the sport to Cologne.
, quite clearly at the first attempt and by a point at the second. After a semi final defeat to the Munich Cowboys
in 1992, the team faced the same opposition in the 1993 German Bowl. The Crocodiles were leading for most of the game but the Cowboys equalised shortly before the end and eventually won the game in extra time.
In 1994, the Adler were once more the stronger side in the two teams semi final encounter, the following two years after it was the Düsseldorf Panther. In 1997, the club made its fifth German Bowl appearance, but the Braunschweig Lions
took home the title with a 26-23 victory. The same team also defeated the club in the 1998 semi finals, followed by a semi final loss to the Hamburg Blue Devils
in 1999.
The 2000 season was to be the Crocodiles best-ever. Suffering only one defeat all season, to the Panther, the team reached the German Bowl for the sixth time and, this time, won the upper hand, defeating the Lions by two points. It was also the end of an era, with the Crocodiles rapidly declining from here.
. The final season in the league now renamed the German Football League
saw the team win only one game all season and finish in fifth place, a point and a rank above the relegation spot.
Despite having qualified on the field for the 2004 GFL season, the club was unable to participate, instead becoming insolvent. The senior team was withdrawn altogether but the Crocodiles survived and continued, fielding youth teams only for the next five years. The following year, Cologne received a NFL Europe
team, the Cologne Centurions
, keeping American football at top level alive.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team from Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The clubs greatest success came in 2000, when it won the German Bowl
German Bowl
The German Bowl is the annual national championship game in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the German Football League....
for the first and, so far, only time. Prior to this, the club had made five losing appearances in the championship game, stretching from 1982 to 1997.
The club, a long-term member of the German Football League
German Football League
The German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
, became insolvent in 2003, folded and reformed. For a number of years after that it operated a youth department before fielding a senior team once more beginning in 2009.
Early years
The Cologne Crocodiles were formed in 1980, making it one of the oldest American football clubs in Germany. The club, in its first season, took part in the Nordwestdeutsche Football Liga, a renegade league which only existed for two seasons, 1980 and 1981.The club joined the American Football Bundesliga in 1981, in the third year of the leagues existence, and were an instant success in this league, finishing second in their division and reaching the play-off semi finals. The clubs second season was even more successful, winning their division with only one loss all season, against future arch-rival Düsseldorf Panther
Düsseldorf Panther
The Düsseldorf Panther are an American football team from Düsseldorf, Germany. The club is the oldest still existing American football club in Europe, having been formed on 1 May 1978....
, and reaching their first-ever German Bowl
German Bowl
The German Bowl is the annual national championship game in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the German Football League....
. In this game however, the Ansbach Grizzlies
Ansbach Grizzlies
The Ansbach Grizzlies are an American football team based in Ansbach, Germany. The club, together with the Düsseldorf Panther and the Munich Cowboys, is one of the oldest in Germany...
were the stronger side and the Crocodiles would suffer their first of five German Bowl defeats.
The club remained a strong side in the northern division of the Bundesliga the following seasons, but had the misfortune of being in the same division with the all-dominating Düsseldorf Panther. Finishing second behind the team from Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, the club then had to face southern power house Ansbach Grizzlies in the semi-finals and was knocked out on each occasion in 1981, 1983 and 1984.
In 1985, the Crocodiles were less successful, finishing only third and being knocked out in the quarter finals, the year after the club didn't qualify for the play-offs at all, something it experienced only three times in its 23 seasons at the elite level. The 1987 season saw another quarter final exit, followed by missing the post season once more in 1988. To make matters worse, local rival Red Barons Cologne
Red Barons Cologne
The Red Barons Cologne were an American football team from Cologne, Germany.The clubs greatest success came in 1988, when it won its sole German Bowl, followed by a losing appearance in the game in1989...
defeated the Düsseldorf Panther in the German Bowl that year and brought home the first senior national title in the sport to Cologne.
Golden era
In 1989, the Crocodiles exited the play-offs in the round of 16, while the Red Barons made another, this time losing, Bowl appearance. With this, however, the tables would turn, with the local rival disappearing from the league in 1991 and the Crocodiles reaching the play-off semi finals, as a minimum, in every one of the next eleven seasons. In 1990 and 1991, the club reached the German Bowl but lost both times to the Berlin AdlerBerlin Adler
The Berlin Adler is an American football club based in Berlin, Germany. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the sport in Germany, having won six German Bowls as well as a ten Ladies Bowls and five Junior Bowls....
, quite clearly at the first attempt and by a point at the second. After a semi final defeat to the Munich Cowboys
Munich Cowboys
The Munich Cowboys are an American football team based in Munich, Germany. The club, together with the Düsseldorf Panther and the Ansbach Grizzlies, is one of the oldest in Germany. The team refers to itself as The Grand Old Team of the South....
in 1992, the team faced the same opposition in the 1993 German Bowl. The Crocodiles were leading for most of the game but the Cowboys equalised shortly before the end and eventually won the game in extra time.
In 1994, the Adler were once more the stronger side in the two teams semi final encounter, the following two years after it was the Düsseldorf Panther. In 1997, the club made its fifth German Bowl appearance, but the Braunschweig Lions
Braunschweig Lions
The New Yorker Lions are an American Football team from Braunschweig, Germany. Until late 2010, the team was known as the Braunschweig Lions....
took home the title with a 26-23 victory. The same team also defeated the club in the 1998 semi finals, followed by a semi final loss to the Hamburg Blue Devils
Hamburg Blue Devils
The Hamburg Blue Devils are an American football team in Hamburg, Germany. The Blue Devils are one of the most successful American football clubs in Germany, having won four German Bowls as well as three Eurobowls...
in 1999.
The 2000 season was to be the Crocodiles best-ever. Suffering only one defeat all season, to the Panther, the team reached the German Bowl for the sixth time and, this time, won the upper hand, defeating the Lions by two points. It was also the end of an era, with the Crocodiles rapidly declining from here.
Decline
In 2001, the club came only fourth in its division and suffered its first quarter final exit since 1989, losing to the Cowboys. Doing better in the league in 2002, the team nevertheless lost in the quarter finals once more, this time to the Stuttgart ScorpionsStuttgart Scorpions
The Stuttgart Scorpions are an American football team from Stuttgart, Germany.The clubs greatest success came in 2007, when it reached the German Bowl but lost to the Braunschweig Lions.-History:The Stuttgart Scorpions were formed in December 1982...
. The final season in the league now renamed the German Football League
German Football League
The German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
saw the team win only one game all season and finish in fifth place, a point and a rank above the relegation spot.
Despite having qualified on the field for the 2004 GFL season, the club was unable to participate, instead becoming insolvent. The senior team was withdrawn altogether but the Crocodiles survived and continued, fielding youth teams only for the next five years. The following year, Cologne received a NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
team, the Cologne Centurions
Cologne Centurions
The Cologne Centurions were an American football team that played in NFL Europe. The Centurions began competing in the league in the 2004 season, having replaced the defunct Barcelona Dragons. They played their home games at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne....
, keeping American football at top level alive.
Revival
The club re-entered senior football in 2009, joining the lowest regional league, the tier-six Landesliga North Rhine-Westphalia South. It won all its eight games there and earned promotion to the Verbandsliga for 2010. With only one defeat at that level, the club was able to move up once more and will play in the tier-four Oberliga in 2011.Honours
- German BowlGerman BowlThe German Bowl is the annual national championship game in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the German Football League....
- Champions: 2000
- Runners-up: 1982, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997
- Ladies Bowl
- Runners-up: 1998
- Junior BowlGerman Junior BowlThe German Junior Bowl, usually only referred to as Junior Bowl, is the annual national championship game for junior teams in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the GFL Juniors....
- Champions: 1983, 1993
- Runners-up: 1982
- EFLEuropean Football LeagueThe European Football League is a European Cup style tournament for European American Football teams affiliated to EFAF...
- Participations: 1999, 2000
- GFLGerman Football LeagueThe German Football League is the elite league for American football in Germany. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA....
- Northern Division champions: 1982, 1993, 2000
- Play-off qualification: (20) 1981–1985, 1987, 1989–2002
- League membership: (23) 1981–2003
German Bowl appearances
The clubs appearances in the German Bowl:| Bowl | Date | Champions | Runners-Up | Score | Location | Attendance |
| IV | November 2, 1982 | Ansbach Grizzlies | Cologne Crocodiles | 12-6 | Essen Essen - Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of... |
10,000 |
| XII | October 20, 1990 | Berlin Adler | Cologne Crocodiles | 50-38 | Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the... |
10,000 |
| XIII | October 5, 1991 | Berlin Adler | Cologne Crocodiles | 22-21 | Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
13,000 |
| XV | September 25, 1993 | Munich Cowboys | Cologne Crocodiles | 42-36 (aet Overtime (sports) Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination... ) |
Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
9,000 |
| XIX | October 4, 1997 | Braunschweig Lions | Cologne Crocodiles | 26-23 | Hamburg | 14,800 |
| XXII | October 7, 2000 | Cologne Crocodiles | Braunschweig Lions | 31-29 | Braunschweig Braunschweig Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser.... |
20,312 |
- Champions in bold.
Recent seasons
Recent seasons of the club:| Year | Division | Finish | Points | Pct. | Games | W | D | L | PF | PA | Postseason |
| 2009 | Landesliga NRW South | 1st | 16–0 | 1.000 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 244 | 31 | Won PR: Sauerland Mustangs (24–28 & 19–0) |
| 2010 | Verbandsliga NRW | 1st | 14–2 | 0.875 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 251 | 99 | — |
| 2011 | Oberliga NRW |
- PR = Promotion round.