Midlands

First Thursday of month

Coopers Tavern, Burton

Charlie Dean-Young or Keith Alldritt

Thames Valley

Monday 10^th August

Reading

Pete Parsons

NAME

#

TEAM

CODE

Q

OFFENCE

SUSPENDED

None new this week

Previous weeks – none outstanding

Note: it is the responsibility of the individual teams to ensure that their suspended players serve their suspensions in the proper game (according to the BAFA Disciplinary Code), and any dates mentioned here are intended only as a guide.

HOME TEAM

REPORT

NEXT HOME GAME

New this week

Glasgow Tigers

With 4 minutes remaining in the game the Wildcats no longer had enough linemen to continue. The game was ended at that time with the score 31-0 to Glasgow. Team areas incorrectly marked - the area was marked between the 30yard lines, with the coaching box only 1 foot from the sidelines, and the team area 7 feet from the sideline.

Ian Sneddon #427

Unknown

Sheffield Tomahawks

All Lines washed out, only goal lines were renewed due to lack of paint. No team areas marked. Thanks to the temporary groundsman who "cut in" lines every 5 yards, end zone and team area. Of 3 balls that were presented only 2 were adequate. Game Scheduled to KO at 12.00 according to BAFRA assignments, actual KO was 2.00 - Tomahawks management had apparently told the league of this weeks in advance. Plaudits to both teams for playing with an excellent spirit and especially to the Tomahawks players who never gave up even though they we 0 - 24 down.

Chris Jarvis #10

Unknown

Loughborough / Tamworth

90-yard field. Numbers marked but on 45, 35, 21, 15, 5 not 40, 30 etc... Coaching box line marked, but no team area line behind it. Balls provided by were in very poor condition, so we ended up using balls provided by Australia. No changing room adjacent to field. Officials had to change about a mile away in changing rooms next to the cricket field. This changing facility was locked and inaccessible after the game, therefore no showers provided.

Jim Briggs #31

23/07/09 – Sweden v Australia

Outstanding items from previous weeks

London Olympians

Played at Warren Avenue in Bromley. Lines only every 10 yards. Hashmarks NFL width but 5 yds long with 1 yd gap in middle of field. One ball-boy changed twice. Changing room too small, changed in vacant team room, not locked. No team areas.

Norval Scott #374

09/08/2009 vs Watford Cheetahs

(check venue)

Gateshead Senators

Chain crew were inattentive and kept moving when not instructed to. One ball-boy had to be provided by the away team. Game halted in second half when the presence of an individual in Gateshead's coaching area and on the sideline was queried. Individual was not on the roster and was therefore removed from the area. Thanks to the Gateshead HC for his cooperation and help in this.

Tim Vickers #129

09/08/2009 vs Dundee Hurricanes

Farnham Knights

Farnham (senior and youth) are now playing at Farnborough RFC. Field is 90 yards and reasonably well marked (no numbers). Changing room is small but adequate.

Jim Briggs #31

09/08/2009 vs Bristol Aztecs

Tamworth Phoenix (Youth)

Norwich arrived with only 15 players, fewer than league rules allowed. The game was postponed.

Murray Gibson #268

02/08/2009 vs Birmingham Bulls

Plymouth Admirals

Game was forfeited due to lack of players by Plymouth.

Simon Ryan #408

02/08/2009 vs Gloucester Banshees

London Cobras

On arrival at the field it was noted that the ambulance was not built to carry a stretcher bound player to hospital. It was agreed with the teams that subject to BAFA minimum requirements being met the game would proceed. However, neither of the two-man crew in the ambulance was a qualified paramedic. The ambulance crew who confirmed that an ambulance that met BAFA rules had been booked but that it had broken down on Saturday and the one present was the replacement that they has assigned. The ambulance crew rang their base and an ambulance was dispatched from East London. Various estimates of arrival time were given and all parties were kept informed. However, at 4pm we were told that the replacement ambulance had broken down on route and the match was abandoned.

Keith Wickham #423

02/08/09 v Kent Exiles

London Olympians

Game played at Foster Memorial Park in SE London, the first home game at this venue. Inbounds were yellow (other lines were white), numbers on the home team side were too close to the sidelines, field was uneven (on a slight slope) and the goalposts were portable and constructed from drainpipes. Game was suspended for 5 minutes in first half to remove broken glass from field. Plaudits to both teams for a very hard fought contest, only decided when the Olympians came up short on 4th down with 30 seconds remaining.

Daniel Bridgland #506

Unknown

Doncaster Mustangs

Kick off delayed 45 mins due to late ambulance arrival and treatment of an official.

Tim Vickers #129

09/08/09 v Yorkshire Rams

Hull Hornets

Game was suspended for 1 hour 5 minutes with 6:50 remaining in the 2nd quarter to treat an injured Hull player. We took half-time while the injured player was treated. At the end of the second quarter we proceeded straight onto the third quarter. Plaudits to the Chester Romans' medic who was the first medical response to injuries sustained by both teams. Hull's pitch appears to have a number of pipes laid underneath. There is therefore a series of ruts traversing diagonally across the pitch. These ruts do not currently present a trip hazard, but as more football is played on the pitch, they may do so.

Ben Griffiths #228

Unknown

Note: it is possible that any game may be cancelled, or any team may arrange additional games. Any dates mentioned here are intended only as a guide.

Date

Event

Contact for details

2009

July 21^st, 23^rd, 25^th (Tue, Thu, Sat)

Great Britain Lions tournament

operations@bafra.org

September 26^th-27^th (Sat-Sun)

BritBowl XXIII weekend

operations@bafra.org

October 24^th (Sat)

BAFA Board Meeting

president@bafra.org

October 25^th (Sun)

Patriots v Buccaneers @ Wembley

November 21^st (Sat)

BAFRA board meeting

secretary@bafra.org

BAFRA Directors

President

Jim Briggs

president@bafra.org

General Secretary

Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org

Finance

Andrew Lovell

finance@bafra.org

Operations

Pete Johnson

operations@bafra.org

Recruitment

Ben Griffiths

recruitment@bafra.org

Training

David Parsons

training@bafra.org

Director without Portfolio #1

Dan Bridgland

dwp1@bafra.org

Director without Portfolio #2

Steve Tonkinson

dwp2@bafra.org

The opinions expressed in this Newsflash are those of the contributors, and not necessarily of BAFRA or its Directors.

All Incident Reports to be submitted via www.bafra.org.

Deadline for articles submitted by email (newsflash@bafra.org) is midnight Tuesday.