Manchester Titans
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| Year Formed | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Team Colours | White, Royal Blue and Red |
| Home Field | Broughton Park Rugby Club, Mauldeth Road West, Manchester |
| Conference Alignment | British American Football League - Division 2 Northern Conference |
| Head Coach | Olando Holmes |
| Regular Season Record | 16-21-2 |
| Playoff Record | 1-2 |
| Playoff Appearances (2) 2005, 2007 |
|
| Conference Championships (0) |
|
| Divisional Championships (0) | |
| League Championships (0) | |
The Manchester Titans are an American football team that play in the British American Football League. The Titans home ground is at Broughton Park Rugby Club. Entry to the Titans home games is free, there is a covered stand from which you can enjoy the games so whatever the weather its always good to come down and watch.
Contents |
[edit] Team Record
- 2008: 2-1
- 2007: 7-2-1 (1-1 Playoffs)
- 2006: 3-6 *9 game season due to one game being cancelled
- 2005: 5-5 (0-1 Playoffs)
- 2004: Did not enter League
- 2003: 1-8-1
[edit] History
Manchester has had a long association with the sport of American Football in the UK. The first ever game between two British teams took place in October 1983 and featured the Northwich Spartans against the London Ravens. The following year, Northwich became the Manchester Spartans and along with other Mancunian teams the Allstars and Heroes, brought continued success to the city over the next few seasons.
The sport suffered decline in the UK during the 1990s and ultimately all 3 Manchester teams were forced to disband and American Football players in Manchester were forced to travel to play. It was to be the best part of a decade before the sport was to return to Manchester.
In 2003 this dark period was too end, inspired by the Film, Remember the Titans, the Manchester Titans were formed by local players frustrated at having to travel. They gained affiliation in 2003, playing at Old Bedians Rugby Club in Didsbury, and entered the league with a fledgling team. In this first season the team fought valiantly and achieved a 1-8-1 record.
In 2004, the Titans withdrew from the League so that the organisation could be re-structured, new coaches were brought in, new players joined the team and by the start of the 2005 season the team was ready to rejoin the league. A 5-5 record was good enough for 2nd place in Division 2 Central and a place in the play-offs. A defeat at the hands of the West Coast Trojans ended the team's playoff progress but didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the players in their first year back in the League.
The Titans faced a tougher 2006 season, with high hopes for improving on 2005 that were dashed by several injuries to key players, the team still played well and finished with a 3-6* record. Despite the disappointing record the team was growing and for the start of the 2007 they moved to their new home at Broughton Park Rugby Club. The Team also had a change in image, the changed from playing in Red to a new White and Blue kit and started the new season on a high.
The 2007 season saw the BAFL re-align the divisions and in a very competitive Northern conference they achieved a 7-2-1 record, the teams best to date and entered the play-offs, a win against Central champions Nottingham Cesears saw the team progress but their play-off journey ended in the semi-finals with a loss against the Dundee Hurricanes. The 2007 season saw the Titans record 2 victories over the Lancashire Wolverines and a win and a tie against the Merseyside Nighthawks, establishing the Titans place as the North-Wests premier team.
[edit] 2008 Season
The 2008 season saw further changed to the BAFL, with more teams entering the league there are now 5 conferences in Division 2 and this year the Titans will be competing the Northern conference against:
Chester Romans
Merseyside Nighthawks
Lancashire Wolverines
Edinburgh Wolves
Glasgow Tigers
[edit] 2008 Fixtures
| Date | Kick Off | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Season | |||
| Sun 30/03/2008 | 14:30 | Lincolnshire Bombers 0 - 56 Manchester Titans | Grantham Town FC South Kestrian |
| Regular Season | |||
| Sun 11/05/2008 | 14:30 | Manchester Titans 39 - 12 Chester Romans | Broughton Park Rugby Club |
| Sun 18/05/2008 | 14:30 | Lancashire Wolverines 34 - 27 Manchester Titans | Blackburn RUFC |
| Sun 25/05/2008 | 16:00 | Glasgow Tigers 20 - 22 Manchester Titans | Cambuslang Rugby Club |
| Sun 15/06/2008 | 14:30 | Manchester Titans v Merseyside Nighthawks | Broughton Park Rugby Club |
| Sun 22/06/2008 | 14:30 | Manchester Titans v Glasgow Tigers | Broughton Park Rugby Club |
| Sat 05/07/2008 | 14:00 | Edinburgh Wolves v Manchester Titans | Meadowbank Stadium |
| Sun 27/07/2008 | 14:30 | Merseyside Nighthawks v Manchester Titans | Broughton Park Rugby Club |
| Sun 03/08/2008 | 14:30 | Manchester Titans v Lancashire Wolverines | Broughton Park Rugby Club |
| Sun 10/08/2008 | 14:30 | Chester Romans v Manchester Titans | Chester Rugby Club |
| Sat 16/08/2008 | 17:00 | Manchester Titans v Edinburgh Wolves | Broughton Park Rugby Club |
[edit] Playing and Coaching Staff
The Titans coaching staff is as follows:
Head Coach Olando Holman
Assistant Head Coach Tony McCulloch
Defensive Co-Ordinator Carl Rugen
Offensive Co-Ordinator Alan Mead
Linebacker Coach Chris Harwood
Special Teams Coach Nigel Diaz
D-Line Coach Carl Rugen
O-Line Coach Mike Jobson
Receiver Coach Owen Sammuels
QB Coach Alan Mead
Running Back Coach Nathan Hazel
[edit] Youth and Junior
The Titans also have a Junior team (14-16)and a Youth Team (16-18).
