Ouse Valley Eagles
Formed in 2013 from a merger of two local rivals.
The Ouse Valley Eagles are a British American football team based in Bedford, United Kingdom, and a member of the BAFA National Leagues Division 2. They play their home games at the Bedford Athletic Rugby Club and compete in the southern football conference (SFC 2 East). The club was formed in 2013 through a merger of the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders and the Milton Keynes Pathfinders.
Quick Facts
- Established
- 2013
- Location
- Bedford
- Stadium
- Bedford Athletic Rugby Club
- Coach
- Nick Benning
- League
- BAFA National Leagues
- Division
- 2 - conference SFC 2 East
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The Pathfinders' 445 points conceded in their first league season was the highest total since the Andover Thrashers conceded 464 in 2005.
- The Eagles' "O" logo and uniforms are heavily inspired by those of the Oregon Ducks.
History
The Milton Keynes Pathfinders began as a youth flag football team before taking up senior kitted football in 2006. They joined the BAFL in 2008 and played home games at the Emerson Valley Sports Pavilion. Their first match was an away game against the Cambridgeshire Cats, followed by a 0–35 home defeat to the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders. In their first league season they posted a 0-9-1 record, conceding 445 points. The Pathfinders recorded their first winning season in 2011 with a 7-2-1 mark, clinching the final Division 2 playoff spot and losing to the eventual finalists, the West Coast Trojans. They reached the playoffs again in 2012, advancing to the Southern Final before losing to the Peterborough Saxons. Their overall regular season league record at the time of the merger was 25-34-2, with a postseason record of 1-2.
The Bedfordshire Blue Raiders were formed in 2006 by locals Dave Pankhurst and Steve Guy, beginning the BAFL associate process in 2007. Their first game was a win over Maidstone Pumas, 18-8. One month after their first contest with the Pathfinders, they were accepted into the league and placed in the Eastern Conference of Division Two. By 2013, reduced player participation left the squad at about half its starting size with no healthy quarterbacks, forcing a forfeit against the Kent Exiles. They fulfilled their final fixture only by registering coaches as players. Their overall regular season league record at the time of the merger was 32-30 with a postseason record of 0-1.
After the Blue Raiders' final game, an EGM was called to discuss the club's future. Neale McMaster stepped forward as chairman and proposed a merger with the Pathfinders. On 3 November 2013, a joint EGM of both clubs approved the constitution and articles of merger.
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