2018 SEASON NFC 2 SOUTH SUNDAY, 22ND APRIL RAILROADERS BULLS CHESHIRE COLLEGE SOUTH & WEST KICK OFF 2 P.M

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1 2018 SEASON NFC 2 SOUTH SUNDAY, 22ND APRIL RAILROADERS VS BULLS CHESHIRE COLLEGE SOUTH & WEST KICK OFF 2 P.M

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3 C R E W E R A I L R O A D E R S V S B I R M I N G H A M B U L L S 2 2 / 0 4 / HEAD COACH ADDRESS WELCOME I d like to start by welcoming all to the first Railroader game of the season, and my first game as Head Coach of the squad. Today we host the Birmingham Bulls, recently relegated from the NFC1, and favourite to top the division. They started last week with a comfortable 43-0 win against Knottingley Raiders, so we know that we have our work cut out in this fixture. They have a strong D that kept most of their games last season competitive, and any offense that puts up 43 points is worth taking note of. TODAYS GAME I m glad that you could join us for the first game of the season, hopefully it will be the first of many positive results for us but regardless of the result, I m sure it will be an entertaining game. Following the game, we ll be at Alberts Corner in Crewe (CW1 2DF), we d love to see as many of you there as possible, and I d also like to wish Coach Sheldon and the Bulls a safe trip home.

4 H E A D C O A C H A D D R E S S 2 2 / 0 4 / SEASON EXPECTATIONS PRESEASON Although we expect this game to be one of the most competitive we play this season, we couldn t be more prepared. The past few months the coaches and players have been working tirelessly to put ourselves in the best position possible to have a great season. Alongside my appointment, we have made other strong external additions to the coaching staff: one being Coach Christian Thompson, who worked with me on the Defense at the Keele Crusaders. The other being Phil Mansfield, the clubs new Defensive Coordinator, he has had experience coaching at Loughborough Uni, Nottingham Caesars and Leicester Falcons and so far he s done a terrific job with thedefense. We have also invested in HUDL to help improve the way the club utilises practise and game film. We have installed new O, D and ST playbooks and we have also held a 3 day camp at the college that really helped the squad get to grips with the upheaval. As I said on our interview with CAT radio earlier in the preseason, it s always really difficult to gauge how well a team will perform throughout the season. Teams undergo such upheaval from season to season so it s tough to know where your program is at comparatively. On the Sunday to close camp we ran an extremely competitive scrimmage against Furness Phantoms (who last year lost more games than they won), in week 1 this season, they turned over Morecambe bay Storm (who were playoff team last season) 50-14, so it goes to show how difficult it is to predict. We can only hope to move the club in the right direction, whether that transpires into a better record, or simply better performances, but we re well aware that you can t make an omelette without breaking some eggs. THANKS Throughout preseason we have stressed to the players that games aren t won or lost on a Sunday, they are won or lost at practise with the work that we put in. Now that our work is done and we re at the end of our preseason, I d like to use this opportunity to thank to thank the players and coaches for all of the effort that they have put in so far. I would also like to extend that thanks to everyone involved with the Railroaders for the warm welcome I ve received since my appointment. Last but not least, I d like to thank my partner Harriet. Preparing for the season has been quite time consuming as you can imagine, I m certain that she s often felt neglected because of football! But for that most part she s been tolerant and extremely supporting, so thank you.

5 PRAILROADERS OFF SEASON 22/04/2018 OUR NEW LOOK After over 20 years, the 2018 Railroaders are proud to be making a return back to the blue Jersey. At our 2017 AGM, the committee left the fate of the Railroaders new look in the hands of the players. With 15 jersey designs making the shortlist, we whittled these down to 3 designs before putting them to the official vote.# Whilst the original Railroaders played in a variety of colours, it was these that made the most impact with the current Railroaders, and the final design was presented to the 2018 squad on 20th April. So far it has been incredibly well received! Lets hope this is the start of the Railroaders return to the glory days!

6 2018 SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA Want to keep up with all the latest Railroader news? Be sure to follow our official social media accounts! crewerailroaders Crewe Railroaders American Football Club Use our hashtags #railroaders18 #allaboard to interact with

7 OUR 2018 PARTNERS As many of you know, our Club House is the fantastic Albert's Corner. Albert's has become the Railroader's base for activities. From post game food & drinks, to hosting our Super Bowl party & recent shirt presentation, we treat Albert's as our home. Of course our home is open to any of the Railroader family, and we'd love to see you all there after our games! Burford House Prince Albert Street, Crewe CW1 2DF We are very pleased to announce that the Railroaders official band for 2018 is the fantastic DERAILED! We are excited to have DERAILED on board this year. DERAILED are a 4 piece rock covers group from Crewe! You can catch them on Facebook: We will of course keep you updated with all their upcoming gigs, and be sure to keep a look out for our partner events throughout 2018

8 YOUTH TEAM Since her appointment 3 months ago as General Manager. Jasmine Amies-King has been busy building the foundations for the Youth Team, with the help of Head Coach Mark Hamer, Coach Robert Highfield and the CRAFC Committee. Here she updates us on how things are going so far. B Y J A S M I N E A M I E S - K I N G G E N E R A L M A N A G E R - Y O U T H It has been a busy 3 months, but I am very pleased with the progress we have made so far. We now have a regular training slot on Sundays (11-1) before the Senior Team session. This has been great for the youth to focus on their training and has also allowed some of the senior player/coaches to jump on board and help with the coaching of the youth team. Our recruitment drive is still ongoing and will continue. We have had some successful meetings with schools and colleges and local businesses in the Cheshire Area. Head Coach Hamer alongside Coach Highfield and Coach Valentine held a classroom session at Sandbach School. This was initially meant to be a practical outdoor session, but was around the time of the inclement weather, so was moved indoors. The session went well and we had some great feedback. We are hoping to revisit Sandbach to do some practical sessions soon as well as many other schools and colleges in the area. We are also in the process of planning some fundraising activities over the next few months, as we look towards raising funds for the Youth Team to be able to complete next season and to raise money for our club charity, Mind. We hope you will get involved with this and help us raise as much money as possible. We are always looking for volunteers for the Youth Team, as we continue to grow we will need more and more volunteers to help, so if you are interested please get in touch with me on jasminerailroader@gmail.com Also, please check out and like our Facebook Page Crewe Railroaders Youth

9 GAME DAY RITUALS THE ROD THAT STIRS THE POT B Y S A M P A R K I N S O N Football is a sport that combines brut force with chess like thinking and raw emotions to stir the pot. Players get to the first two examples by training hard, studying game film, reading play books, going to the gym, the list goes on and on and only gets longer. Rituals are their was to gain raw emotion to combine all the above work to drive them to make that big play that takes a players game to the next level. A ritual, by definition, is a religious ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. However in football it doesn t have to be religion or prayer that brings your mind closer to the game. For some players it is exactly that, for others it could be as simple as their favourite Fight Song they listen to on game day. Teams have their own chants, and I'm sure that everyone has seen the NFL YouTube videos of players scripted chants. They are rituals. A coach has his game day speech. Some players even wear a certain item of clothing, or have icons that they believe give them that extra boost and motivation to get their Game Head on. Players use these as catalysts to fire the motivations inside them to play at their top level. See how many rituals you can spot. A player kneeling in prayer or his own thoughts, to another with head phones on playing his Pre-Game playlist. You may even spot a player with tape around his wrists with his favourite quote, bible passage or even his child s name written on them. Or even one eating skittles. Sometimes we see these as quite humorous or strange actions, however, these actions are important to them and ensure that they are on top of the game to play this sport that we all know, love and enjoy to partake in and watch from the sidelines on Sundays. I prepare so no one can take what is mine, no one can replace my mind, my heart Ray Lewis Baltimore Ravens Football then, by definition, is our Sunday Ritual.

10 THE AWAY TEAM Credit ThreeFiveThree Photography BAFA National League NFC Division Two South Birmingham Bulls 43 Knottingley Raiders 0 Sunday 15th April 2018 at Holly Lane Sports & Social Club The Birmingham Bulls kicked off their 2018 campaign with a resounding 43-0 win over Yorkshire based Knottingley Raiders at Holly Lane on Sunday afternoon. Following the disappointment of relegation from Division One at the end of last season the Bulls lost a number of experienced players but were determined their re-built roster would make a positive start to the new season. And so it proved as Andy Gibson took the opening kick-off back to midfield and Richard Wilde led the team downfield to take an early 6-0 lead on a short hook-up from the veteran QB to club captain Tom Farnell. Special teams won the ball straight back from the resulting kick-off as Matt Teall stripped the ball loose and pounced on the pigskin to set up a short run from QB Wilde and the extra point saw the Bulls 13-0 ahead. Knottingley were forced to punt on their next drive and Andy Gibson was again hot footing it across the Holly Lane turf returning the kick all the way to the end zone for a 19-0 lead. The Raiders were stunned and struggling to move the ball to keep the Bulls off the field and their troubles continued when Ross Martin picked off a wayward pass and returned it deep into Raiders territory, setting up Alex Dore for his first TD as a Bull to open up the 2nd quarter. Two further scores in the 3rd quarter, a short run from Dore and a fumble recovery in the end zone by rookie Offensive Lineman Dominic Woods after a Cotterell fumble, sealed the win for sure before Wilde bagged another short rushing TD to complete the 43-0 scoreline as the rain fell to mark the start of the summer sport season. And so it proved as Andy Gibson took the opening kick-off back to midfield and Richard Wilde led the The Bulls will be pleased with their opening to Division Two football although the scoreline could have been higher had Colin Divers interception return not been chalked off for a penalty and had their offensive momentum not stalled in the 4th quarter rain. However, the positive start gives a great platform to build on with the return of QB Alex Back into the fold as well as their five international players missing from week 1 as the Bulls head to Crewe for their first road trip of 2018.

11 R O S T E R 2 2 / 0 4 / RAILROADERS ROSTER R O S T E R R A I L R O A D E R S V S B I R M I N G H A M B U L L S COMING NEXT TIME... - A L O O K A T O U R N E W C O A C H I N G S T A F F - G E T T O K N O W O U R R O O K I E S