The UK Division One Champion Gateshead Senators have been invited to visit the USA by a top American amateur team, Virginia Ravens, who play in the Mason Dixon Football League.

The Ravens are keen to meet and of course play against their UK opposite number, the Senators, but to make this a reality, the Geordie team will need a little help from their friends in the way of sponsorship for the trip.

The Ravens are providing hospitality and trips to Washington DC, but the cost of travel has to be found. The Senators players face the expense of defending their championship, and the proposed date for the trip is late August or early September, depending on Gateshead's UK season.

Prospective sponsors can contact the Senators' Chairman Gary Marshall on 01661 843179, by email at gmblade@aol.com. The Ravens have a site at http://members.aol.com/varavfb/index.html

19 March 2000
Touchback!

Gateshead Senators 29 - 18 East Kilbride Pirates

Gateshead Senators, the North East's champion American football team, started the new season at Gateshead Stadium on Sunday (9 April) with a victory over Scots powerhouse East Kilbride Pirates, the first step on the long road to keeping their title.

The Lee Fraser / John Hartley duo were the stars of the day, with Fraser passing to Hartley for four touchdowns, the longest of which was 79 yards.

John Hartley catches TD #1

John Hartley catches TD #2

Dave Wilson stops Willie Brown

John Hartley catches TD #3

John Hartley catches TD #4

Senators' defense strong as ever

Post game hospitality was once more at 'The Schooner' near the stadium. Gateshead MVPs were:

Chester Romans 7 Gateshead Senators 41

John is Player of the Week An innovation for the Millennium Season by the BAFA Senior League is to nominate a Player of the Week. Gateshead Senators' John Hartley with 4 touchdown catches against East Kilbride on the Senators' opening game at Gateshead Stadium was awarded the first of these awards for his performance in that game.

But the disparity was evident from the start as Gateshead dominated the first half. Mark Lindsey intercepted Romans' QB Scott Irwin and the Senators soon capitalised with league leading rusher Duncan French advancing the ball on a 45 yard run, and finishing the drive himself with a further 11 yard scoring run.. Gary Marshall's kick was good.

John Hartley leaps for the TD catch.

The Senators struck again early in the second period when Lee Fraser ran in a "keeper" Score from 5 yards out. The Senators went for the two point conversion but were stopped by a determined Romans defense. Jason Wilcock returned Marshall's kick off all he way to midfield to give the Romans some hope, but the drive was stopped and Chester had to punt.

Iain Mullins with the ball in the End Zone.

After the break, Chester came out fired up, and took advantage of a more relaxed Senators defense when, with a spark of the talent that had earned them promotion, Irwin completed to Paul Michlovsky for a 71 yard scoring pass, the longest of the game. Gary Fuller's kick for the Romans was good, bringing the score to 7-33. Chester's determination continued to show with a superb four down stand inside the ten to deny the Senators, but the Romans offense had to punt as the reawakened Senators realised they still had to fight for their win both sides of the ball. Gateshead sprung Duncan French free again for a 48 yard run to the end zone, only for the play to nullified by and inadvertent whistle. The replayed down was not as successful!

Duncan French racks up 339 yards on 26 carries.

Duncan French carried 26 times for 339 yards and 3 TDs, Iain Mullins had 5 catches for 95 yards and 1 TD, Lee Fraser was 8 of 18 for 122 yards and 2 TDs. In a transformation Adam Sandler would be proud of, last year's waterboy, rookie Peter March returned 4 punts for 63 yards.

Senators MVPs were:

Gateshead Senators 41 Yorkshire Rams 0

Duncan is Player of the Week For the second time this season, the League have chosen a Senators' player as offensive Player of the Week. Duncan French, who ran for 432 yards on the day, follows in the footsteps of receiver John Hartley. Well done, Duncan!

Report by Gary Marshall

On a very hot afternoon, the Senators eventually ran out comfortable winners in their home fixture against the Rams but only after a very shaky first half and another outstanding performance from Running back Duncan French. The Senators kicked off to the Rams and the home 'D' set the tone for what was to be a long hard day for the Rams Offense by making them go 3 and out. The Senators first play was an incomplete pass and the second a run for only a few yards. In what was to be the first of many misfires the 'O' was struggling and turned the ball over on downs to a fired up Rams 'D'. The Senators 'D' got the ball back again only for French with his first of 3 fumbles - (2 recovered by the Rams) to turn it back over to the Rams. This was to be the pattern for most of the first half with the Rams unable to move the ball on the ground or through the air and the Senators fumbling away possession after long gains. Senator's QB Fraser was also strangely out of synch with his receivers only completing 3 of 19 for 14 yds and 1 TD on the day. The first quarter was scoreless and the only 'O' highlight of the half was a 26 yd TD run from French after a long gain by the same player. The Senators defense were keeping the home team in the game with constant pressure on Rams QB Wayne Smith leading to 3 interceptions by DBs van Tergouw and Storey (2). The score at the half was 6-0 to the home team.

Sunderland's Steve Wooton ( 3-2, 1 fumble recovery)

The 4th Quarter saw French amass more yardage and he rounded off another long drive with his 4th TD sprinting in from 24 yds out. The 2 pt attempt was unsuccessful. On the ensuing kick off the Rams got their best field position of the day when following a 72 yd-kick return they were at the Senators 8 yd line. The home 'D' held firm with some great run stuffing hits and the Senators took over on downs. Lancastrian, Jason Kenyon, replaced Fraser at QB and embarked on his own mini 'War of the Roses'. Following a short gain from French he found fellow Lancastrian Iain Mullins with a 65 yd bomb down the sideline for a TD, his 2 pt pass fell just short. Kenyon was soon in action again when veteran D. End BJ Robson pressured Rams QB Smith into a fumble, which Robson gratefully fell on. Rookie RB Gareth Sessions hauled in Kenyon's 10 yd pass and French rounded of his personal duel with his fellow Yorkshiremen by plunging in for the 2 pt conversion. The game ended with the Senators taking over on downs in the next series and after two more shots at the endzone the time ran out.

At the Schooner pub afterwards the Rams awarded Senators center Kev Elgie with their man of the match award.

Senators MVPs were:

Gateshead Senators 15 - East Kilbride 28

Gateshead's unbeaten run finally came to an end at East Kilbride when they lost 28-15 on Sunday.

The game was dominated in the first half by strong defence by both teams.

In the first quarter both teams went 3 and out on their first two plays and this was the pattern for the rest of the quarter.

Gateshead were first to get the offence working in the second quarter, when Fraser (17-26 - 131yds) connected with Jason Kenyon (7-57yds) for a 1 yd TD, Marshall's 1 pat was good. Play then moved from end to end and Gateshead attempted a 35 yd field goal which went wide, so the half ended with Gateshead 7 - 0.

East Kilbride came back in the third when Gary McNey connected with one of his receivers to bring the score to 7-6 . The 2 pat failed The Senators hit back when Craig Million intercepted McNey and ran the ball back for a 32yd TD. Fraser passed to Kenyon for the 2 pat, to end the third quarter 15 - 6 in favour of Gateshead.

The fourth quarter belonged to East Kilbride who hit Gateshead with three TDs. QB Gary Mcney passing for two and RB Willie Brown running in for the final TD to make the score 28 - 15 to Kilbride.

4 June 2000
Touchback!

Nottingham Caesars 21 Gateshead Senators 39

While Dave Wilson #21 blocks, Craig Million tackles Scott Messom

Duncan French picks up speed after a Kenyon hand-off.

John Harrison at the end of a 44 yard TD run

Trench warfare - the Senators' defense holds the line

Senators' MVP awards were

Wimmie van Tergouw #23

Sandy Kyriacou #49

Mikey Rumney #33 hits the endzone for his 2nd quarter TD run.

Ian Storey #3 sets off upfield with his interception catch.

This was Nottingham player Dean Cawthorne's final game, and both teams paid tribute to him after the final whistle.

Senators MVPs for the game were:

The weather closed in during the second quarter with sudden squally showers, which perhaps contributed to a succession of traded punts. It was only after the two minute warning that the game livened up again with Stephen Green's long sack of Cotterell, but Birmingham saw a flaw in the Gateshead "D" and came straight back with Holness's option pass deep to Mark Cohen for a 65 yard score. Burt's kick made the half time score 21-13.

Ryan Holness stopped by John Hartley, helped by Mark Sloan and Eric Walker.

Sandy Kyriacou and Mark Sloan bring down Paul Duncan

John Hartley on a 26 yard interception return...	...followed up by his 36 yard TD catch.

Any glimmer of hope the Senators had was snuffed out when Holness returned Marshall's kick off 85 yards, uphill, all the way to the end zone. Burt converted again for the 42-19 final score.

Senators MVPs for the game were:

A combination of work and holiday commitments meant that just 22 Senators made kitted up for the game, and that number was down to 16 by the end in this hard fought battle for playoff survival.

Versatile RB John Harrison

In the event, the game often resembled mud wrestling as much as American football. In heavy rain showers the centre of the Blaydon field became churned to a grassless brown quagmire, and to make it worse, such was the even balance of the two teams, that most of the play took place in the midfield area.

Gary Marshall calls the play

In the second quarter, play at last got away from midfield when Hilversum recovered a Gateshead fumble and drove to the Senators' 5 yard line. But Mark Sloan scooped a vital fumble recovery and stopped the Dutch drive dead. A later Hilversum threat was also stopped by a fumble recovery of the wet ball by Mikey Rumney before the half.

Gateshead 'D' stop the run.

The final quarter continued in much the same vein as the as the third, until the weather cleared. Inside the two minute warning, Marshall's punt pushed Hilversum back to their own 10 yard line, But their drive from danger got nowhere when Mark Sloan again came up trumps with a fumble recovery to give Gateshead the ball just ten yards out. But Gary Marshall looking for the six points was intercepted in the end zone. Returning upfield, the Dutch defender was met by a swarm of Senators and in the melee, Gateshead recovered the ensuing fumble, again at the ten yard line. On the next play, Marshall faked, dumped the ball to Lee Fraser, playing in the backfield for the day, who used his passing skill to find Kev Ramsay at the back of the endzone. But Geordie jubilation was cut short when the catch was disallowed and on fourth down, with only seconds on the clock, Marshall set for a 27 yard field goal attempt. Snap and hold were good, and Marshall's kick was cleanly through the uprights for three points as time expired.

Senators' Dutch defender Wimmy van Tergouw, having been given a friendly mudbath by his compatriots!

Muddy Hurricanes in midfield after the game.