Norwich Devils
Encyclopedia
The Norwich Devils are a British American Football
team based in Norwich
, Norfolk
.
(BAFACL). The roster consists of a mix of local players as well as players from the local airbases at RAF Mildenhall
and RAF Lakenheath
along with players from the local university team the UEA Pirates
.
The team was formed in 1984 and began league play in 1986. The Devils won their first, and to date only, National Championship later that decade in 1989, beating arch rivals the Ipswich Cardinals in the final by a score of 18-9. The Devils have made the playoffs 8 times since that national title and have won the National Division 2 Title twice since 2000, in 2002 & 2007.
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 Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
Overview
The Devils currently field a senior team in Division 2 East of the BAFA Community LeaguesBAFA Community Leagues
The BAFA National Leagues are the primary American football competition in England, Scotland and Wales. They were formed by the British American Football Association in 2010 to coordinate contact football and flag football across all age ranges...
(BAFACL). The roster consists of a mix of local players as well as players from the local airbases at RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
and RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath, is a Royal Air Force military airbase near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. Although an RAF station, it hosts United States Air Force units and personnel...
along with players from the local university team the UEA Pirates
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
.
The team was formed in 1984 and began league play in 1986. The Devils won their first, and to date only, National Championship later that decade in 1989, beating arch rivals the Ipswich Cardinals in the final by a score of 18-9. The Devils have made the playoffs 8 times since that national title and have won the National Division 2 Title twice since 2000, in 2002 & 2007.
Norwich Devils Hall of Fame
| Name | Year of Induction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Ryan | 2008 | Inducted for his long-standing services to the club as a player. Played a significant role in the Devils 1989 National Championship team and was still with the club for their first undefeated season in 2002. |
| Wayne Persinger | 2008 | Inducted for his services to the club as a coach and member of the management team. The club's first head coach who also established & ran the club's management structure. |
| Pete Wrigley | 2007 | Inducted for his services to the club as a player and a coach. An offensive lineman on the team's 1989 National Championship; the Devils head coach for 9 seasons, registering 5 playoff appearances in those 9 season including an undefeated 12-0 season in 2002 to take the National Division 2 Championship. |
Senior Team Season Records
| Season | Division | Wins | Losses | Ties Tie (draw) To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as... |
PF | PA | Final Position | Playoff Playoff The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S... Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | British American Football League - Anglian Division | 5 | 5 | 0 | 254 | 204 | 4 / 5 | — |
| 1987 | Budweiser League Division One Eastern Conference | 7 | 3 | 0 | 169 | 79 | 2 / 6 | — |
| 1988 | Budweiser League Division One Eastern Conference | 5 | 5 | 0 | 388 | 195 | 3 / 5 | — |
| 1989 | British National Gridiron League Division 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 209 | 78 | 1 / 6 | National Champions beating Ipswich Cardinals 18-9 Beat Harrogate Hawks 36-16 in Semi Final |
| 1990 | British National Gridiron League Division 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 66 | 270 | 6 / 6 | — |
| 1991 | British National Gridiron League Division 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 84 | 321 | 5 / 5 | — |
| 1992 | British National Gridiron League East Midlands Division | 6 | 3 | 1 | 228 | 107 | 3 / 6 | — |
| 1993 | British National Gridiron League Southeast Division | 2 | 8 | 0 | 109 | 258 | 4 / 4 | — |
| 1994 | BAFA Division 3 Midlands Conference | 1 | 9 | 0 | 99 | 355 | 6 / 6 | — |
| 1995 | BAFA Division 3 East Midlands Conference | 5 | 5 | 0 | 137 | 191 | 4 / 5 | — |
| 1996 | British Senior League Division 3 Southeast Conference | 10 | 0 | 0 | 232 | 57 | 1 / 6 | Quarterfinalists losing 48-25 to Tiger Bay Warriors |
| 1997 | British Senior League Division 1 Southeast & Midlands Conference | 6 | 3 | 1 | 130 | 92 | 2 / 6 | Quarterfinalists losing 20-0 to Nottingham Caesars Nottingham Caesars The Nottingham Caesars are an American football team playing in the United Kingdom. The Caesars field a senior team in Division 1 Central of the BAFA Community Leagues . The team is affectionately known by its players and fans as "The Big C".... |
| 1998 | British Senior League Division 1 Southeast Conference | 7 | 3 | 0 | 133 | 178 | 2 / 6 | Quarterfinalists losing 22-21 to Bristol Aztecs Bristol Aztecs The Bristol Aztecs are a British American football team based inBristol, England, at the Filton WISE sports academy of Filton College, Bristol, which is also the base for a number of other sports teams such as Bristol Academy woman's soccer team.- Overview :... |
| 1999 | British Senior League Division 1 Eastern Conference | 2 | 6 | 0 | 80 | 209 | 4 / 4 | — |
| 2000 | British Senior League Division 2 Eastern Conference | 6 | 2 | 0 | 230 | 89 | 2 / 5 | Quarterfinalists losing 12-11 to Redditch Arrows |
| 2001 | British Senior League Division 2 South Conference | 7 | 0 | 1 | 210 | 75 | 2 / 9 | Division 2 runners up, losing final to Ipswich Cardinals 47-15 Beat Lancashire Wolverines Lancashire Wolverines The Lancashire Wolverines are a British American football team based in Blackburn and from the 2007 season will be playing in Division Two of the British American Football League... 34-20 in Semi Final Beat Yorkshire Rams Yorkshire Rams Yorkshire Rams are an English American Football club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They represent the county of Yorkshire. They are currently playing in British American Football Association Community League Division 1.-History:... 17-10 in Quarter final |
| 2002 | British Senior League Division 2 South Conference | 9 | 0 | 0 | 271 | 38 | 1 / 9 | Division 2 Champions beating Yorkshire Rams 17-14 Beat Plymouth Admirals Plymouth Admirals The Plymouth Admirals were an American Football team who competed in the British American Football League up until 2010. They played their home games at the Parkway Sports Club in Ernesettle, Plymouth. Formed in 1984, the Admirals were one of the longest established American football teams in the... 23-0 in Semi Final Glasgow Tigers forfeited Quarter final |
| 2003 | British Senior League Division 1 South Conference | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 347 | 5 / 5 | — |
| 2004 | British Senior League Division 1A South Conference | 1 | 9 | 0 | 36 | 287 | 4 / 4 | — |
| 2005 | BAFL Division 2 South East Conference | 2 | 7 | 1 | 156 | 264 | 4 / 5 | — |
| 2006 | BAFL Division 2 East Conference | 7 | 2 | 1 | 210 | 124 | 2 / 4 | Quarterfinalists losing 35-14 to Sussex Thunder Sussex Thunder The Sussex Thunder are a Football team from the United Kingdom based in Horsham, Sussex. The team won promotion to the Premier Division of the British American Football League after winning the Division One Bowl on 20th September 2008.... Beat Colchester Gladiators Colchester Gladiators The Colchester Gladiators are an American Football team competing in the South East Conference of British American Football League Division 2. They play their home games at the Broad Lane stadium in Wivenhoe, Essex and train at the Sir Charles Lucas Centre for Sport and Art in Colchester... 32-14 in Wildcard Round |
| 2007 | BAFL Division 2 South East Conference | 10 | 0 | 0 | 224 | 46 | 1 / 6 | Division 2 Champions beating Dundee Hurricanes Dundee Hurricanes The Dundee Hurricanes are an American football team based in Dundee, Scotland. They are members of Division 1 North of the BAFA Community Leagues after winning promotion through the 2007 BAFL Division 2 playoffs... 26-12 Beat South Wales Warriors South Wales Warriors The South Wales Warriors are an American Football team currently competing in Division 2 West of the BAFA National Leagues . The team was formed after the Tiger Bay Warriors had disbanded due to the departure of head coach Rob Mota, along with key staff and players, by the remaining players and... 43-28 in Semi Finals Beat Cornish Sharks Cornish Sharks The Cornish Sharks are an American Football team currently competing in Division 2 West of the BAFA Community Leagues . They play their home games at the Newquay Sports Centre, in Newquay, Cornwall... 26-18 in Quarter Final |
| 2008 | BAFL Division 1 South Conference | 1 | 8 | 1 | 104 | 241 | 6 / 6 | — |
| 2009 | BAFL Division 1 South East Conference | 0 | 9 | 1 | 84 | 417 | 6 / 6 | — |
| 2010 | BAFL Division 2 East Conference | 6 | 4 | 0 | 148 | 155 | 4 / 6 | — |
| — | All-Time Team Record | 116 | 118 | 7 | 3997 | 4677 | — | 11 - 6 |
2010 Award Winners
- Team MVP - Nathan Evans (OL/DL)
- Offensive MVP - Heith Johnson (QB)
- Defensive MVP - Simon Harbottle (DB)
- Most Improved Player - Ben Stockwell (DL)
- Lineman of the Year - Stephen Charman (OL)
- RookieRookieRookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
of the Year - Adam Whitbourn (TE) - Coaches Player of the Year - Wayne Diggines (DB)