28th August - Dublin Rebels won Shamrock Bowl XVIII with a 24-22 victory over the Carrickfergus Knights.
30th May 2004 - IAFL Allstars 2-52 John Carroll Blue Streaks
For a match report click here
28th May 2004 - Celtic Classic Preview from www.iafl.info
Venue: Greystones Rugby Club, Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
Kick-Off: 2pm.
Ireland will be playing U.S. college football side, John Carroll University of Ohio at Greystones Rugby Club on Sunday 30th May in the Celtic Classic American football game. This will be the first visit of a U.S. college football team to Ireland since Notre Dame played Navy in the Shamrock Classic in 1996. There have been 6 competitive games in Ireland involving visiting U.S. college teams since Boston College and Army played in the first Emerald Isle Classic in the 1980s. However, unlike the previous games, the Celtic Classic will be the first time that the visitors have played against an Ireland team entirely composed of players playing domestically in the Irish American Football League (IAFL). The game is being organised by the IAFL in conjunction with the Global Football organisation.
John Carroll Univ. (JCU) Blue Streaks:
The John Carroll Blue Streaks, who are based near Cleveland, Ohio will be travelling to Ireland with a squad of 45 players and 23 coaches and support staff. They are one of the top small colleges in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) having posted winning records in the past 16 years – they were National Championship semi-finalists 2002. The Head Coach of the Blue Streaks is Regis Scafe who has coached the squad since 1999. The most famous player to play for John Carroll in recent years is current NFL linebacker London Fletcher; who made that famous game saving tackle on the goal line as time expired to win the 2000 Superbowl for the St. Louis Rams against the Tennessee Titans.
John Carroll will be spending a week in Ireland, basing themselves in the west of Ireland for most of the week, before travelling to Dublin the day before the game.
Who to watch on the JCU team:
JCU will be bringing a squad of 45 players to play in the Celtic Classic. The players to watch on offence include linemen # 78 Aaron Taylor, #69 Victor DeBoer and #52 James Gluss. Taylor was All-Confernece in 2003. Also included in the squad are tight ends #8 Rob Pratus and #25 Bryan Beigie. #21 Nick Cerni will probably start at running back. #10 Stephen Spence and #18 Paul Troy are in a battle for the starting quarterbacks job and both are expected to play in the game. On defense, the players to watch are linemen #6 McPat McCoyne, #15 Jim Fink and #48 Mark Warren; linebacker #35 Joe Motley who was JCU’s leading tackler in 2003; and cornerbacks #93 Nick Nardini and #17 Anthony Fanelli. Fanelli can also return kicks.
Click Here for John Carroll Roster.
Ireland:
This game will be the first for Ireland under new Head Coach Phil DeMonte. DeMonte, a New York native, recently moved to Ireland after having coached in the UK with Oxford University and serving as Executive Director for the Great Britain Bulldogs in recent years. DeMonte played in the U.S. Armed Forces Leagues before taking up coaching. The Ireland squad will be entirely composed of players who play in the Irish American Football League (IAFL). The IAFL is composed of six teams – Belfast Bulls, Carrickfergus Knights, Cork Admirals, Dublin Dragons, Dublin Rebels and Univ. of Limerick Vikings and has been on the rise in recent years. Membership has nearly doubled over the past 2 years to over 300 players and there are plans to add more teams in 2005 (Galway, Killarney and Craigavon are possible locations). The vast majority of the players in the IAFL are born and bred in Ireland, however, at present there are players from 19 different nationalities playing the league, some of whom will be on show in the Celtic Classic. The IAFL season runs from February to August and the Championship game is called the Shamrock Bowl.
Who to watch on the Ireland team:
The starting line-up for the Ireland team will not be named until after the team’s final training session on Saturday 29th, however, there are a number of players who are expected to make significant contributions to the game. This will be the first game that the Ireland team has played since the reformation of the Irish National Program earlier this year.
Kevin Downs of the Belfast Bulls will probably start at quarterback. The 6ft 5in 23 year old Downs is one of the rising stars of the IAFL and has loads of potential. However, this will be his first ever start in a big game. Downs will have some good receivers to throw to including Paul McKillop of the Carrickfergus Knights, the leagues top receiver over the past two years. McKillop scored 10 touchdowns in 2003. Wide receiver Andreas Farnedi of the Dublin Dragons is also in the squad. The running back position is undecided at present due to the unavailability of last years Shamrock Bowl MVP, Brian Dennehy of the Dublin Rebels. A number of players, including Dave Wheeler of the Dublin Dragons will probably carry the ball for Ireland on Sunday. Two Dublin Rebels – veteran Fearghal O’Donnchu and 22 year old Simon Mackey will share time at tight end. The offensive line is expected to include Dubliner Eoghan Murphy (6-6, 20 stone) who now plays for the Belfast Bulls, Robert Smith of the Cork Admirals and Tobias Hansson of the Dublin Rebels. UL Vikings player, Adam Culvertey will see action at fullback.
The strength of the Ireland team is undoubtedly at linebacker. Alan O’Carroll of the Cork Admirals will start at middle linebacker. O’Carroll is currently attracting attention from at least one US college side. Sean Shanahan of the Dublin Rebels, who won the Most Valuable Player award in the Charleroi International Tournament last season, will start in one of the outside linebacker positions. The defensive line will feature a rotation of players including Simon Connellan of the Dublin Rebels, John Collins of the Dublin Dragons, Erin Wagner of the Belfast Bulls and upcoming rookie, Kieran Stack of the UL Vikings. The secondary will be anchored by experienced cornerback Steve Archibald of the Dublin Rebels and Finnish born Jari Kinnunen of the Cork Admirals who’s also played at college level in the US. Patrick Ryan of the UL Vikings will be the kicker.
Click Here for Provisional Ireland Roster.
16th May 2004 - Ireland squad announced
Greystones Rugby Club, 30 May 2004, 2pm.
The John Carroll University of Ohio, who are one of the best small college American football teams in the USA are travelling to Ireland to play an Irish American Football League representative side in the Celtic Classic.
The Celtic Classic, which is the brainchild of the Global Football organization, will be played at Greystones Rugby Club, in Wicklow (just south of Dublin) on Sunday 30th May. John Carroll is one of the best small college teams in American, having finished with a 7-3 record in 2003 and having reached the NCAA National Championship Semi-Finals in 2002. They will be the best team ever to play against domestic opposition in Ireland. John Carroll has been coached by Regis Scafe since 1998 and play their home games in Don Shula Stadium, named in honour of the famous NFL Coach.
John Carroll University will be travelling with a squad of 45 players which will include many of their star players such as offensive linemen Aaron Taylor, Victor DeBoer and James Gluss, tight ends Rob Pratus and Bryan Beigie, defensive linemen McPat Coyne, Jim Fink and Mark Warren, linebackers Joe Motley and cornerback Anthony Fanelli. When asked about the trip to Ireland, Coach Scafe said:
“This is a great opportunity to visit a foreign country with all the history and intrigue Ireland has to offer. It is a daunting task to transport players, coaches and families across the Atlantic, but once we touch down over in Ireland, it will all seem worth it.”
This game will be the first for the Ireland team under newly appointed Head Coach Phil DeMonte. Coach DeMonte, a native of New York, relocated to Ireland recently after having been Executive Director of the Great Britain Bulldogs and Head Coach Oxford University in the UK. The Ireland team is not without talent, but the game against John Carroll will present a very formidable challenge. When asked about the Irish prospects for victory in the game, Coach DeMonte replied –
“I expect it to be a tough game for the Irish. We are facing a team where players live, breathe and eat football……we may not be as successful as when David had slain Goliath, but we will be giving it our best effort and giving it all on the field. Will all the elements be there for an upset, we still need to see what happens on the day. But whatever happens, the winner will be the re-emergence of Irish American Football on the International stage.”
The Ireland team will be comprised of players from each of the six teams which compete in the Irish American Football League – Dublin Rebels (based in Greystones RFC), Dublin Dragons, UL Vikings, Cork Admirals, Belfast Bulls and Carrickfergus Knights. Kevin Downs of the Belfast Bulls is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Irish team. Notable players in the Irish squad include tight end Fearghal O’Donnchu, linebacker Sean Shanahan and all of whom play for local team, Dublin Rebels who are the current Irish Champions. Linebacker Alan O’Carroll of the Cork Admirals and receiver Paul McKillop of the Carrickfergus Knights are also included.
Irish American football has been on the rise in recent years – membership has almost doubled (to c.300 players) in the past two years and six teams are contesting the championship. A further 2 teams are in development for 2005.
Public Training Sessions @ Greystones RFC:
Saturday 29th May
13:00 to 16:00 – Ireland
19:00 to 21:00 – John Carroll University
Further Information:
Irish American Football League
John Carroll University
http://www.jcu.edu/studentl/Athletics/Varsity.htm
Global Football
25th April 2004 - IAFL doubleheader. Dragons & Knights win
Dublin Dragons 26-12 Cork Admirals. Report
Carrickfergus Knights 47-7 UL Vikings. Report
18th April 2004 - BELFAST DEFEAT DRAGONS
BELFAST BULLS 20-12 DUBLIN DRAGONS
11th April 2004 - IRELAND TRIALS IN DUBLIN
Venue: Islandbridge, Dublin.
Trials for the Irish National program took place in Dublin on Saturday 10th April. Players from Belfast Bulls, Cork Admirals, Dublin Dragons, Dublin Rebels and UL Vikings turned up for the trials that were open to all registered players in the Irish American Football Coach. Ireland Head Coach, Phil DeMonte presided over the trials and was assisted by Belfast Head Coach, Barry Magee. Trials began at 10am in the morning and concluded with a controlled scrimmage late in the afternoon. Coach DeMonte said that he is pleased with the performance of the players who attended, most of whom will form the nucleus of the side to face John Carroll University in May. The next training session for the team will be held in Cork over the May bank holiday weekend.
The Ireland team (IAFL Allstars) is due to play John Carroll University in Ireland on Sunday 30th May. John Carroll, from Ohio, are one of the top teams in NCAA Division III and will probably be the best team ever to play against Irish opposition in Ireland. The squad selected for the game includes 10 returning starters from the squad that had a winning record in 2003 and made the playoffs in 2002. On September 4th, Ireland will travel to Leeds to play against the Great Britain Bulldogs. A game against the New York Police Department (NYPD) football team is also being arranged for October.
Earlier this week, Mr. Peter O'Rourke who was part of the Dublin Celts management during their EuroBowl years was named as the new General Manager for the Irish National Program. Mr. Paul Whelan, a recently retired player who spent 16 seasons with various teams and Mr. John Durrad, Manager of Dublin Dragons were named as the teams Assistant General Managers. Mr. Andy Flynn of Dublin Rebels will be the event organizer for the John Carroll game.
Article from www.iafl.info
8th April 2004 - ADMIRALS WIN FLOODLIGHT GAME
UL VIKINGS 0- 13 CORK ADMIRALS
For report click here
4th April 2004 - DUBLIN REBELS START WITH WIN
UL VIKINGS 0- 50 DUBLIN REBELS
For report click here
28 March 2004 - Dublin Dragons 18-9 UL Vikings
For report click here
30th March 2004 - Ireland becomes member of EFAF
Ireland has officially become a member of the European Federation of American Football. The EFAF Board of Directors recently approved Irelands application to join and made a strong recommendation to EFAF member countries to vote in favour of the application. The EFAF member countries voted in favour of Ireland by a margin of 16-0. EFAF is the governing body for American football in Europe and consists of the following countries (in addition to Ireland), all of whom have competitive American football - Germany, France, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova & Czech Republic. The decision was made at the EFAF General Assembly meeting in Paris, 27-28 March 2004. The EFAF General Assembly also covered a number of other topics including how to increase participation in the EuroBowl & EFAF Cup competitions for club sides and the European Nations Championship for national teams. The assembly was deemed to be successful and the delegates were very congratulatory about Irelands entry into EFAF. In addition to joining EFAF, Ireland will now also become a member of the International Federation of American Football which is made up of the various national associations from all around the world.
30th March 2004 - IAFL National Program announced
In 2004, the Program is going to concentrate on IAFL players, therefore all of the representative teams will be chosen from the IAFL. All registered IAFL players, regardless of nationality are eligible to play for the IAFL Allstars. Trials will take place in Dublin on Sunday 11th April. National Coach, Phil DeMonte is in the process of putting together his coaching staff and the administrative staff will be announced soon. The first game on the Program is probably the most prestigious game ever played in Ireland. The IAFL Allstars will take on John Carroll University from Ohio, USA. John Carroll are one of the top small college teams in America and frequently make the NCAA National Championship Play-Offs. The team had a 7-3 record in 2003 and will travel to Ireland with a squad of 40 players. The second game on the schedule will be played in England against the Great Britain Bulldogs next September. The Great Britain Bulldogs are the representative team of the BCAFL - the British University league. The final game on this year's Progam is the second annual IAFL Allstar game which will take place in September.
NATIONAL COACHING STAFF:
Head Coach: Phil DeMonte.
Assistant Coaches: Barry Magee, Paddy Boyd, Patrick Ryan, John Stokes, Claus Christiansen. Administrative Staff: To be announced soon.
There are three games arranged so far for the Irish National Program.
Saturday 10th April Dublin Trials - all registered IAFL players welcome .
Sunday 2nd May Limerick or Cork Training for IAFL Allstar team.
Saturday 29th May Dublin Training for John Carroll game.
Sunday 30th May Greystones RFC John Carroll Univ. v IAFL Allstars
21 or 22 August Belfast or Carrickfergus Training for GB Bulldogs game.
Saturday 4th September England IAFL Allstars v Great Britain Bulldogs
September tba tba Allstar Game - IAFL North v IAFL South
From www.iafl.info
21st March 2004 - Belfast Bulls 0-19 Carrickfergus Knights
7th March 2004 - Dublin Dragons 8-7 UL Vikings
For report click here
Article from www.iafl.info
29th February 2004 - Cork Admirals 19-5 UL Vikings
Article from www.iafl.info
For report click here
Next Weeks Game:
UL Vikings @ Dublin Dragons, Lucan Community College, Dublin. Kick-Off 1pm.
19th February 2004 - Rebels to return to Belgium
The Dublin Rebels have been invited back to Belgium to defend the Charleroi Trophy title they won in both 2002 and 2003. Theorganisers of the tournament are expanding the format to an eight team knockout competition. In addition to the Dublin Rebels and host team the Charleroi Cougars, teams from France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Moldova have been invited to take part in 2004. Details of the exact lineup of teams will be announced soon. The Carrickfergus Knights also took part in 2003, finishing third.
19th February 2004 - Irish League preview, from www.iafl.info
The 2004 IAFL season kicks off when the Cork Admirals visit the UL Vikings on Sunday 29th February. This season promises to be the best ever for Irish American football for a variety of reasons. Firstly the sport is on a high due to last season's upsurge in interest which culmulated in highlights of Shamrock Bowl XVII been screened on TV3 in Ireland and across Europe on the Sky Sports (for our US fans, Sky is the European version of Fox). This upsurge in interest has been felt at grassroots level with most clubs reporting an increase in the number of rookies joining for the 2004 season. The league is expected to have more registered players than at any time in the past 15 years. The regular inclusion of results/game reports in the Irish Times newspaper has also helped raise the profile of the sport.
However, the main reason 2004 promises to be the best ever is that the league has more teams playing more games than have EVER been playing in Ireland. 7 teams is the most that has ever contested the kitted league championship in Ireland and the 9 game regular season is the longest ever. In 2004, there will be more competitive American football games played in Ireland than ever before. The 34 scheduled games surpasses the number played even during the so-called fad days of the 1980s. Finally, as with each of the 3 previous seasons since the restructuring of the sport in 2001, the standard of play is expected to raise as teams get more competitive in their quest for to overtake the previous years champions. Now lets look at each of the individual teams (in order of last seasons standings) to see how they're shaping up for the new season.
DUBLIN REBELS
Last Season: 7-1, Shamrock Bowl XVII Champions + 2-0 in Charleroi Tournament. Coaching Staff: Brian Dennehy and Fearghal O'Donnchu (3rd season each). The Dublin Rebels had the best season in their history in 2003. Firstly, they travelled to Belgium in June and sucessfully defended their Charleroi Trophy title. Then, after having finished a close second in the league standings, they convincingly defeated the Cork Admirals in the semi-final and beat 2002 Champions, the Carrickfergus Knights 24-12 in a memorable Shamrock Bowl XVII, played at Suttonians RFC. The Rebels will will again have Brian Dennehy coaching offense and Fearghal O'Donnchu coaching defense. The nucleus of last years Championship team is returning for another crack at the title. The offensive backfield will feature the Dennehy brothers, Andy and Brian at quarterback and tailback respectively. Also, Runningback Marcus Naylor is expected to be back to full speed after playing injured in 2003. The offensive line is anchored by Dave Griffith and Tobias Hansson. The defense will be led by American linebacker Sean Shanahan who is quickly developing into one of the best linebackers ever to play in Ireland. Ex-British Senior League cornerback Steve Archibald and safety Travis Lawson will head up the secondary. The Rebels have recuited well during the offseason and we're bound to see some new young players emerge as the season progresses. Training camp reports suggest that the active roster could top 50 players by the start of the season.
CARRICKFERGUS KNIGHTS
Last Season: 5-2, Shamrock Bowl runners-up + 1-1 in Charleroi Tournament. Head Coach: Mark Harris (3rd Season). The Carrickfergus Knights are expected to be strong again this year after having topped last seasons league standings with a 5-1 record. The Knights are hoping to avenge their Shamrock Bowl defeat at the hands of the Dublin Rebels. Their May 9th and June 20th games against the Rebels are expected to determine who will be the number one seed in the play-offs. The Knights have the best passing offense in the league. Veteren quarterback Stephen McDowell has the skills to fully exploit a talented receiving corps that includes Paul McKillop (10 TDs in 2003), Ian McIlroy and one of the finds of 2003, William Shaw. The defense relies on a fast agressive secondary, including cornerbacks Chris Davidson and Mark Pollock, the MVP in last years Allstar game. Scott Robinson, Spencer McDowell and David Antuna provide strength at linebacker. The addition of 2 more northern teams - Craigavon and Belfast - to the championship adds some tough local rivalries to the Knights schedule.
CORK ADMIRALS
Last Season: 1-7, semi-finalists.
Coaches: John Stokes (2nd year), Patrick DuBoucher-Ryan & David Harris. In spite of a losing season, the Cork Admirals qualified for last years semi-final on the basis of their head to head record against the Dublin Dragons. However, this record should not disguise the significant strides the team made during 2003. It's easy to forget that last season was the first ever competitive season for this club. Two impressive off-season victories over the Vikings tell us that this club is beginning to click and will be very competitive in 2004. The star player on the team is undoubtably linebacker Alan O'Carroll, who has attracted the attention of at least one NCAA team in the states. O'Carroll and fellow Allstar linebacker, Ciaran O'Sullivan give the Cork defense some bite against the run. The Cork offense is expected to be vastly improved this year as their young team gains more experience. 19 year old quarterback, John Kenny is regarded as the best young QB in Ireland. Wide receivers David MacHale and David Lomasney are both fast and runningback Keith O'Callaghan is improving every game. The offensive line is led by veteren Paul Orr who played in Belfast in the 1990s. The Cork squad is expected to be a lot bigger and deeper this season and is expected to be competitive, even against the Rebels and knights.
DUBLIN DRAGONS
Last Season: 1-5.
Coaches: Marcus Massey, Phil DeMonte (each 1st year).
In 2003, the Dublin Dragons had the youngest starting line-up in the IAFL. No less than 11 teenagers started and their inexperience showed. The Dragons failure to make the play-offs ultimately cost Mexican Octavio Hernandez his position as Head Coach. Hernandez has been replaced by Marcus Massey, a ex-assistant coach who's returned from a spell working in Korea. However, the biggest coaching influence on the team will be Irish National Coach, Phil DeMonte who is mentoring the Dragons. Reports from training camp suggest that the Dragons will be the surprise package of 2004. DeMonte's influence should bring the young players along very quickly and because of last years game experience they'll be much stronger. Linebackers Eric Black, John Durrad and Lez Connolly along with cornerback Franck Hupke are the heart of the defense. The offense is expected to be vastly changed this season. Ex-OL/TE Al Burke has been moved to fullback. Quarterback Robert Olwill should have some targets in the form of whichever of the young and upcoming wide receivers earns gametime in the pre-season. Training camp rumours also suggest that the Dragons are adding a couple of experiened veterans to their lineup in 2004.
BELFAST BULLS
Last Season: 3-2, Division 2 champions.
Head Coach: Rod Thompson (1st year), Mark Helferty, Scott Lennox & Barry Magee. The Belfast Bulls were the surprise of 2003. The virtually unknown squad won the Division 2 title and even defeated one of the Division 1 teams. 2004 will be Belfast's first season in the main championship. Rod Thompson takes over as Head Coach from the retired Jerry Mulholland. Thompson has some good talent to work with and the team is expected to be in contention for a spot in the play-offs. The Bulls have also added former Loughborough Aces and Great Britain Youth Team assistant coach, Barry Magee to their coaching staff. The Bulls offense revolves around running backs Gareth Miller and Colin Coleman. Wide receiver Chris McKeown has good hands. Quarterbacks Scott Lennox and Kevin Downs will battle for the starting QB spot in the preseason. The offensive line has some good size in tackles Eoghan Murphy and Glenn Harrison. Veteren safety Mark Helferty and young linebacker Joe Sirichas are the best players on defense. The key to Belfasts season will be making sure they can beat everyone team, except the Rebels and Knights, so as to ensure a spot in the play-offs.
CRAIGAVON COWBOYS
Last Season: 2-3, Division 2.
Coaches: John Paul Aitken, Marty Devlin, Alva Blanton (2nd year each). The Craigavon Cowboys return to the championship after an absence of 6 years. The Craigavon Cowboys are the oldest team in Ireland and won the first ever Shamrock Bowl title in 1986. Last year, the team returned to action and performed well in Division 2. The nucleus of the team are the many experienced veterans who returned last year to rebuild the team. Some of the returning players even have some EuroBowl experience from the Cowboys team of the early 1990s. The team had moved to a new permanent ground at newly developed Brownlow Sports Campus and are recuiting young players to add to their experienced squad. Experienced quarterback Wes Bell, who had spells with Carrickfegus and Portadown during the 1990s is very accurate. His favourite receiver is Johnny Knocker. Marty Devlin and Darren Burnside will probably be the starting running backs. As in previous years, the strength of the Cowboys has been their large offensive and defensive lines. This years team will be no different with experienced linemen such as Terry Lynch, Marty McKeever and James Loughran. Alva Blanton and Pete McCaughley are hard hitting linebackers. Veteran Paddy Patterson, who was the most feared safety in Ireland for most of the 1990s, provides leadership in the secondary.
UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK VIKINGS
Last Season: 0-3.
Head Coach: Patrick Ryan (2nd year).
The University of Limerick Vikings return to the championship after spending 2003 as a development team. As always, they will remain an unknown quantity until the season starts. The UL Vikings spent 2003 developing their Irish based players after an over reliance on Americans in the squad which reached the Shamrock Bowl in 2002. As they are a college team, the majority of the squad are young - between 18 and 22 years old. At this time it's difficult to predict who will start for the team as most of their starting positions are up for grabs in the pre-season. Based on the three games they played in 2003, it appears that the mobile L. Ryan is in contention for starting quarterback. Laffan and Moore will be figure at either wide receiver or tailback. The Vikings are expected to run a disciplined run based offense and the strength of their defense always appears to be the "no fly zone" secondary. The success of the team will very heavily depend on the influx of students from American colleges who transfer to Limerick to play football.
8th February 2004 - NEW TEAM BEING SET UP IN GALWAY
A new American football team is being set up in Galway. The team hopes to begin playing later in 2004 and will play competitive football in 2005. Throughout 2003, a lot of people from the Galway area contacted with the IAFL office asking how they could take up the sport. In response to this demand, some of which was generated by the Shamrock Bowl highlights being broadcast on TV3 and Sky Sports, the IAFL got in contact with the interested people and urged them to call a meeting and form a team committee. The first meeting of the new Galway team, which is using the name Galway Tribes for now, took place on the evening of February 8th. The new committee will start advertising for players soon. The league office and some of the other IAFL teams, UL & Cork in particular, have offered help and guidance to the new team. A few ex-UL Vikings, who now live in the Galway area, are also expected to get involved and provide the new team with some much needed playing experience. More details will be annouced on this website as they come. Anyone who wants to join the new team or offer assistance should contact the league office (secretary@irish-american-football.org or iafl@cilliansmith.com) and will be put in contact with the Galway committee. Article from www.iafl.info
16th February 2004 - IAFL ALLSTARS TO PLAY GREAT BRITAIN BULLDOGS
The 2004 National Team program has been announced by Coach Phil DeMonte. The highlight of the program will be a game against the Great Britain Bulldogs next September. The Great Britain Bulldogs are are representative team formed from the best players in the British Collegiate American Football League (BCAFL). It has been decided to field the IAFL Allstar team, rather than the Irish National Team against the Bulldogs as Coach DeMonte wants to concentrate on developing IAFL players and coaches in 2004. Three training camps for prospective IAFL Allstar players will take place during 2004. In additional, Coach DeMonte will closely monitor the progress of players during the 2004 regular season. However, the first event on the program for 2004 is a Coaching Clinic open to all players and coaches in Ireland which will take place in Dublin in February. Two top coaches from the UK - Paul Sherrat (Nottingham Univ.) & Steve Lee (GB Bulldogs) - arecoming over to assist Coach DeMonte in this clinc.