Top 250 games of all time - 51 to 100

51. Portsmouth Warriors 36-35 Walsall Titans, CGL, 1989

In this dress rehearsal for the end of season title game, the Warriors edged this 71 point thriller by a single point. The Titans would have their revenge in the bowl game though – see game 89. No match report.

52. London Ravens 27-31 Amsterdam Crusaders, Eurobowl Quarter-Final, 1988

The Ravens had waited four years to prove claims that they were the best in Europe, but an extra long 14 game regular season had not been their best and the cracks were beginning to show in their previously impregnable armour. The Ravens had the toughest of all the opening round opponents, the Amsterdam Crusaders. The Ravens led a thrilling game 27-24 going into the two minute warning in front of a capacity Crystal Palace crowd, but the Cru scored right near the end leaving the Londoners stunned and defeated. No match report.

53. Leeds Cougars 49-53 Northants Storm, 22nd April 1990

Leeds fought their way back from a 47-28 deficit to stunningly take the lead 49-47 in the closing seconds through a Chris Thomas TD. The Storm’s Johnny Atlas then scored on a 57 yard catch and run to break their hearts. Match report.

54. Birmingham Bulls 14-21 Manchester Spartans, Bud Bowl III, 5th August 1989

The Spartans won their first national title on the back of Paul Bailey’s Britbowl record 245 yards rushing, but all the talk was of Bulls star QB Russ Jensen’s absence after walking out on the team on the eve of the match. Spartans seized their opportunity and the national title. Match report.

55. Frankfurt Knights 28-30 Birmingham Bulls, 12th August 1995

It may have been a friendly, but the Bulls had something to prove against the FLE side. In front of 3,200 noisy German fans, the Bulls kicker Andy Raffo slotted a late 29 yard field goal to put them 30-28 before the Knights kicker Stephen Maslo missed a late minute kick himself. Match report.

56. Glasgow Lions 91-62 Gateshead Senators, NDMA, 26th May 1991

Records galore were set in this game. Most points in a top flight game (153), most combined offensive yards (1374) and most passing TD’s in a top flight game (Darren Trainor – 10). Jerome Erdman caught 6 TDs (that tied a top flight record) from Trainor as the Lions offense went into overdrive. Match report

57. Manchester Spartans 59-50 Glasgow Lions, 19th June 1988

Despite the 9pt victory, this ridiculously high scoring match was only sealed in the final few minutes when with the Spartans leading 52-50, the Lions QB Mike Hasskamp was picked off by Sean Mason who returned it for the winning score. Hasskamp and Spartans QB Hazen Choates combined for over 700 yards passing and Paul Bailey returned a kickoff 88 yards for a TD in this offensive bonanza. Match report.

58. PA Knights 14-12 London O's, BSL Division One, 4th April 2004

The O’s lost their first game in 6 years in this tight affair in Guidford. Kingsley Ejiogu scored to put the Knights 7-0 up on their second possession, before a 59 yard fumble recovery brought the champions into the game. The Os’ took a 12-7 lead late in the first quarter on Stuart Franklin’s 19 yard pass to Clive Palumbo which they held onto going into the fourth quarter. The Knights scored the decisive blow when QB Heath found WR Steve Belcher for a key 15 yd gain. Tony Stitt powered them closer and then shook free a tackle on the next play to race 13yds to a Knights lead that would not be overcome. Jon Wyse added the extra point and the home team led 14-12 which they held onto. Match report.

59. Oxford Saints 15-14 Colchester Gladiators, BAFA Division Three Semi-Final, 19th August 1995

Stuart Brereton put Colchester 14-0 up in the third quarter, and there appeared no way back for the Saints in this semi-final match. Saints QB Bob Johnson connected with Jason Vadher-Lowe to put the Saints on the board, and a safety a few minutes later in the fourth quarter made the deficit just 6 points. A late Johnson TD pass to Vadher-Lowe tied the scores and Belcher’s PAT clinched a 15 point fourth quarter, a stunning win and a place in the final. Match report.

60. Luton Flyers 36-36 Birmingham Bulls, 1st May 1988    

The Bulls looked like they were cruising in this encounter as they blanked the Flyers in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and led 29-7 going into the 4th quarter. Forced to go long they scored on 2 bombs to Don Stradling and also on a run from Dave Munn, before the Bulls gave the ball up on downs with 23 seconds to go. Stradling caught his 3rd TD of the quarter at the death, and Dave Munn’s 2 PAT leveled the scores in front of disbelieving fans. Match report.

61. Dusseldorf Panthers 29-32 London Olympians, Eurobowl first round, 10th April 1993


In front of 3000 fans, the Olympians fell behind 29-25  when Bodo Flemmig scored with three minutes to go. Richard Dunkley stunned the Panthers on the ensuing drive when he ran 60 yards to the Panthers 6 yard line, and followed that up on the next play with the go ahead TD. The Panthers still managed one last gasp drive, but Joe Jean Pierre intercepted Dirk Hansen with 19 seconds to ice the win. Match report

62. Glasgow Lions 17-20 Manchester Spartans, 23rd April 1989    

Paul Bailey ran for 128 yards for the Spartans, and Hazen Choates scored the winning TD from the one yard line in the fourth quarter capped off by Rob Lister’s 2 PAT. The Lions attempted a last gasp victory attempt but QB Darren Trainor’s endzone pass was picked off at the final whistle. Match report.

63. Leeds Cougars 15-14 Leicester Panthers, 6th June 1992

Leicester led 14-0, but as the first half close Rick Horner found Joe Martin to put the Cougars back in the match. In a second half rain storm,  deep in the fourth quarter Horner led the Cougars 70 yards capped off on 4th and goal with a 4 yard pass to Martin to make it 14-13. Tiggy Bell crashed in for the 2 PAT with 87 seconds left to give the Cougars the win. Match report

64. Glasgow Lions 27-15 Leicester Panthers, BAFL Semi-Final, 31st August 1986    

The Glasgow Lions made history as the first Scottish club to reach a national final with a 27-15 over the fancied Leicester Panthers. No match report.

65. Coventry Jets 26-20 London Olympians, 8th May 2007    

The Jets assumed the mantle as British No.1’s with this regular season victory over the London Olympians at the Ricoh Arena. Jets had a commanding 20-6 lead at half-time against the 2006 champions, but second half TD’s from Junior Price and Andy Boyle pulled the O’s level at 20-20. Jeremy Simms caught a 44 yard game winning TD to give the Jets a momentous win and extend their winning run to 27 games. Match report

66. West London Aces 48-52 Essex Buccaneers, 28th July 1990

Essex outlasted West London in this 100 point NCMMA Quarter-Final thriller in Ashton. The teams traded TD’s throughout the game, and GB star Clive Etienne put the Buccs ahead at the two minute warning with a lead they clung onto. Match report 

67. Coventry Bears 26-25 Milton Keynes Pioneers, 27th May 1990

Coventry led 26-19 going into the final minute of this regular season clash, but when Tony Jordan scored for the Pioneers to pull themselves within 1pt they decided to go for a 2 PAT to attempt to win the game, Rob Zimmerman and Leon Bunker denied FB Adrian Greaves to preserve the win for the Bears. Match report.

68. Delonghi Knights 26-30 Clydesdale Colts, BNGL National Bowl, 31st August 1992

Colts QB Al Penn-White broke a bone in his right foot, but returned to lead the Colts to their first title with a 5 yard TD run with just 4 minutes to go. Davie Orr ran 152 yards for the Colts who built up a 16-6 half-time lead, only for the Knights to command the second half taking a late 26-22 lead before Penn-White’s heroics. Match report.

69. Gateshead Senators 33-36 Nottingham Caesars, BAFL Semi-Final, 2003    

Nottingham traveled to Gateshead for this semi-final clash and came away with a spot in the final after rallying from a 26-17 half-time deficit, After a scoreless third quarter, Hackshaw scored on 4th and goal to reduce the deficit, and when Mayers ran 52 yards for another TD Caesars had the lead.

Both teams then could not move the ball and with 3:42 remaining in the game, David Nimmins led the offence on to the field. Going to the air, Dave hit three separate receivers on different routes to move the ball 60 yards in less than a minute topping it with a 30 yard reception by Richard Holme. Going in from the two, Mike Rumney following excellent blocking from the 'O' line, broke the plane with just over two minutes remaining. With a Marshall extra point, the score now read Gateshead 33, Nottingham 29. Nottingham then took the ball with under two minutes and three time-outs and drove the ball quickly downfield to the twelve yard line. From here Terry Mayers burst outside and sprinted in with 1:06 remaining to give the Caesars the lead. Trying desperately to move the ball into field goal position, David Nimmins went to the air three times to see his passes dropped. Facing a fourth and 21 from the Senators' seven, an incomplete pass saw the ball change hands to the Caesars who ended the game victors as time expired. The final score, Gateshead 33 - Nottingham 36. 
 
The struggle for supremacy between the Caesars and the Senators was a long drawn out affair in Roman times, and as then, in a long game, the Caesars emerged victorious. This time it was with a narrow 36-33 win. 
This heartstopping game, which many said should have been the final, saw the lead change several times, not least within the final two minutes, but it is Nottingham who progress to the final in Sheffield to meet Bristol on August 31st. The Senators wish them well. 
Two clubs with the same passion for football met on the field in the 'Real Final' on Sunday 17 August. The Nottingham Caesars, led by Gary Stainton, came into the game knowing the victory would see them through to the final. 

After receiving the ball, Nottingham returned the ball 38 yards from their own four to start the drive near the half way line. A couple of good runs into the heart of the Gateshead defence saw the Caesars making slow but sure yardage. Facing a 3rd and 5 from the Gateshead 27, Stainton went to the air and picked out his sideline receiver to get into scoring distance. After getting a first and goal, the Gateshead 'D' stood firm for three plays and on a 3rd and Goal from the three stopped the play dead and forced Nottingham to try the field goal. In stepped Lee Stone and kicked the 3 pointer to give the Caesars the edge with 9.57 remaining in the quarter. 
Taking the ball deep, Richard Holme returned it to the 38 yard line before being tackled. On the first play, a well executed run by Craig Million saw him break open the Nottingham line and run for 24 yards. On the ensuing play, Mike Rumney had the same success and ran for 26 yards. In only two plays, Gateshead was knocking on the door with a 1st and goal from the two. One play later, a leaping reception by Dave Wilson gave the Senators the first touchdown of the game. With a Marshall extra point the score was now Gateshead 7 - Nottingham 3. On the next play from scrimmage a fumble in the backfield by Terry Mayers was pounced on by the alert Mark Lindsey. Gateshead then took over on the 26 yard line going in. Craig Million took the ball on the second down and burst round the corner to score and increase the lead further. With another Marshall extra point the score was now Gateshead 14, Nottingham 3 with 7 minutes 18 remaining in the first quarter. 

Trying to motivate his team, as only he knows how, Gary Stainton went for two quick passes. Moving the ball out to their 34 yard line, the Caesars again went to the ground only to see their running back fumble again. Boy De Waart recovered the loose ball and Gateshead took over on the C's twenty-seven. Three plays later, Dave Wilson burst through from three yards out to increase the lead to 20 - 3. With a failed extra point, the Senators had put twenty unanswered points on the board in less than four minutes. Nottingham, desperate to get the offence going, then put a controlled drive together moving down the field using the power running of Bernie Hackshaw and the controlled passing of Stainton to the Senator 25 yard line. Facing a fourth and two, a Gateshead penalty gave another chance for the Caesars and they gratefully took the ball in two plays later with a two yard run from Scott Messom. A two-point reception by Ian McCartney saw the Senators' lead reduced to 9 points as the quarter closed. 

Starting the second quarter, David Nimmins drove the offence down field and hit Richard Holme with a beautiful pass for a twenty-four yard gain. With less than two minutes of the second quarter elapsed, Craig Million again went over for the touchdown from the one-yard line. Nottingham again came straight back and drove the ball consistently until facing a 4th and goal on the seventeen, Stainton hit McCartney in the corner of the end zone for six. With a blocked extra point, the scores were now Gateshead 26 - Nottingham 17 with 8.52 remaining in the half. After punting on the next drive, the Gateshead 'D' stood firm and forced the Caesars to punt after going three and out. After stripping the ball away from the punt returner, the Caesars 'O' marched straight back on the field in good position to score. On the first play from scrimmage on the twenty, Boy de Waart burst through the line to sack Stainton for the second time and drop him for an 11-yard loss. Undeterred by this, Stainton then hit his receiver on the 1 yard line to set up a 1st and goal on the one. With time running down, Nottingham then fumbled the ball on the one-yard line, which was recovered by Linebacker Gary Catherall. Gateshead ran out the clock to close the half at Gateshead 26 - Nottingham 17. 

The third quarter started with Gateshead driving the ball well until on a sweep right, Craig Million got caught up in the mêlée and badly injured his knee. With a change of tack, Gateshead went to the air and moved the ball down to the Caesars' twenty-four. Facing a fourth and one, Gateshead came up short and turned the ball over on downs. After a couple of penalties, Nottingham was facing a 2nd and 23 from their own 13-yard line when LB Derek Parry caught Stainton in the backfield. After both teams were forced to punt, the quarter closed with Nottingham on the 8-yard line going in. 

It took eight plays, but on a fourth and goal on the twenty-two, a catch by Hackshaw on the two saw him fall into the end zone to close the gap even further. With no extra point, the score was now Gateshead 26 - Nottingham 23. Forced to punt on the next drive, Nottingham started again from their 28 yard line. Terry Mayers made up for his earlier fumbles by bursting outside and running 52 yards into the end zone for the go-ahead score A blocked extra point by Paul 'Uncle' Anderson saw the lead pegged back to 3 points. 

Both teams then could not move the ball and with 3:42 remaining in the game, David Nimmins led the offence on to the field. Going to the air, Dave hit three separate receivers on different routes to move the ball 60 yards in less than a minute topping it with a 30 yard reception by Richard Holme. Going in from the two, Mike Rumney following excellent blocking from the 'O' line, broke the plane with just over two minutes remaining. With a Marshall extra point, the score now read Gateshead 33, Nottingham 29. Nottingham then took the ball with under two minutes and three time-outs and drove the ball quickly downfield to the twelve yard line. From here Terry Mayers burst outside and sprinted in with 1:06 remaining to give the Caesars the lead. Trying desperately to move the ball into field goal position, David Nimmins went to the air three times to see his passes dropped. Facing a fourth and 21 from the Senators' seven, an incomplete pass saw the ball change hands to the Caesars who ended the game victors as time expired. The final score, Gateshead 33 - Nottingham 36. 
great game of football played by two hard working teams who deserve much credit for their professional approach to the sport. Nottingham now face Bristol in the final while Gateshead look forward to next season. 

Scoring Summary
Quarter          1st     2nd     3rd     4th     Final
Gateshead         20    6    0    7    33
Nottingham         11    6    0    19    36
Q1 Nottingham 10 yard field goal from Lee Stone
Q1 Gateshead 2 yard reception Dave Wilson from D. Nimmins Pass (Marshall extra point)
Q1 Gateshead 18 yard run by Craig Million (Marshall extra point)
Q1 Gateshead 3 yard run by Dave Wilson (No Conversion)
Q1 Nottingham 2 yard run by Scott Messom (2 pt rec McCartney from Stainton)
Q2 Gateshead 10 yard run by Craig Million (No Conversion)
Q2 Nottingham 17 yard reception Ian McCartney from Stainton (No Conversion)
Q4 Nottingham 22 yard reception by Hackshaw from Stainton (No Conversion)
Q4 Nottingham 52 yard run by Terry Mayers (No Conversion)
Q4 Gateshead 2 yard run by Mike Rumney (Marshall extra point)
Q4 Nottingham 12 yard run by Terry Mayers (Lee Stone extra point)

70. Leicester Panthers 19-17 Milton Keynes Pioneers, BAFA Division One, 4th June 1995

With Milton Keynes leading 17-13 and eyeing a major upset win, Leicester QB Rick Horner fired a 20 yard TD to Alex Marvin on 4th down late in the fourth quarter to lead the Panthers to the win. Match report.

71. Lincoln Saints 31-27 Cambridge Cats, BNGL Div.1 Semi-Final, 22nd August 1993


Baz Mumby ran for 163 yards for the Saints, but despite their impressive offense they still needed a 80 yard kickoff return from Paul Tomlinson to keep them ahead at halftime. The Cats scored two second half TD’s to give themselves a slender 27-25 lead with 7 minutes to go. The Saints had a final drive which culminated with QB Andy Westwood’s 12 yard bootleg with 2 minutes to go so that they advanced to the BNGL Div.1 Final. Match report.

72.  Coventry Bears 31-28 Upper Heyford Skykings, 1990

The Bears recorded a stunning win over the US Airforce base from Upper Heyford in this friendly encounter at Butts Stadium. The then Coventry Bears and Walsall Titans put out a combined team to play the Sky Kings which led to the formation of the Coventry Jaguars who won the NDMA Div 2 Bowl in 1991. The Bears team were loaded with some great players for this game including Dave Chambers, Woody McCray, Derick Lawrence, Andy Cox, Dave Cowens, Craig Otto and QB Terry Cooper. The Head Coach of the Sky Kings that day was Russel Wright who became the head coach of the Jaguars in 91 and the HC for Coventry was Russel Molzahn. No match report.

73. London Blitz 14-6 Coventry Jets, BAFL Premier Bowl, 25th September  2007

The Blitz won the national title for the first time in their history with a 14-6 win over the Coventry Cassidy Jets at Don Valley Stadium. The Blitz victory was based on a
strong, dominating defense, led by MVP (Most Valuable Player) Lennox
Johnson. Johnson had two interceptions, a fumble recovery and gave the
sort of performance that has made the Blitz' defense the best in the
league this year. The Blitz points came on two touchdown passes thrown by quarterback
Stuart Franklin. The first was a five yard completion to Marcin Lai in the
first quarter; the second a twelve yard toss to Rod Bradley in the third
quarter. The Jets sole score came on a Tim Spaull touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Cohen, but even then, Blitz linebacker Jason Brisbane blocked the extra point. The Jets have now lost two games against domestic opposition in the past three years; both being losses to the Blitz, in the last six weeks. Match report

74. Northants Storm 46-39 Birmingham Bulls, NDMA Semi-Final, 4th August 1990

Johnny Atlas ran for a stunning 5TDs and registered his 8th interception of the season, as the Storm came back from an early 13-0 deficit to relentlessly move to a  38-22 lead which they held onto by trading scores to reach a first national final and deny the Bulls a 3rd straight final appearance. Match report

75. West Coast Trojans 38-30 Redditch Arrows, 10th September 2006

In what can only be described as a classic play-off encounter, the Redditch Arrows fell one game short of the Division 2 Final as they could not quite outlast the West Coast Trojans in a 38-30 thriller.  With both teams entering the game undefeated, it was a game that had been predicted all season long as a meeting between the best in the North & Scotland, and it certainly lived up to the hype.  Having led for much of the game, including a 17-6 half-time lead, the Arrows were unable to stop a 23-yard touchdown run by Trojans running back Jon Sutherland inside the final five minutes, which proved to be the decisive score. Sutherland ran all over the Arrows in the second half as the Trojans took the lead 30-24, but showing the grit and determination that has been a trademark of the Arrows season, a miraculous catch of a deflected ball by Phil Grove, enabled him to step over two fallen defenders and run into the endzone from 59-yards out, tying the score 30-30, which it remained after the extra point try was missed.  With a little under 5 minutes to play, the Trojans took over at their own 42 yard line.  Three plays later, running back Jon Sutherland booked his team's place in the final with his 23-yard scamper, leaving the Arrows agonisingly short of achieving the season's goal. No match report

76.  Glasgow Lions 44-14 Nottingham Hoods, 1986

The Glasgow Lions dealt the Nottingham Hoods a stunning blow. The Hoods led by star RB Cliff Stroughter were stifled by a suffocating Lions D, which led to the Lions taking a massive step to the BAFL Final that season. No match report

77.  Manchester Spartans 35-33 Berlin Adler, Eurobowl semi-final, 1990

The Spartans reached the Eurobowl final with this stunning win over the Berlin Adler. 




78. Northants Storm 72-54 Bournemouth Bobcats, NDMA. 23rd June 1991

The teams shared 1326 yards of total offense (just 48 yards short of the alltime record) in a game also featuring 17 TD's! The Storm rushed for 620 yards and for the Bobcats Albert Higgs threw for 493 yards and 6TDs. The Storm were always in control but the Bobcats more than played their part in this memorable game. Match report

79. Norwich Devils 14-17 Yorkshire Rams, BAFL Div.2 final, 1st September 2002

Norwich QB Darren Bailey scored on a 1 yard run inside the two minute warning to give Norwich the Division Two championship. The Devils led 10-0 in the first quarter but let their lead slip as the game wore on, and when Alexander scored with 9 minutes to go on a 3 yard run the Rams led 14-10. The Devils needed a TD to win, and Bailey delivered. Match report.

80. Nottingham Hoods 27-20 Leicester, NDMA, 4th July 1992



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81. Bournemouth Bobcats 21-20 Brighton B-52s, 25th April 1987

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An early season encounter between the two Bud Premier Southern power houses went the way of the Bobcats as the B52s were held short on a 2 PAT game winning attempt after WR Mark Irving scored on a 20 yard reception with less than 2 minutes remaining. Match report

82. Nottingham Hoods 40-40 Glasgow Lions, 1989

Nottingham and Glasgow played out the highest known tied score in British American Football history as they shared 80 points in this 1989 classic. No match report.

83. Lancashire Wolverines 14-8 Sabres (double OT), BSL Division Two Quarter-Final, 12th August 2001




84. Medway Mustangs 28-27 Mets, 11th August 1990

Mets led 21-7 at half-time, but Medway QB Flannery led a comeback resulting in Medway leading 28-21 late in the 4th quarter. Gary Leyton’s TD pass to Gary Johnston seconds from the final whistle set up a two pointer to win, but a 15 yard penalty forced them into a 1PAT kick which went wide. Match report

85. Kent Cougars 22-21 Plymouth Admirals, BNGL National Quarter-Final, 9th August 1992

Trailing 20-14, veteran QB Lennie Button marched the Cougars from their own 10 yard, and with just two minutes remaining he completed a 7 yard pass to Dan Dart to give the Cougars a fantastic road win in the playoffs in front of 500 spectators. Match report.

86. Manchester Spartans 25-20 Amsterdam Crusaders, Eurobowl qualifier, 27th May 1990
    
The Spartans led 13-0 in the second quarter of this Eurobowl Quarter-Final, but the Cru pegged away and after Paul Bailey scored a rushing TD for the Spartans they only led 19-14 at the half. The Cru took a 20-19 lead in the 3rd quarter, and it was a 4th and goal from the one Paul Bailey TD that gave the Spartans a 25-20 that they would hold by sacking Cru QB Phil Hickey inside the Spartans 20 in the final minute.Match report.

87. Redditch Arrows 26-28 West Coast Trojans, 29th July 2007

The match got off to a blistering start in the first quarter when, after an early exchange of possession, Arrows running back Errol Wilson sprinted down the left sideline from 54-yards out, leaving several tacklers diving at thin air. Unfortunately the extra point effort by kicker John Riddell was blocked, so the score was left 6-0 to the home side. This score spurred the Trojans into action on their following drive, as a 40-yard pass set up a 4-yard touchdown run, however the visitors' special teams similarly were unable to convert. By now both offences were beginning to pick up momentum, but after an 8-play, 45-yard Redditch drive the Trojans defence held firm on 4th-down to take over possession. As the second quarter began, a 34-yard misdirection play took West coast down to the Arrows red-zone, and from 14-yards out a simple run up the middle took the Trojans to their first lead of the day. This time the 2-point conversion was successful on a pass to the corner of the endzone for a 14-6 Trojan lead. 
Another long drive by Redditch (this time 9 plays) was brought to an abrupt end as a wayward pass from quarterback Richard Wilde was intercepted and returned 33-yards to set up the visitors in excellent field position once more. The Arrows vaunted defence were up to the task this time though as they forced a long field goal attempt that drifted wide as the half came to a close. 
The first drive of the second half saw more elusive running from running back Errol Wilson. On 3rd and 9 from their own 19-yard line, a short screen pass was turned upfield behind some excellent blocks, and taken the whole 71-yards to the endzone. Yet again however, the conversion was not made so the Arrows remained two points adrift. A lack of concentration on the ensuing play saw another long touchdown play, this time on a 60-yard West Coast run, and with the extra point kick being successful, the visitors led by a 21-12 scoreline. This lead could have been extended following a recovered fumble by West Coast, but a James Chattoe sack forced a long field goal attempt which was some way off-target. However the field advantage was put to good use on the Trojans' next drive as a 44-yard pass and then a 28-yard pass were utilised to extend the West Coast lead to 28-12, heading into the final quarter. 
Showing great resolve and team-spirit on both sides of the ball, the Arrows were able to score two touchdowns in the final quarter. The first was set up after a muffed punt by West Coast's Gary McNey was recovered by linebacker Dan Shaw. Errol Wilson scored his third TD of the day from 18 yards out on the ground, and with Wilson adding the 2-point conversion on a run up the middle, meant that the Arrows were now only 8 points behind. With time winding down Richard Wilde fired a 50-yard pass to receiver Phil Grove, who danced his way down to the 1-yard line, and from there it was a Wilde who dived over for the touchdown to bring the Arrows to within two points of tying the match. On the crucial play of the game it was the in-form Errol Wilson who was given the pigskin, but an excellent defensive effort from West Coast denied Wilson and the Arrows a share of the game, and the Trojans were able to run out 28-26 winners. 

88. Walsall Titans 60-47 Portsmouth Warriors, Combined Gridiron League Final, 27th August 1989

The Titans won the CGL title in front of over 2,000 fans in a record combined scoreline for a British final. The ex-Nebraska Cornhusker Von Sheppard won the MVP award for the Titans with a stunning 166 yards and 5 TDs which helped the Titans to the win despite Eric Thoeness’s 5 receiving TDs. Match report

89. Birmingham Bulls 20-34 Manchester Spartans, 13th May 1990

Early into the 1990 regular season, the champions of 1988 and 1989 clashed in Manchester with the Spartans coming out on top in a bruising encounter which saw Bulls QB Dave Kramme sacked 8 times. Hazen Choates passed for 242 yards and 3 TDs, and ran for 2 himself as a late Bulls charge was repelled. Match report

90. Ipswich Cardinals 17-13 Medway Mustangs, 18th August 1990



With a third quarter TD from QB Matt Flannery, Medway went to a 13-10 ahead in this BNGL Semi-Final, but with five minutes to go Kevin Davies ran in from 6 yards out to give the Cardinals a 17-13 lead. The Mustangs had one last opportunity by driving down to the Cardinals 15 yard line, by the East Anglian D held firm. Match report

91. Leeds Cougars 55-46 Nottingham Hoods, 5th May 1990


In this high scoring encounter, Chris Thomas ran for 156 yards and 3TDs as the Cougars blitzed the Hoods with 34 unanswered points either side of half-time. The Hoods more than played their part with 20 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters. Match report.

92. Nottingham Hoods 34-28 Manchester Allstars, 22nd April 1990

After 3 Allstars fumbles inside their own 25 yard line, the Hoods recovered all 3 and punished their opponents by opening a 22-0 lead in the 2nd quarter without breaking sweat. Greg Harden’s TD reception and John Smith’s field goal reduced the deficit to 22-11 by half-time. The teams traded score, before Smith booted his second field goal and then Nathan Hazell ran in from the 3 to tie the scores at 28-28 with 1.35 left. Hoods QB Mike Grossner then led the Hoods downfield on the next possession 71 yards in a no huddle offense which culminated with a 31 yard pass to Albert Thompson to win it for the Hoods.Match report

93. Bournemouth Buccaneers 42-34 Bedford Bombardiers, BNGL National Final, 29th August 1993

The Buccaneers won a first national title with a thrilling win over the high powered Bedford offense. Albert Higgs was in fine form for the Buccs with 228 passing yards and 116 rushing yards as they opened out to a 28-6 half-time lead. Dave Arvizu took over as the Bombardiers QB at half-time, and pulled them back into the game as they trailer 28-22, but Higgs ran 56 yards for the clinching TD and the Bucs held on. Match report A and match report B

94. Cambridgeshire Cats 9-6 Southern Sundevils, 11th August 2003

A 24 yard Field Goal by Brian Jelley, 4.07 minutes into the SIXTH quarter sealed a dramatic victory for the Cambridgeshire Cats in thIS Quarter Final clash with the Southern Sundevils. 

The Cats got off to the perfect start as strong running by Seth Campbell and Mark Spittle set up a 25 yard pass from Quarterback Nick Tilbury to Wide Receiver Steve Peck to open the scoring. Jelley's extra point attempt was missed but the Cats still led 6-0. 

The sweltering conditions seemed to affect both teams as the game became dominated by mistakes and penalties until Southern Running Back Gareth Dauley broke away from three Cats tacklers to sprint home for a spectacular 75 yard touchdown run. The extra point attempt failed and the half ended with the score tied 6-6. 

Like the first half, the third quarter was dominated by errors, penalties and good defensive play by both sides and the score remained tied. 
The fourth quarter saw the Cats offence start to move the ball, behind powerful rushing by Seth Campbell and Mark Spittle, driving into scoring range on a number of occasions. But yet more mistakes, penalties and a blocked Brian Jelley Field Goal meant the score remained 6-6 after 60 minutes of play. 

So the game went into sudden death over time with the first team to score as the winners. 

The one-two combination of Campbell and Spittle continued to work well for the Cats and they had the first chance to win the game. But another Jelley field goal attempt was blocked and the Sundevils regained possession inside the Cats half. 

Powerful running by Gareth Dauley and Barry Minter saw the Sundevils move the ball to the Cambridgeshire 5 yard line. The Cats defence, led by Linebacker Steve Bennett, dug in and three plays later the Sundevils lined up to kick a field goal and seal victory. But veteran defender Mickey Howling powered through the line to block the kick and give the Cats a life line. 

Yet more strong running by Campbell and Spittle saw the Cats move the ball from their own 4 yard line as the first period of Over time ended. Crucial Third Down Catches by Dave Lemon and Steve Peck kept the Cats dreams alive before Booty Morris broke lose on a brilliant 30 yard run to move the ball inside the Sundevils 10 yard line. Three runs later and the Cats were in position for Jelley to make his game winning kick. Match report

95. Thames Valley Chargers 21-18 Leeds Cougars, 18th July 1993

Tiggy Bell ran for 280 carries for the Cougars but still ended up on the losing side. With the scores locked at 18-18, Ez Charles slotted the game winning 23 yard field goal to give the Chargers the win. Match report

96. GB Lions 42-0 France, 1st November 1998 

In one of the finest GB Lions performances ever, the Lions smashed the French national side 42-0 at Milton Keynes Hockey Stadium to qualify for the 1999 European Championships. Bruce Reid ran for 89 yards and Bob Flickinger starred on D, as a Lions side featuring 14 players with NFL Europe experience ran riot.Match report

97. London O's 28-25 PA Knights, 11th May 2003

In a thrilling regular season encounter, the lead changed hands six times, until the O’s snatched a late lead in the 4th quarter with a 70 yard run that they hung onto. No match report 

98. London Ravens vs Manchester Allstars 1987 Bud Bowl I, 20th September 1987

This was the first British game to be featured on TV, with highlights being shown at primetime on Channel 4. It also featured a crowd of over 13,000 at Loftus Road to watch it live. The Allstars had a sensational offense in 1987, and the Ravens were as formidable as they had ever been since organized football had begun in the UK. The Ravens at the time had still not been beaten by a UK team in 5 years of football, and they cruised into a 19-0 half-time lead, and then Victor Ebubedike scored a 72 yard TD on the opening play of the 3rd quarter to put them 26-0. The Allstars offense finally got going, and scored three quick scores in ten minutes as the Allstars closed the gap, but Mark Delaney’s 48 yard reception enabled the Ravens to put distance between themselves as they won a 3rd straight British title.Match report

99. Nottingham Hoods 47-44 Leicester Panthers, NDMA. 4th July 1993

91 points, 14 TDs shared equally by the 2 teams and over 850 combined offensive yards in this Central Conference thriller in 1993. Clifton Mitchell charged over for 4 TDs, which gave the Hoods the edge despite Warren Sweetman running for 181 yards and 3 scores. Match report

100. Essex Buccaneers 20-14 Crawley Raiders, 4th August 1990


In this NCMMA semi-final, with the scores tied at 14-14 Essex QB Guy Mannella scored on a 5 yard bootleg with inside the last minute to give the Buccs a final berth. Fitzroy Miller’s 173 yards rushing for the Raiders was to no avail. Match report.

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