EAST MIDLAND SAXONS Based: Spalding RUFC, Spalding Sports Club, Memorial Field
Street, Thomas's Road, Spalding, Lincolnshire
Career Record: 3-13-4
Colours:Blue shirts
Website: http://www.thesaxons.co.uk/
Honours: None
2004 BSL Division Two Northern Conference 0-9-0
2003 BSL Division Two Northern Conference 3-6-1
2002 BSL Division Two Northern Conference 0-7-3
Team Notes: The Saxons are
the continuation of an American football presence in the Lincolnshire region that first
began in the early to mid 1980s. The earliest teams in the county were the Lincoln Bombers
(later the Saints
) and the Boston Blitz, the latter from which the team is
descended. The Blitz would eventually leave Boston in the late eighties before merging
with the remnants of the neighbouring Kings Lynn Patriots and the Peterborough Hustlers to
form the North Sea Hurricanes organisation. It would be former Blitz and Hurricanes
players Dave Quincey and Pat Megginson who would be responsible for bringing American
football back to Boston in 1991 with the setting up of the East Midland Raiders youth two
touch team.
The nineties saw the team grow into one of the most successful youth organisations in the
country, the UCLA (Union of Cambs/Lincs Areas) club. This comprised two teams, the Raiders
(who had moved on to the youth kitted code under the guidance of former Blitz stalwarts,
Mark Cleaver and Micky Bryant), and Megginsons youth flag set up, the Renegades.
With the Raiders folding in the mid to late nineties, the Renegades would go on to acquire
a reputation for playing good football, but always being the bridesmaid and never the
bride! In the period from 1995 to 2000 they amassed the following near misses:
1995: Junior Flag ranked 3rd in the country
1998: Youth Flag runners up
1999: Youth Flag runners up
1999: Youth Kitted Div. II runners up
2000: Youth Flag (non-contact) runners up
The 2001 season was a watershed year for the club. With many youth kitted players having
reached the youth retirement age, the idea to form a senior kitted side was
re-born (having first come to life in UCLAs development plan). The stepping stone to
the team would via a senior (contact) flag side, which in true UCLA bridesmaid tradition
made it to the British Senior Flag League semi-finals and a number 3 in the country
ranking. Whilst not taking away the championship, the side provided the expected impetus
for what is now the Saxons. Over the winter 2001-2002 period the side acquired the 25
unregistered players it needed to apply to the British Senior League competition, having
held a taster exercise in the shape of a controlled scrimmage against the
Harrogate Hawks youth kitted side. The mainly USAF Cadet side were no match for the
debutants whose scratch team of old and new faces gelled surprisingly quickly.
2002 saw the Saxons officially born, accepted into the BSL and grow from strength to
strength, with squad numbers now in the thirties. It played its debut game against local
new boys the Cambridge Cats in March and came away a little aggrieved to have been shut
out 30-0 having trailed by six at the half. The Cats side featured seven Americans and
were arguably no more than two scores better on the day. The season proper started
recently with the Saxons proudly hosting the first game of the BSL Division 2 North
Conference. Offensive penalties were too prove costly as the Saxons could not find the
winner against a strengthened Glasgow Tigers team, the final score being a creditable, but
frustrating 6-6 tie. Finished 2002 with a 0-7-3, but improved in 2003
and finished with a 3-6-1 record. Fell to a 0-9-0 record in 2004.

RB Gareth Evans, 2005
From http://www.eteamz.com/EastMidlandSaxons/news/index.cfm?cat=217121
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