Cornish Sharks
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| Cornish Sharks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established 2005 Play in Newquay, Cornwall |
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| Current uniform | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personnel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Chief Insp. D. Cooper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Richard Atkinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Manager | Prof. Jane Alexander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach | Brian Smallworth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League Championships (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division Championships (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conference Championships (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playoff Appearances (1)
2007 |
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The Cornish Sharks are an American Football team currently competing in the South West Conference of British American Football League (BAFL) Division 2. They play their home games at the Newquay Sports Centre, in Newquay, Cornwall. In their first season in the BAFL the Sharks recorded a 7 wins to 3 losses record and finished second in their conference, but lost their playoff quarter-final to the eventual divisional champions, the Norwich Devils.
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[edit] History
The Cornish Sharks were founded in 2005 by Brian Smallworth, Richard Atkinson and Martin Phillips, all of whom were experienced players or coaches looking to bring American football back to Cornwall after the demise of the county's only other team the Duchy Destroyers, who had folded some eleven years earlier.[1] After placing adverts in the local press, they held their first trials in January 2006 which was attended by over 140 people, a mixture of local rookies, rugby players, former players, and American servicemen stationed at a local air force base, one of whom had had previous experience with the San Francisco 49ers.[1]
After obtaining kit from the Duchy Destroyers, the London Mets (one of John Smallworth's former teams), a National Lottery grant, and sponsorship from 13 local businesses, the Sharks set about gaining entry into the British American Football League in time for the 2007 season. To do this, they arranged two away fixtures against teams already affiliated with the League, namely Reading and Lincoln, and they won both games convincingly without conceding a single point.[1]
The team were accepted into the South West conference of Division 2. Despite an opening day defeat to the Andover Thrashers, they soon bounced back with three wins, including two consecutive shutouts.[2] They eventually finished with a 7-3 record, tied with the Thrashers, but were awarded second place by virtue of having scored more points in the teams' two meetings during the regular season.[3][4]
In doing so, they made British American football history by becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs in their first ever season.[5] They also finished the regular season by only condending 66 points in their ten games, a record for a new team and a defensive record bettered by only four other teams in the entire league.[1][4]
In their playoff quarter-final, they faced an away trip to the Norwich Devils, who had won their conference with a perfect 10-0 record, and despite a brave performance they went down 18–26 to the eventual divisional champions.[4]
[edit] Senior team season records
| Season | Division | W | L | T | PF | PA | Final Position | Playoff Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | BAFL Division 2 South West | 7 | 3 | 0 | 177 | 66 | 2 / 5 | Lost 18–26 to Norwich Devils in quarter-final. | First team in BAFL history to qualify for playoffs in rookie year. Best defensive record for a rookie team. |
[edit] Other teams & activities
In 2008, the club established the Cornish Academy of American football, a programme aimed at offering youngsters in Cornwall a chance to gain experience in the sport. The academy is comprised of 12 teams based all over Cornwall split into three divisions of four teams. The best players from each team will then be selected to play for “Team Cornwall” which will then play in the National League against other youngsters. When a player reaches 18 years of age he can then move up to the Cornish Sharks development team and when ready, can move into the Cornish Sharks.[1][6]
The club also operates a Player Exchange Programme in action with two international teams, namely the Tacoma Invaders in Washington State, USA and the Brisbane Rhinos in Australia.[1]
[edit] Roster
| Cornish Sharks roster | ||||||
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Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Offensive Linemen
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Defensive Linemen
Defensive Backs
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Linebackers
Special Teams
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[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f History of the Cornish Sharks. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ BAFL 2007 Results (XLS). Britball Now (2007-11-17). Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
- ^ BAFL Tie Breaking Procedure (PDF). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
- ^ a b c BAFL 2007 League Standings (XLS). Britball Now (2007-11-17). Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
- ^ Sharks bite Admirals and progress to the play offs. BAFL (2007-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ Cornish Sharks - Academy & Recruitment. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
