Gateshead Senators - Division Obe final 1999

Gateshead Senators Division 1 Champions

Gateshead Senators 7 Bristol Aztecs 2

Head Coach Gary Marshall leads the team talk at the hotel, the night before the game.

Sunday 5 September 1999 was a great day for Gateshead. The first Division championship game in the club's history led to victory! Gateshead earned the right by being Division 1 North Champions, and then beating Merseyside 43-0 in the quarter final, and Essex Spartans 33-19. Their worthy opponents were Bristol Aztecs, Division 1 Central Champions who had beaten London Blitz and Nottingham Caesars to reach the final. Both teams were determined to crown their season with the Championship and despite the soccer scoreline, this was evident right from the start in this even and nailbiting game. The tension at Leicester's Saffron Lane Stadium was heightened by a late kick off, caused by the overrun of the Division 2 final which was played first.

Iain Mullins blocks for Duncan French on his way for the game's only touchdown.

The kick off came at 4:20pm under a still fierce sun, with Senators' Gary Marshall kicking to Bristol. Jason Joslin returned to the 37 yard line, but the drive was snuffed out when Eric Walker recovered a fumble for the Senators. This seemed to set a pattern as defense set the pace on both sides. Senators' Lee Fraser was twice intercepted by Kris Mitchell, but when Sandy Kyriacou recovered a fumbled Bristol pitchout, Gateshead responded with a scoring drive, capped by Duncan French's 45 yard touchdown run. Gary Marshall's extra point kick was dead centre bring the score to 7-0. Gateshead's next possession gained good field position only for Lee Fraser to be sacked on successive plays by Colin Thomas and Denis Ranklin, bringing the first quarter to close.

Lee Fraser calls the play while Bristol wait to pounce.

Gateshead opened the second quarter by having to punt. Bristol's main rushing threat of the day, Zee M'hango, had a 34 yard endzone run called back for a penalty, and the Aztecs had to punt. The second quarter was a succession of traded possessions, each defense up to the job of holding the opposition, typical being Bristol's David Liddle interception of Senator second string QB Jason Kenyon which ended the half.

Club Secretary and assistant coach Bill Gibson receives the Division 1 North Trophy at half time for the Senators.

The third quarter continued the same theme. Time and again, the offenses of both sides had promising drives stopped by uncompromising defense. Gateshead's John Hartley repeatedly stopped Zee M'hango, and for Bristol, Kris Mitchell intercepted Lee Fraser again. The pressure was mounting on Bristol's offense to score and they repeatedly had to go for it on 4th down. Often they were successful, but the closer they drove to the endzone, the tighter the Senator's defense became, and it was always one 4th down conversion too few. Jason Kenyon was intercepted again, this time by Jay Taylor, but David Wilson replied for the Senators with a spectacular leaping interception, but the ensuing drive led to a Gary Marshall punt. Bristol drove right into the redzone. but the scoring pass was picked off at the back of the endzone by John Hartley to save the Senators' slender lead. But that lead became even more slender when Duncan French was tackled deep in Gateshead's own territory just as he was catching a pitchout. The ball bounced and rolled backwards as successive players of both sides tried to throw themselves onto it for the all important recovery. None was successful and the ball rolled out the back of the endzone to give the Aztecs a safety worth 2 points. Gateshead then had to kick the ball away to Bristol bringing the score at the end of the third quarter to 7-2.

The evening draws in and the Senator Defense is determined to protect that 5 point lead.

This narrow 5 point difference led to a 4th quarter with tension mounting by the second as the game clock at the east end of the stadium ticked time away. Bristol came close, driving to the Senators' 9 yard line, but twice Hartley stopped M'hango and twice passing plays were broken up by a Senators' "D" who had the team's hopes in their hands. But with 4:35 left to play, Gateshead had to punt, but again, Bristol had to turnover the ball on downs. But their defense again were able to give the Bristol offense another shot when the Aztecs got the ball with less than a minute and half to go. Out of time-outs, they drove into Gateshead's redzone as this game reached its heartstopping conclusion. But they ran and passed inside and timed ticked remorselessly on. With seconds to go Bristol QB Ashley Richer passed to Blair Dent but Dave Wilson brought down the Bristol receiver just two yards from the endzone and just inbounds. The clock was reading 3 seconds, 2, 1, 0! Jubilation broke out on the Gateshead side of the field, but this breathtaking final had one last shock, as it was realised there was a penalty flag down on that last play. But Bristol's final glimmer of hope was snuffed when it became apparent it was against them, and Gateshead declined, allowing the play to stand, time to run out and the coveted Division title to be theirs.

Steve Wooton (5 solos and 1 assist), for so long the heart of the Senators' defense, receives the Championship Trophy on behalf of the team.

This also makes Gateshead eligible for European competition next year along with the London Olympians.

Most Valued Player awards:

Gateshead's Duncan French, the league's leading rusher, receives the BSL Game MVP award.

The league awarded Game MVP to Gateshead's Duncan French who rushed for 133 yards on the day on 28 carries and scored the game's only offensive points.
As far as Gateshead's own awards are concerned,

Defensive MVP	John Hartley (10 tackles, 1 interception)
Offensive MVP	The offensive line
Game MVP	The entire defense.

Gary "Bear" McNaughton - the offensive line received the MVP for offense, the unsung heroes who contribute so much to any offense.

Club Chairman, Head Coach, kicker and punter Gary Marshall #13, examines the Championship he has waited so long for.

Club Chairman, Head Coach, kicker and punter Gary Marshall #13, examines the Championship medal he has waited so long for.

Two veterans of the Britball game, Steve Wooton and Gary Marshall, savour the moment together.

Running through some plays in the hotel car park on Saturday evening!

Sean Riley makes a point to the defense.

A special thank you to Classic Coaches of Annfield Plain, Co. Durham, for their help with travel to the game, and to Wayne, the driver, for whom nothing was too much trouble. The bus is the one used for Newcastle United, and your reporter & Webmaster was sitting in the Manager's seat - Bobby Robson of course!

Champions!!

1999 Final Standings

DIVISION 1 

National              Pl  Aw  Won  Lost  Tied   PF   PA   Percent
London O's             6   2   8    0      0   204    6   1.000
Birmingham Bulls       6   1   5    2      0   102   48   0.714
East Kilbride Pirates  7   1   4    4      0   74   123   0.500
Sussex Thunder         8   1   2    7      0   57   122   0.222

Central               Pl  Aw  Won  Lost  Tied   PF   PA   Percent
Bristol Aztecs         9   0   7    1      1   179   71   0.833
Southern Sun Devils    9   0   6    2      1   200   81   0.722
London Blitz           9   0   5    4      0   153   158   0.556
Dominos Oxford Saints  9   1   2    7      1   103   180   0.250
PA Knights             9   0   1    7      1    50   184   0.167

East                  Pl  Aw  Won  Lost  Tied   PF   PA   Percent
London Mets           10   0   8    2      0   165   108   0.800
Essex Spartans         8   0   5    3      0    99    59   0.625
Norwich Devils         7   0   2    5      0    66   187   0.286
Canada Life Cardinals  8   0   2    6      0    84   126   0.250

North                 Pl  Aw  Won  Lost  Tied   PF   PA   Percent
Gateshead Senators     7   2   8    1      0   177    90   0.889
Nottingham Caesers     7   2   6    3      0   150   112   0.667
Redditch Arrows        6   3   3    6      0    66   130   0.333
Merseyside Nighthawks  6   2   2    6      0    33   135   0.250
Lancashire Wolverines  1   9   0   10      0     0    42   0.000

DIVISION 2

North                 Pl  Aw  Won  Lost  Tied   PF   PA   Percent
Yorkshire Rams         8   0   7    0      1   188    86   0.938
Wolverhampton Vipers   7   0   4    1      2   164   126   0.714
Chester Romans         7   0   3    3      1   115    97   0.500
AP Surge               7   0   2    5      0   154   168   0.286
Strathclyde Sheriffs   7   0   0    7      0    77   221   0.000

South                 Pl  Aw  Won  Lost  Tied   PF   PA   Percent
Sabres                 8   0   7    1      0   220    51   0.875
Tiger Bay Warriors     6   1   6    1      0   151    64   0.857
Hertfordshire Stags    7   0   6    1      0   114    37   0.857
Maidstone Pumas        8   0   4    4      0    92    88   0.500
Plymouth Admirals      8   0   4    4      0   164   119   0.500
Kent Exiles            8   1   1    8      0    46   219   0.111
Chiltern Cheetahs      9   0   0    9      0    36   245   0.000

The 1999 Championship Roster

1	Lee Fraser	QB
3	Jason Kenyon	QB
4	Craig Lenahan	RB
5	John Hartley	WR/DB
6	Michael Thompson	LB
13	Gary Marshall	K/P/QB
15	Tom Williamson	RB
21	David Wilson	DB
22	James Waite	DL
23	Wimmie van Tergouw	DB
27	Mark Lindsey	DB
28	Duncan French	RB
30	Craig Million	LB/DB
31	Steve Briggs	LB
33	Michael Rumney	RB
34	Steve Wooton	LB
35	John Harrison	RB
37	Steve Wilson	DL
40	Tim Watton	RB
44	Roy Davis	RB/LB
47	Mark Hume	RB
49	Sandy Kyrracou	LB
50	David Wooton	DL
53	Eric Walker	DL/LB
54	Alan Ralph	OL
55	Gary McNaughton	OL
59	Mark Sloan	LB
60	John Lockhart	OL
61	Sean Riley	OL/DL
65	Paul Kane	DL
66	Terry Scott	DL
68	Graham Norris	OL
61	Kevin Elgie	C/OL
75	Andy Cooper	DL
81	Iain Mullins	WR
83	Dave Pollard	WR
86	Peter Eichhorn	DB
87	Laurent Janniaud	WR
88	Andy Mountain	WR
90	Jamie Wetherill	DL
93	Paul Snaith	LB

Coaching/Sideline Staff
Gary Marshall	Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator
Craig Buttery	Assistant Coach
Bill Gibson	Assistant Coach/Special Teams
Dave Wilson	Defensive Coordinator
Sean Riley	Defensive Coordinator
Barrie Hicks	Statistician
Peter March	Water

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