Irish Football Round-up

We're coming to the end of a controversial Shamrock Bowl Conference season, with a couple of teams now finished in their hopeful campaigns. Everything is decided in the South, without much football being played might I say, whilst in the North there is still home field advantage in the playoffs to fight for.

Meanwhile in the IAFL-1 a competitive crop of teams are creating a very interesting league to watch. Points are coming more freely now, as teams begin to find their feet against some tough defences.

IFAF statement on IOC recognition

From IFAF.com

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), for the first time in American football’s proud and tenured history, considered IFAF for official IOC recognition this spring. This process reviews the statutes, practices and activities of an international federation of sport to determine its conformity with the Olympic Charter.
 
IFAF was informed on 22 May that our application for IOC recognition will not be advanced to its executive board at its upcoming meeting from 29 to 31 May. IOC officials will however meet with IFAF representatives within the next 45 days to discuss how our federation – which now encompasses an all-time high 64 national federations spanning six continents – can strengthen its application for future consideration.  After discussing our application with IOC officials we will aim to re-apply in October 2013.
 
American football’s burgeoning international athlete participation and appeal continues to propel the game on an exciting upward path. IFAF and the world’s American football family have great reason to remain inspired and energized by our ongoing dialogue with IOC leadership

BAFANL Week Eight Scores

Premier League

East Kilbride Pirates 53-12 Doncaster Mustangs

Tamworth Phoenix 40-7 Nottingham Caesars

East Kent Mavericks 24-42 London Olympians

Sussex Thunder 6-43 Bristol Aztecs

Berkshire Renegades 0-71 London Warriors

London Blitz 79-20 Cambridgeshire Cats

National League

Merseyside Nighthawks 46-16 Crewe Railroaders

Leicester Falcons P-P Lincolnshire Bombers

DC Presidents 20-40 Gateshead Senators

Watford Cheetahs 13-34 Colchester Gladiators

Kent Exiles 44-8 Essex Spartans

Solent Thrashers 19-0 Farnham Knights

Bournemouth Bobcats 2-14 Bristol Apache

National League Predictions Week Eight

National Central

Merseyside Nighthawks vs. Crewe Railroaders

Merseyside are enjoying a fine start to their National Division campaign, going 2-0 with a 39-7 win over Shropshire and an impressive 65-0 rout of Lincolnshire. Their 1-9 season last year is far behind them and the rookies from that season have gained much needed experience and clicked as a team unit.

Crewe meanwhile are sitting at 1-2 with defeats to Leicester and Staffordshire being propped up by a win against the Surge the week after. They’re going to struggle against Merseyside’s option offence and the match up with the Nighthawks’ quick receivers is going to be a nightmare for them.

Merseyside Nighthawks to win by 5 scores or more

Leicester Falcons vs. Lincolnshire Bombers

Lincolnshire’s struggle with injuries this year, including their starting quarterback, have seen them somewhat regress from the impressive season they had last year. But with the increased competition in the division this year it will be tough for the Bombers to bounce back from their 0-4 record.

Leicester meanwhile have struggled to match up with the division’s powerhouses themselves, with their only wins coming against Crewe and Staffordshire, with losses to Manchester (60-0) and Chester (37-0). If they want to turn their season around they must learn to score on the top end teams in the League. They should have enough to take down a beaten up Bombers side though.

Leicester Falcons to win by 2 scores 

National North

DC Presidents vs. Gateshead Senators

One of the games to watch in the National Division this year. DC are flying high on 2-0 at the top of the North this year whilst Gateshead aren’t far behind, the tie game against Glasgow holding them back on 2-0-1.

This is the first time these two North East teams have met but the game will no doubt be played like an old rivalry, with place in the division, our power rankings and pride at stake!

It’s made more interesting with the transfer of coach Jon Rooney heading to DC this past offseason from Gateshead. Rooney paired up with long time coaching partner Ben Johnson and have transformed the Presidents from mediocre last season to a genuine contender for playoffs this year. Home field advantage could be the difference here but never count out that strong Gateshead defence.

DC Presidents to win by one score

Premiership Predictions Week Eight

Premiership North

East Kilbride Pirates vs. Doncaster Mustangs

The first game of the season that sees two of the Premiership North’s big three square off when the Doncaster Mustangs travel up to Scotland to take on the East Kilbride Pirates.

It’s been a good start to the season for the Pirates so far. Two games, two wins by over 30 points and two shutouts. Now though, the team will face their first real test of the season when they take on the 4-0 Mustangs. Should the Pirates come out on top, they’ll be odds on favourites to win the Premiership North crown.

The Mustangs have got off to a flying start and have comfortably beaten all their opposition to race to a 4-0 start. However, despite being four games into the season, the Mustangs are yet to face a team who have won more than one game. If the Pirates defence can’t cover Martyn Lee, the Mustangs will lose the ranking of third best team in the north and improve their record to 5-0.

Pirates to edge it like last season. EKP by a score

Tamworth Phoenix vs. Nottingham Caesars

Tamworth extended their record to 3-0 last weekend with a 19-0 victory over the Coventry Jets. What’s impressive about the Phoenix 3-0 record is the fact they still haven’t conceded any points this season, and that stat probably won’t change this weekend when they take on the lowly Nottingham Caesars.

Considering their impressive run of form at the start of last season, the Caesars have been anything but impressive this year as they’ve slumped to a 0-3 record. Barring an upset that would throw the Prem North on its head, we’re expecting the Caesars to drop to 0-4 this weekend.

Phoenix by three scores