Bedfordshire Blue Raiders

American football club
name =Bedfordshire Blue Raiders
founded =2006
logo =Beds_Raiders_Logo.jpg
logosize =
city =Bedford
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h_title = Home
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a_title = Away
owner =
chairman = Andy Barnard
manager = Steve Guy
coach = Chris Wallis
division_hist =
* British American Football League
** Division Two East (2008-)
hist_misc =
hist_yr =2006
hist_misc2 =
no_league_champs =0
league_champs =
no_div_champs = 0
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no_conf_champs = 0
conf_champs =
no_playoffs = 0
playoffs =
stadium_years =
* Bedford International Athletics Stadium (2007-)
website =http://www.bedfordshireblueraiders.comThe Bedfordshire Blue Raiders are an American Football team competing in the Eastern Conference of British American Football League (BAFL) Division 2. They entered the league in 2008 as one of five expansion teams, and play their home games at the Bedford International Athletics Stadium.

History

The Blue Raiders were formed in August 2006 by Dave Pankhurst and present-day Team Manager Steve Guy to replace the former teams from local towns such as Luton, Dunstable and Milton Keynes who all found success during the 1980s and 1990s. [cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2006/08/03/bedfordshire_blue_raiders_feature.shtml | title=Gridiron is back! | publisher=BBC | date=2006-08-03 | accessdate=2008-07-10] After quickly recruiting coaches (starting with Chris Wallis, former Head Coach of local rivals Peterborough Saxons and Cambridgeshire Cats who Guy knew from their time together at the University of Cambridge BCAFL team in the mid-1990s) and a full playing squad, they were accepted as associate members of the BAFL in August 2007. [cite web | url=http://www.bedfordshireblueraiders.com/news.aspx | title=Blue Raiders Accepted | date=2007-08-02 | accessdate=2008-07-10]

As part of the BAFL's requirements for associate members, the Blue Raiders arranged the two friendly matches which would enable them to gain full membership and enter the league the following season. [cite web | url=http://www.originserver.co.uk/artman2/uploads/1/Regulations_-_April_2007.pdf | title=BAFL League Regulations | publisher=British American Football League | date=2007-04-01 | accessdate=2008-06-16] The first of these was a home game played on 9 September 2007 against the Maidstone Pumas. Despite the visiting team scoring a first period touchdown, the Raiders were able to come back to win 18–8. [cite web | url=http://www.bedfordshireblueraiders.com/news.aspx | title=Blue Raiders Win First Game | date=2007-09-10 | accessdate=2008-07-10] Their away friendly was played four weeks later against the Leicester Falcons, who themselves were associate members aiming to join the league. The Raiders lost 0–32. [cite web | url=http://www.bedfordshireblueraiders.com/news.aspx | title=Leicester Falcons 32 Bedfordshire Blue Raiders 0 | date=2007-10-11 | accessdate=2008-07-10] Two weeks later they played their third friendly match away to another associate team, the Milton Keynes City Pathfinders. Despite an early setback when their player-coach Anthony Coverdale dislocated his knee during the kickoff, they recorded a convincing 35–0 win. [cite web | url=http://www.bedfordshireblueraiders.com/news.aspx | title=Blue Raiders Beat Local Rivals | date=2007-10-22 | accessdate=2008-07-10]

The following month, it was confirmed that the Blue Raiders application to become full members had been accepted by the BAFL, [cite web | url=http://www.bedfordshireblueraiders.com/news.aspx | title=Today Is A Blue Day | date=2007-11-24 | accessdate=2008-07-10] and so they were entered into the league for the 2008 season where they were placed into the Eastern Conference of Division Two alongside the Peterborough Saxons, Cambridgeshire Cats, Watford Cheetahs and fellow expansion team the Milton Keynes City Pathfinders. [cite web | url=http://www.bafl.org.uk/artman2/publish/league/BAFL_announces_alignments_for_2008.asp | title=BAFL announces alignments for 2008 | publisher=BAFL | date=2008-01-08 | accessdate=2008-07-10]

enior team season records

Roster

References

External links

* [http://www.bedfordshireblueraiders.com Bedfordshire Blue Raiders Official Website]