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Allstar Linebackers
Dave Chambers
The
first name on the team sheet in every game he played, including the GB Lions
between 1985 and 1989. Chambers starred as a dominating linebacker for the
Birmingham Bulls taking the 1986 Summerbowl and 1988 Bud Bowl amongst honours.
Played in the Bulls 1986 Eurobowl run to the semi-finals. Moved to the London
Olympians in 1988, whom he led to the 1988 Bud Bowl final. Also played for the
GB Lions from their inception in 1985 through to 1989, though missed out on
the 1989 European Championship in Germany through injury.
In 1990, Chambers moved to the Walsall Titans and position to Running Back,
helping them to clinch the NCMMA Northern Conference. In 1991 he moved to the
Coventry Jaguars, and scored 2 TDs in their 50-28 Division Two title win over
Cardiff. Returned to the Bulls as a player and youth team coach in 1994, and
took part in the 1994 and 1995 national finals, before moving into coaching with
the Bulls for a season (taking them to the 1996 Division Two Bowl game) and then
onto the Lancashire Wolverines.
Bob
Dean
A ferocious LB for club and country. Bob played for the Streatham/London
Olympians in their early days in the mid 80’s through to 1995. He also played
for the GB Lions between 1989 and 1995. Competed in some of the early great
Britball matches such as Summerbowl I (1985) and Bud Bowl I (1986). Also won a
hat-trick of national titles with the club from 1992 to 1994, and two European
titles in 93 and 94. He still plays rugby union to a high standard for
Streatham-Croydon RUFC having joined the club in the early 80’s and captained
the club and first XV for many seasons.
Jason
Brisbane
Jason Brisbane began his American football career
with the London Blitz. At 6ft 2ins and just 13 1/2
stone, he was an undersized linebacker but he
was able to make up for that lack of size with speed,
aggression and what coaches like to refer to as 'a nose for the ball'.
He quickly played his way into the Great Britain teams at youth and
then senior level and in 2004 he set a team record for the Blitz by
recording 22 tackles in a game. He was named the British American
Football League's Most Valuable Player in the same year. He has played
in 2 Britball finals (2006 and 2007), winning the 2007 national
championship making 11 unassisted tackles in the final. In 2007, he
showed up at NFL development trials weighing 16 1/2 stone and was duly
picked up by the San Diego Chargers. Also played 4 times for the GB
Lions, including the successful 2004 European Championship campaign.
Returned an interception for a TD in his last runout for the national
team against Centre College in 2005.
Brisbane in San Diego Chargers uniform
Colin
Nash
An exceptional fullback from the earliest days of
Britball with the Birmingham Bulls, he was team captain of the Bulls that won
Summerbowl II against Glasgow in 1986, and also competed in Eurobowl I that same
season with the Bulls. Started for GB in their first ever international against
France in 1985. Moved to linebacker in 1987, and turned into one of the hardest
hitters in the game.
Led the NDMA league in tackles in 1991 with 80
solos, and was ranked second in 1993 with 57 solos. Also featured in the top 10
tackler list in 1994.
Played in all four national titles that the Bulls won from 1986 to 1995, and
also for the GB Lions in both the 1989 and 1991 European Championship wins.
Retired at the end of the 1995 season the Bulls won their fourth national
title.
In an era when British sides were paying large sums of money to import
players, Nash competed with the very best of
them.
Paul
Newey
Newey has just
completed his 15th year (as of end of 2008) in Britball and continues
to play at the highest level in Britball. Starting his career at the
Birmingham Bulls he reached the national final with them in 1994 his
rookie season, and then went one better in 1995 when the Bulls defeated
the O's to the win the national title. After retiring from the Bulls in
the early 2000's, he returned to the game with the Coventry Jets in
2003 where he has helped lead them from Division Two to 3 titles
(Division 2 in 2005, Division 1A in 2006 and the national title for the
first time in 2008).
He made his debut for the GB Lions in the 1995 friendly against
Ireland, and has played in 3 European Championship finals (1997, 2004
and 2005) for the Lions in his collection of 7 caps.
Newey (left) with the Boston Trophy in 2008
John
Parker
Parker was a
very smart, all-around great linebacker who could read a game and be in
the right place at the right time. He played the majority of his career
for the Nottingham Hoods, and in 1989 was rewarded for his fine play
with a call up for the GB Lions where he was capped 3 times. He played
for the Lions in their successful 1989 European Championship campaign.
He left the Hoods in 1990, when he joined the Manchester Spartans where
he won a national and european club title in the same season.
Parker (right) in action vs Northants Storm
John Aska
John Aska (left in picture below) was a
founding player and Chairman of the London Ravens starting with them in
1983. An outstanding athlete, he represented GB in their opening games from 1985
to 1987, and caught an interception in their first game against France in 1985.
Played for the Ravens in Eurobowl II in 1988, and retired shortly
afterwards.
Karl
Goodwin
Goodwin was a very
smart and a great athlete who played the majority of his career at the
Portsmouth Warriors. He led the Warriors D to the runners-up spot in
the Crown National Division in 1989, and in the same season won 3 caps
for the GB Lions catching 3 interceptions (2 vs France in the Euro
qualifier for the finals). In the 1989 European Championship final vs
Finland, Goodwin returned an interception deep into Finnish territory which the Lions subsequently scored from.
No photo - if you one of Karl then we'd like to put it here.
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