Gateshead Senators (American football)
Encyclopedia
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| Year Formed | pre 1985 as Newcastle Browns, moved to Gateshead in 1988 |
| Team Colours | White, Turquoise and Orange |
| Home Field | Gateshead International Stadium, Gateshead |
| Conference Alignment | BAFL Division 1 |
| Head Coach | Gary Marshall |
| BritBowl Championships (0) |
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| Divisional Championships (2) 1999(Division 1 (Regional)) 2006(Division 1(Regional)) |
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| Playoff Appearances1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 | |
Gateshead Senators are a British American Football
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 based in Gateshead at Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The stadium is primarily set up for athletics, with a running track, but it is home to Gateshead Thunder rugby league club, Gateshead Senators American Football and Gateshead FC. It has also held a...
.
Origins
The Senators started life in the 1980s as the Newcastle Senators, rising out of the ashes of the aptly named Newcastle Browns, and playing at Northern Rugby Club in Newcastle. The club had two very successful seasons winning the Division 1 title with a 10-0 record and gained promotion to the National Division for the following season.The Senators gained new players when the area's only other team, the Trojans, folded. In the National Division the team had a 4-6 record and gained the respect of many of the country's top sides.
In 1988 the Senators moved across the Tyne to Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The stadium is primarily set up for athletics, with a running track, but it is home to Gateshead Thunder rugby league club, Gateshead Senators American Football and Gateshead FC. It has also held a...
. With this move the club also changed its name to the Gateshead International Senators, cementing the links with the stadium and giving them the nickname the GI's.
New players came from around the region, including many from the Tyneside Tigers, who were experiencing difficulties. In 1995, the end of the Stockton Gators led to further influx of new and experienced players, ready for the 1996 campaign.
The Club Today
The team has players from Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Washington, Darlington, Teesside and Durham, making the Senators a truly North East team.1999 of course proved the most successful in the team's history, going all the way and winning the Division 1 title.
In 2000, 2001 and 2002, the Senators again reached the playoffs, but could not go all the way again. The team moved to Division 2 for 2003 because of player retirements and the need to rebuild but this sparked a rebirth, and the team went 10-0 in 2003 and reached the semi-final. The Senators were promptly returned to Div 1 and remain one of the UK's top clubs, and always a serious contender, reaching the playoffs in every subsequent season until 2007 and now after league reorganisation, remain in the top flight, playing in the Premier Division. Despite their poor record in 2007, the club retains its place in the Premier Division for 2008.
Historic Results
2007 BAFL Premier 3-6-12006 BAFL Division 1 North 8-2*
2005 BAFL Division 1 North 8-2*
2004 BAFL Division 1 North 6-2-1*
2003 BAFL Division 2 North 10-0*
2002 BAFL Division 1 North 5-5*
2001 BAFL Division 1 North 5-3*
2000 BAFL Division 1 North 5-3*
*made playoffs
Youth Team
The Senators are providing a training scheme for flag football and there are training sessions at Gateshead Stadium and schools within the local area.
Youth Head Coach David Wilson can be contacted via email at david.wilson@gateshead-senators.co.uk
The Youth kitted team plays in the BAFA (British American Fottball Association) Youth League.
Flag football
Flag football
Flag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
is a fast growing, non contact variant of American football, long popular in the USA, and gaining in popularity in the UK. It means that young people can learn all about the game in safety.