Reading Knights

BCAFL team
name = Reading Knights

year = 1987-1988
colors = Black, White & Purple
universities = University of Reading
stadium = Bulmershe Court, Reading
division = Southern Conference-Southern Division
record = 32-124-8
playoff record = 0-1
no_play_apps = 1
no_div_champs = 0
no_conf_champs = 0
no_league_champs = 0
play_apps= 2008
div_champs = n/a
conf_champs = n/a
league_champs = n/a

The Reading Knights are a member of the British Universities American Football League (BUAFL)'s Southern Conference-Southern Division. The Knights are a founding member of the BCAFL's Southern Conference and are one of the oldest, but least successful BCAFL teams. Before the 2007/08 season, they had suffered through twenty straight losing seasons and had never made it to the BCAFL playoffs (although they did play in the Southern Plate competition in 1999-2000). Some of the Knights proudest moments of the past include the outstanding play of 'old-boy' Jihad Jaafar who represented the team for the Great Britain Bulldogs in both 1993 & 1994, as well as their previous best record teams of 99/00 & 02/03. Other notable moments in Knights history include sending current HC Drew Cameron to the GB Bulldogs team of 2004, while several players have also represented the Knights for the BCAFL Southern All-Star team, known as the Wildcats. Kicker Eddy Loughton was chosen to represent Team South in the inaugural BUAFL MVP game, the league's new equivalent to the former Southern Wildcats side.

The Knights celebrated their twentieth season anniversary in 2007/08 by recording their best ever record, 5-3, which was their first ever winning record, as well as the first time the team surpassed the .500 mark. The team also achieved its inaugural playoff berth but were beaten away from home by the Hertfordshire Hurricanes.

Match Report

Reading Knights @ Hertfordshire Hurricanes 16 February 2008
"Game played at Hertfordshire University

The first playoff appearance of the Reading Knights ended with a 51-7 loss away to the Hertfordshire Hurricanes on Sunday.

Hertfordshire received the opening kick-off, and started with a controlled drive, going 82 yards in 11 plays with a balanced mix of rushing from back Issam Affoury and passing from quarterback Frederick Boyle. Affoury put the first points of the day on the board, cutting through the Knights defense to cross the line from 27 yards out. The PAT kick by James Hardy was good, and the Hurricanes had the lead, 7-0.

Reading went three-and-out on their first drive, and Hertfordshire scored again on their next possession, Boyle finding receiver Timothy Rogers in the endzone from 10 yards out for the touchdown. The PAT kick was again good, and the quarter ended 14-0.

Reading had some success in the second quarter, holding the Hurricanes to a short possession, and then beginning to move the ball well on the ground, backs Lee Kazeem and Ben Neighbour notching up some impressive runs for first downs. Try as they might, though, the Hertfordshire defense was proving too strong, and the Knights could not get close to the endzone. For the Hurricanes, Affoury scored twice on the ground, and then the defense blocked a Reading punt out of the back of the back of the endzone for a safety, setting the score as 30-0 at the break.

Reading started the second half in stronger form, taking heed of the rousing half time speeches. Kazeem, Neighbour and Dami Adekoya continued to move the ball well on the ground, and following a long opening drive, kicker Eddy Loughton’s 40 yard field goal attempt was just a foot short of the bar. It was the closest either team would come to scoring in the third quarter, with both defenses taking charge for the period and stifling the offensive attacks. Highlights for Reading were Oliver Bristow’s sack of Boyle, and the pressure put on the quarterback by the defensive line, lead by Ore Oluwatudimu and Kristian Ayton.

Hertfordshire took advantage of a Reading fumble, scoring from 9 yards out at the start of the fourth quarter when back Christopher John crashed through tacklers and over the line, stretching the score to 37-0. Reading refused to give up on the game though, and put together another long drive, with Kazeem securing a place in the history books as the first Knight to score in a playoff game, dancing through the Hurricanes defense to score from 12 yards out. Loughton’s PAT kick was good, and it was 37-7.

The Hurricanes scored twice more, first Boyle connecting with Benjamin Shipley and then John going in from short distance to set the final score as 51-7.

- "thanks to Statistician Andy Marsh for the article."

Fixtures/Results 2007-2008 Season

* "Portsmouth Destroyers" L 0-6
* Royal Holloway Vikings L 0-45
* "Surrey Stingers" W 12-0
* "Brighton Tsunami" W 23-8
* Southampton Stags L 6-38
* Portsmouth Destroyers W 15-12 (OT)
* "Royal Holloway Vikings" W 26-18 "(played @ Reading)"
* Surrey Stingers W 35-0 "
* Playoff Wild Card Round L "Hertfordshire Hurricanes" 51-7
* Varsity Game W BNU Buccaneers 14-12

"Away games in Italics"

Team Records by Season

*1987-88 - 0-6-0
*1988-89 - 0-8-0
*1989-90 - 1-7-0
*1990-91 - 1-7-0
*1991-92 - 0-8-0
*1992-93 - 2-5-1
*1993-94 - 1-7-0
*1994-95 - 1-5-2
*1995-96 - 2-4-2
*1996-97 - 1-6-1
*1997-98 - 2-6-0
*1998-99 - 2-5-1
*1999-2000 - 3-4-1
*2000-01 - 2-6-0
*2001-02 - 0-7-0
*2002-03 - 3-4-0
*2003-04 - 0-8-0
*2004-05 - 2-6-0
*2005-06 - 1-7-0
*2006-07 - 3-5-0
*2007-08 - 5-3-0

Coaching Staff 2008-2009

Head Coach: Drew Cameron

Offensive Co-ordinator: Ally Reid
Running-Backs Coach: Scott Goddard
Offensive-Line Coach: Jason Wills
Wide-Receivers Coach: Stealy Wills

Defensive Co-ordinator: Rich Levy
Defensive-Line Coach: Chris Beech
Linebackers Coach: Chris Oram

Award Winners 2007-2008 Season

Team Roster (2007-2008)

External links

* [http://www.buafl.net BUAFL]
* [http://www.readingknights.co.uk/ Reading Knights] Official Site