Bournemouth Raiders Player Profiles
Click on a Raiders player below to read their player profile.
Richard
Cleveland
Greg Cottell
Roland Coutts
Lee Eatly
Mark Elliott
Karl Forrest
Allen Gilbert
Vincent Gurrea
Matt Heasman
Matt
Hemsley
Mark Houston
Tom Jenkins
Abdul Lawal
Bene Lewis
Nick Michael
Ryan McKeon
Daniel Nehorai
Kirk O'Field
Patrick Pflander
Bradley Smith
Tim Smith
Richard Tollervey
Jonny Wells
Alex Wilson
Stuart Winship
Position - Quarterback/Safety
Date of birth - 1st February 1972
Games played - 16
Richard played in the first ever competitive game against the Bournemouth Bearcats in which he played O-Line. In the second game he threw a TD when meant to be attempting a field-goal! He played in a number of positions after that, including running back and wide receiver culminating in his selection at QB at the beginning of the 1991 season. In his first season Richard was renowned for going off injured after taking a hit. However due to the great strengthening of the O-Line fewer hits were made on him as QB which led to more playing time. In the 1990 season Richard played inside linebacker earning himself a reputation and subsequently got pin-pointed as the player to watch. Such attention to Richard led to big hits being planted on him and leading to his resignation from defence. Richard at the end of the 1991 season moved to safety where to performed his duties adequately. Having won the play-off game with a TD to Steve Shergold a minute from the end, rumour has it that Eric Pearson (League Chairman and referee that day) stated that Richard was the best QB in the south. Rich has continued to be a member of the Raiders squad in the new era as the Raiders entered the BSFL in 2001, but has decided to take more of a back seat in terms of playing. He made one appearance in 2001, in our opening game of the year with Leicester and has made a few appearances in our 5-on-5 games since. He continues to be a valuable back-room member.
Rich Cleveland (left) in action for the
Raiders in April 2002
Photos of Rich Cleveland in action in 1991:
Position - Defensive end
Date of birth -
Games played - 3
Greg made his debut in our first ever game of senior flag football, against Leicester Eagles in March 2001. Despite limited opportunities, he made the most of his game time, and in his second game registered a sack against the London Gators. Two more sacks followed against Canterbury, and he finished 2001 third on the Raiders sack list. Yet to play in 2002.
Position - Wide Receiver/Corner Back
Date of birth - 16th March 1976
Games played - 0
Roland made his debut for the Raiders in the Hyde Park 5-on-5 tournament in July. Made an immediate impact scoring 4 TD's in total during the day's play. He played against the Raiders in the Beach Bowl in December 2001 for the Southern Sundevils.
Position - Tight End/Defensive End
Date of birth - 9/8/78
Games played - 10
Lee joined the Raiders in early 2001, after finding the Raiders website on the internet. Having moved down to Poole from London, he was looking for a local side to play for after earlier stints with the London Mets and the London O’s in the British Senior League.
Lee Eatly
A hard-hitting and enthustiastic defensive end, as well as a consistent tight end/lead blocker he has been ever present for the Raiders in the last two years. Had an excellent season in 2001, which resulted in being selected for the England National Team in the autumn. A key member of the squad.
Lee Eatly blocking (far right)
Putting the Brighton QB under pressure
Position - Running Back/Linebacker
Date of birth - 26th January 1973
Games played - 25
Mark was one of the original five who played in the first Bearcat game at King's Park and scored on a 64 yard run (see below) in the 13-0 win at Bournemouth School.
In February 1987 he joined the double-touch Junior Bobcats and in 1989 joined the junior kitted Bournemouth Renegades team. In January 1990 he set up the Bournemouth Raiders and is the only player who has been ever-present for the Raiders since their formation. He is all-time leader on rushing yardage for the Raiders and also scored the first TD for the Raiders against Basildon in 1991. Mark was selected to play for the South of England Allstar team in 1991, which he led the team in rushing despite on rushing the ball on a couple of occasions!
Running against Eastleigh Devils in 1991
Did not play american football again, until the first training sessions at the end of 2000. Mark continues to be the Raiders starting running-back. After struggling in 2001, Mark has exploded in the opening two games in 2002 with 100 yard rushing performances in each game. He ran for a career-high 124 yards in the opening game of 2002 against Chichester Sharks.
Gaining yards against Chichester in 2002
Photos of Mark Elliott in action:
Position - Guard/Linebacker
Date of birth - 2/6/70
Games played - 3
Karl was another player who contacted the team via the website. Previously having played for the last senior kitted side in Bournemouth, the Buccaneers, he was looking for a team in the area to play for.
He made his debut in the 36-8 defeat of the Chichester Sharks and made an immediate impression at right outside linebacker with his knowledge of the position and also making a number of crucial tackles. His experience will be key as the season runs on.
Karl blocking far left
Position - Center/Nose Tackle
Date of birth - 20th January 1981
Games played - 8
Allen joined the team in mid-season 2001, being introduced to the game by Matt Heasman whom he worked with at the time. Allen has not missed a league game since and his blocking is a key asset to the team. Also has remarkable catching ability.
Allen (far right)
Position - Corner Back
Date of birth - 9th January 1974
Games played - 4
Having moved to England, Vincent was looking for a team to play for after having previously played for the Valencia Firebats in the Spanish league. He joined the Raiders in 2002, and made his debut in the 36-8 victory over the Chichester Sharks.
Position - Quarter Back/Linebacker
Date of birth - 8th April 1973
Games played - 24
Matt is one of the original three who have been with the team since the very beginning. He started off his American Football career at QB which made him an obvious choice as the Raiders first QB when they entered the JGL in 1990. He had a reasonable year and despite throwing no TD's, kept things tight and rarely gave the ball away. His interception average in 1990 remains a Raider record. In 1991, he moved to the offensive line to strengthen it during mid-season, and then moved to fullback, a position that so far no-one had been able to fill. He played excellently, blocking anyone breaking through the offensive line. On defence he has always been an uncompromising character at inside linebacker and has excelled in this position picking off a number of interceptions, the most notable his one hander against Crawley (8-0), and he also gained a few sacks. Matt has always been willing to give his all to the club and also earned a reputation as a hard hitter. He was selected to play for the South of England in 1991. After playing his last game for the Raiders in 1992, Matt reformed the Raiders at the end of 2000 having attended a senior flag tournament in Cambridge. He is also the webmaster for the Raiders website. Threw his first TD pass in competitive action when he completed a pass to Tim Smith against Canterbury in 2001. Has performed well at linebacker in 2001 and 2002, and has jumped to 3rd on the Raiders list of interceptors
Playing QB against Solent in 1990
In action at linebacker in 1990
Other photos:
Position - Running Back/Defensive End
Date of birth - 5th November 1984
Games played - 8
Matt joined the team in 2001, and has firmly established himself as an excellent back-up to Mark Elliott in the running back category on offense. A very useful starter on defense, and has picked up his fair share of tackles and sacks over the last two seasons. Also, is a link back to the Raiders past. Matt currently attends Bournemouth School, which is where the Raiders were formed more than a decade ago.
Matt Hemsley charging through the Brighton
D in a pre-season friendly in 2002
Position - Wide Receiver/Corner Back
Date of birth - 24th April 1977
Games played - 2
Mark joined the team in 2002, and made his debut in the friendly against Brighton in April. Our resident Canadian has played in the two Hyde Park 5-on-5 games, and leads the team in 2002 in TD receptions in those games. Eagerly looking forward to his 9-on-9 debut.
Mark Houston (white - far left) catching
the winning TD on the last play of the game against Birmingham
Position - Guard/Defensive End
Date of birth - 18th February 1982
Games played - 2
Tom joined us in 2002, and has been an essential member of the offensive line which performed so well in the Bournemouth tournament in June, where the Brighton and Chichester sides were outmuscled by our line. Tom played no small part in that. Played for the Southern Sundevils the previous season, and his experience is invaluable.
Tom Jenkins (right)
Position – Running Back/Corner Back
Date of Birth –
Games played – 2
Abdul joined the team in time for the crucial tournament at Cambridge in August 2002. He actually played against us for Canterbury in 2001, and stood out for his pace then. Started as a WR for us, and then switched to RB towards the end of the game against Invicta where he gained valuable yards on a number of carries which got us into a position to tie the game. Also returned a punt some distance in that game.
Position – Center/Defensive End
Date of Birth – 22nd November 1977
Games played – 1 (and 7 5-on-5 games)
Bene joined us in 1992 for the friendly against Worthing, after having played against us for the Bournemouth Bearcats in the late 80's. He contacted us at the beginning of 2002 through the website, and has played for us in all of our 5-on-5 games this year. Unfortunately broke a finger in each hand in the Hyde Park tournament in July, which has ruled him out of all games since. Hopefully will be back soon.
Position – Guard/Inside Linebacker
Date of Birth –
Games played – 4
Joined us along with Abdul in time for the Cambridge tournament, and also played for Canterbury against us last season. Proved himself to be our key defensive player, making numerous tackles and sacks in the four games he has played with us. Also actually organised our defense which is an achievement in itself! Will be sorely missed in the finals.
Position – Wide Receiver/Corner
Back
Date of Birth – 1st August 1975
Games played – 4
First played for the Raiders in the Beach Bowl in December 2001, and made a number of crucial tackles in that tournament whilst playing on D.Is an excellent squad player, who has a tremendous attitude, enthusisam and knowledge of the game. Starts at WR, and has made a number of catches this season.
Position – Wide Receiver/Safety
Date of Birth –
Games played – 2
Daniel first played for the Raiders in the Beach Bowl in December 2001, and made a number of catches and TD's as the teams leading receiver that day. Missed the start of this season for a variety of reasons, the main one being the birth of his first daughter. Rejoined the team in August for the Chichester tournament, and is experience could prove invaluable come the playoffs.
Position – Guard/Nose Tackle
Date of Birth – 20th May 1974
Games played – 2
An old adversary of the Raiders from his days playing got the Eastleigh Devils in the early 90's, Kirk joined the Raiders at the start of the 2002 season. His experience on the line proved crucial in opening up large holes for the Raiders running backs that day. Attended the Hyde Park 5-on-5 tournament in July, but has not played for the team since.
Position – Wide Receiver/Cornerback
Date of Birth – 12th September 1971
Games played – 2
Pat joined the team at the beginning of 2002, and played in the opening BSFL fixtures. He caught a TD in his first game against Chichester (see below), and then unfortunately broke his elbow whilst making a tackle against Brighton. He played on as he didn't realise it at the time! The injury has meant that he missed the remainder of the season.
Patrick Pflander (far right)
Position – Quarter Back/Corner Back
Date of Birth – 26th July 1973
Games played – 24
Brad has been with the team since his creation in 1990, and is the key component to the current team's offense. His lightning speed and long passing ability make him a difficult person to stop. Passed for 9 TD's and over 700 yards in 2001, was the top ranked team rusher in 2001 and also got 4 interceptions on defense! Has arguably got better in 2002, where he ran for over 100 yards in each of the opening 2 fixtures in 2002, and currently leads the team in rushing. He is also the leagues 2nd ranked rusher this season. Has passed for 5 TD's and is ranked number in the league. Not bad considering a shoulder injury ruled him out of virtually the last half of the regular season! Should be fit for the BSFL Finals where he will be hoping to lead the team to the National title.
Photos of Brad Smith in action:
Position – Wide Receiver/Safety
Date of Birth – 23rd July 1980
Games played – 8
Tim joined the team mid-season in the 2001, and has proved to be an excellent player for the Raiders. He led the team in receiving in 2001 with 13 catches and 229 yards. He is the BSFL 4th top scorer in 2002, with 4 TD's. His speed and excellent catching ability make him a great target for QB Brad Smith. He plays for the Staffordshire Stallions int he BCAFL whilst at University in Stoke, and his knowledge and experience are crucial for the Raiders on offense and defense.
Photos of Tim Smith in action:
Position - Guard/Defensive End
Date of birth - 2nd November 1977
Games played - 2
Richard joined the team at the beginning of 2002, and played in
the opening BSFL fixtures. He caught a TD in his first game against Chichester, and he played against the Raiders in the Beach Bowl in December
2001 for the Southern Sundevils.
Position – Wide Receiver/Corner
Back
Date of Birth – 22nd December 1982
Games played – 6
Jonny joined the team in summer 2002, after his first season with the Tarannau Aberystwyth
University. He has proved himself in the cornerback position, and is now unquestionably a
starter in that position. Has gained yards on offense as a useful back-up receiver, and
even gained yards on a reverse (a Raider first!). Jonny currently leads the team in
interceptions. Question marks remain on his hands though, especially after one incident
concerning a pint of beer in a London pub!
Position – Wide Receiver/Corner
Back
Date of Birth –
Games played – 0
A teammate of Jonny's at Aberystwyth
University, he will be making his debut for the Raiders in the BSFL Finals at September. A
tall WR he could be a crucial factor in the Raiders O that day.
Back to top
Position – Wide Receiver/Defensive End
Date of Birth – 4th June 1973
Games played – 14
Stuart started his career at right tackle and slowly progressed to the more demanding position of center. Despite being small for his position Stuart battled hard to protect his quarterback. In his first two seasons on defense, Stu amassed an all-time club record of 18 sacks and was one of the most consistent defensive players throughout both seasons.
His one moment of glory was against Basildon where he recovered a fumble and ran into the endzone, only to see another team-mate flagged for a clip disallowing his TD! He was awarded the ‘Mine’s an Autumn Gold’ trophy in 1991 and was been selected to play for the South of England team.
Has been dogged by injury in recent years, and has been forced off of the line and plays wide receiver and cornerback. Scored a hat-trick of TD’s in a friendly with Brockenhurst Exiles in 2001, and also scored a hat-trick in a friendly with Brighton in 2002. His pace and catching ability make him a great target for QB Brad Smith.