Birmingham Crows

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The Birmingham Crows are a now-defunct Australian rules football club in Birmingham, England.

[edit] History

The Birmingham Crows, wearing the uniforms of the Adelaide Crows from the AFL, were formed formed following the completion of the 1992 British Australian Rules Football League season during which many Birmingham-based players formed a significant portion of the East Midland Eagles team.

The Birmingham Crows' first-ever game in May 1993 saw them victorious at home against fellow BARFL newcomers the Liverpool Blues. A second successive victory followed against the Eagles in Leicester, but the season's close saw Birmingham finish in the lower half of the ladder. One of the Crows' strengths was their inclusion of several experienced Gaelic footballers drawn from the very strong Warwickshire GAA structure.

The catchment area for Birmingham to recruit players was huge but the sport failed to take root and the Crows managed only two seasons competing with the bigger and more established London teams, folding after the 1994 BARFL season.

There have since been repeated attempts to found a new club in Birmingham or nearby Wolverhampton to compete in the BARFL, but they have not yet been successful.