Philadelphia Phoenix
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Firebirds are a women's football team in the Independent Women's Football League
based in Philadelphia. They are in the Eastern Conference, North Atlantic Division with the Boston Militia
, New York Nemesis
, and New York Sharks
. The team was formerly known as the Philadelphia Phoenix and formerly played in the National Women's Football Association
. Upon moving to the IWFL, they changed their name so as to avoid confusion with their fellow IWFL franchise, the Carolina Phoenix
.
Philadelphia's first women's tackle football team was founded in 2001 as the Philadelphia Liberty Belles
. The Belles won the inaugural NWFL Championship that year. In 2002, the Belles lost in the semi-final playoff round. Heading into the 2003 season, the team split and the Philadelphia Phoenix was formed. The two teams existed simultaneously until the Philadelphia Liberty Belles
eventually folded. The Liberty Belles have since reformed for the 2009 season and have joined the new WFA.
| colspan="6" align="center" | Philadelphia Phoenix (NWFA)
|-
|2003 || 7 || 1 || 0 || 1st North North || First-round bye
Won Eastern Conference Semifinal (D.C.
)
Lost Eastern Conference Championship (Detroit
)
|-
|2004 || 7 || 1 || 0 || 1st North North || Lost Northern Conference Qualifier (Southwest Michigan
)
|-
|2005 || 4 || 4 || 0 || 13th North Division || –
|-
|2006 || 5 || 3 || 0 || 2nd North East || Lost NWFA First Round (Cleveland
)
|-
|2007 || 1 || 6 || 0 || 2nd North South || –
|-
|2008 || 8 || 0 || 0 || 1st North East || First-round bye
Won Northern Conference Semifinal (Columbus
)
Lost Northern Conference Championship (West Michigan
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Philadelphia Firebirds (IWFL)
|-
|2009 || 1 || 7 || 0 || 4th Tier I East North Atlantic || –
|-
|2010 || 1 || 7 || 0 || 5th Tier I East Northeast || –
|-
|2011 || 2 || 4 || 1 || 3rd East mid-Atlantic || -
|-
!Totals || 38 || 37 || 1
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
** = Forfeited because of league action to reduce schedule
Independent Women's Football League
The Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world....
based in Philadelphia. They are in the Eastern Conference, North Atlantic Division with the Boston Militia
Boston Militia
The Boston Militia are a women's full contact football team in the Women's Football Alliance, of which they are the current defending champions...
, New York Nemesis
New York Nemesis
The New York Nemesis is a women's tackle football team playing out of the Capital District of New York. It is a member of the Independent Women's Football League , a league with over 30 teams across the United States...
, and New York Sharks
New York Sharks
The New York Sharks are a women's American football team playing out of New York City. They are a member of the Women's Football Alliance...
. The team was formerly known as the Philadelphia Phoenix and formerly played in the National Women's Football Association
National Women's Football Association
The National Women's Football Association was a full-contact American football league for women headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league was founded by Catherine Masters in 2000, as the two benchmark teams, the Alabama Renegades and the Nashville Dream played each other six times in...
. Upon moving to the IWFL, they changed their name so as to avoid confusion with their fellow IWFL franchise, the Carolina Phoenix
Carolina Phoenix
The Carolina Phoenix is a football team in the Independent Women's Football League based in the Triad and the Triangle of North Carolina. Home games are played at Western Guilford High School in Greensboro....
.
Philadelphia's first women's tackle football team was founded in 2001 as the Philadelphia Liberty Belles
Philadelphia Liberty Belles
The Philadelphia Liberty Belles are a team of the Women's Football Alliance which began play for its inaugural 2009 season. Home games are played on the campus of Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania....
. The Belles won the inaugural NWFL Championship that year. In 2002, the Belles lost in the semi-final playoff round. Heading into the 2003 season, the team split and the Philadelphia Phoenix was formed. The two teams existed simultaneously until the Philadelphia Liberty Belles
Philadelphia Liberty Belles
The Philadelphia Liberty Belles are a team of the Women's Football Alliance which began play for its inaugural 2009 season. Home games are played on the campus of Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania....
eventually folded. The Liberty Belles have since reformed for the 2009 season and have joined the new WFA.
Season-by-season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Philadelphia Phoenix (NWFA)
|-
|2003 || 7 || 1 || 0 || 1st North North || First-round bye
Won Eastern Conference Semifinal (D.C.
D.C. Divas
The D.C. Divas are a football team in the Women's Football Alliance. Based in the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Divas play their home games in Landover at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex.-2001:The Divas were formed in 2000 to be one of the charter franchises of the National Women's...
)
Lost Eastern Conference Championship (Detroit
Detroit Demolition
The Detroit Demolition is a women's semi-professional American football team of the Women's Spring Football League based in the Detroit, Michigan area. During their most recent season, home games were played at Franklin High School in Livonia. They joined the National Women's Football Association...
)
|-
|2004 || 7 || 1 || 0 || 1st North North || Lost Northern Conference Qualifier (Southwest Michigan
West Michigan Mayhem
The West Michigan Mayhem is a women's professional American football team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Mayhem played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2002 until 2008...
)
|-
|2005 || 4 || 4 || 0 || 13th North Division || –
|-
|2006 || 5 || 3 || 0 || 2nd North East || Lost NWFA First Round (Cleveland
Cleveland Fusion
The Cleveland Fusion is a women's professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Fusion played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2002 until 2008...
)
|-
|2007 || 1 || 6 || 0 || 2nd North South || –
|-
|2008 || 8 || 0 || 0 || 1st North East || First-round bye
Won Northern Conference Semifinal (Columbus
Columbus Comets
The Columbus Comets are a women's professional American football team based in Columbus, Ohio. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Comets played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2003 until 2008...
)
Lost Northern Conference Championship (West Michigan
West Michigan Mayhem
The West Michigan Mayhem is a women's professional American football team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Mayhem played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2002 until 2008...
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Philadelphia Firebirds (IWFL)
|-
|2009 || 1 || 7 || 0 || 4th Tier I East North Atlantic || –
|-
|2010 || 1 || 7 || 0 || 5th Tier I East Northeast || –
|-
|2011 || 2 || 4 || 1 || 3rd East mid-Atlantic || -
|-
!Totals || 38 || 37 || 1
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
2009
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | Baltimore Nighthawks Baltimore Nighthawks The Baltimore Nighthawks are a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. The Nighthawks played their inaugural game in Brooklandville at Martin D. Tullai Field... |
Home | Lost 15–22 |
| April 25 | Connecticut Crushers Connecticut Crushers The Connecticut Crushers are a women's American football team based in Hartford, and a member of the Independent Women's Football League since 2009. Home games are played at Dillon Stadium.... |
Home | Won 31–12 |
| May 2 | New York Sharks New York Sharks The New York Sharks are a women's American football team playing out of New York City. They are a member of the Women's Football Alliance... |
Home | Lost 14–33 |
| May 9 | New York Nemesis New York Nemesis The New York Nemesis is a women's tackle football team playing out of the Capital District of New York. It is a member of the Independent Women's Football League , a league with over 30 teams across the United States... |
Away | Lost 3–34 |
| May 16 | Boston Militia Boston Militia The Boston Militia are a women's full contact football team in the Women's Football Alliance, of which they are the current defending champions... |
Away | Lost 0–60 |
| May 30 | D.C. Divas D.C. Divas The D.C. Divas are a football team in the Women's Football Alliance. Based in the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Divas play their home games in Landover at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex.-2001:The Divas were formed in 2000 to be one of the charter franchises of the National Women's... |
Home | Lost 0–42 |
| June 6 | Pittsburgh Passion Pittsburgh Passion The Pittsburgh Passion is a women's American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The franchise began play in 2003 and is currently owned by Teresa Conn and Franco Harris. It is a licensed team in the Women's Football Alliance.... |
Home | Lost 0–53 |
| June 13 | D.C. Divas | Away | Lost 0–63 |
2010
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 3 | Baltimore Nighthawks Baltimore Nighthawks The Baltimore Nighthawks are a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. The Nighthawks played their inaugural game in Brooklandville at Martin D. Tullai Field... |
Away | Lost 0–54 |
| April 10 | New York Sharks New York Sharks The New York Sharks are a women's American football team playing out of New York City. They are a member of the Women's Football Alliance... |
Home | Lost 0–64 |
| April 17 | Pittsburgh Passion Pittsburgh Passion The Pittsburgh Passion is a women's American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The franchise began play in 2003 and is currently owned by Teresa Conn and Franco Harris. It is a licensed team in the Women's Football Alliance.... |
Away | Lost 0–49 |
| April 24 | D.C. Divas D.C. Divas The D.C. Divas are a football team in the Women's Football Alliance. Based in the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Divas play their home games in Landover at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex.-2001:The Divas were formed in 2000 to be one of the charter franchises of the National Women's... |
Home | Lost 0–1** |
| May 1 | New York Nemesis New York Nemesis The New York Nemesis is a women's tackle football team playing out of the Capital District of New York. It is a member of the Independent Women's Football League , a league with over 30 teams across the United States... |
Away | Lost 0–33 |
| May 15 | Binghamton Tiger Cats Binghamton Tiger Cats The Binghamton Tiger Cats are an Independent Women's Tackle Football team based in Binghamton, New York which began play for its inaugural 2009 season as a member of the Women's Football Alliance and for the 2010 season as a member of the Independent Women's Football League.The Tiger Cats are the... |
Home | Won 49–0 |
| May 22 | Boston Militia Boston Militia The Boston Militia are a women's full contact football team in the Women's Football Alliance, of which they are the current defending champions... |
Home | Lost 0–1** |
| May 29 | D.C. Divas | Away | Lost 3–49 |