2004 Season

Fixtures & Results 2004
Press Releases & Match Reports
Season Review and Presentations

Fixtures & Results 2004

Pre Season				W/L	For	Agst

Regular Season (all home games Gateshead Stadium unless at North Shields (NS) K.O 2.30pm)
Week	Date	Opponent	Venue	W/L	For	Agst
1	04 Apr
2	11 Apr
3	18 Apr	Birmingham Bulls	H	Drawn	0	0
4	25 Apr
5	02 May	Staffordshire Surge	H (NS)	Lost	0	25
6	09 May
7	16 May
8	23 May	Staffordshire Surge	A (2pm)	Won	21	12
9	30 May
10	06 Jun	Yorkshire Rams	H	Won	48	14
11	13 Jun	Nottingham Caesars	H	Won	21	0
12	20 Jun
13	27 Jun	Chester Romans	A	Won	43	0
14	04 Jul	Nottingham Caesars	A (12noon)	Won	22	12
15	11 Jul
16	18 Jul	East Kilbride Pirates	A	Lost	0	26
17	25 Jul	Chester Romans	H	Won	42	6
18	01 Aug	Lancashire Wolverines	Withdrawn
19	08 Aug

Regular Season Standings
Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	%
9	6	2	1	72%

Post season
Date	Opponent	Venue	W/L	For	Agst
12 Sep	Bristol Aztecs	Home	Lost	14	24

Press Releases & Match Reports

Lenses trained on Senators' training

Camera lenses were turned on Gateshead Senators as their training schedule started for 2004.

Head Coach Gary Marshall said, "We have a lot of new players turning up keen to get into the game, as well as those who have played before. we have had an excellent turn out for training sessions so far with over 30 people, not counting the university contingent who were playing at the time."

They are obviously not camera shy because media students from Sunderland University are making a documentary film following some of the new guys and some of the old stagers through training and their attempts to make the team up to and including the first game against Birmingham. They will be filming at both midweek and Sun sessions. It is hoped that the film may get a TV showing.

18 Feb 2004

Touchback!

Mickey Thompson Mickey Thompson 1964-2004 It was with shock and great sadness that Gateshead Senators learn of the tragic death of Mickey Thompson in a motorcycle accident in Northumberland on Easter Monday. For many years the irrepressible #6 "Big Mik" has been an integral part of the Sunday Family, only stepping down from active playing last season. All the Sunday Family extend deepest sympathy to Mik's wife and family. "Big Mik" Tribute pages 13 April 2004

Touchback!

Sombre Senators Secure Scoreless Start

Gateshead Senators 0 Birmingham Bulls 0

Report by Gary Thompson

A subdued Senators team hosted the Birmingham Bulls for their first game of the 2004 season, but the game was as sombre as the mood, following the sudden death of Senator Mickey Thompson on Easter Monday in a motorcycle accident.

On a rain swept day in Gateshead, the week's events dominated by the loss of a member of the Sunday Family hung heavy in the hearts of the players on the sidelines. At 2.30pm, the members of the American football fraternity across the UK showed their support for a fallen comrade by holding a minute's silence in his honour. The silence in Gateshead was only disturbed by the thoughts of days gone past that showed on the players' faces in the Gateshead colours.

Midfield coin toss

Kick-off came and the Gateshead Offence took to the field with a few regular names missing and a whole new group now members of the Senator team. On the first play from scrimmage, David Nimmins handed the ball to Peter Rogers to try a half back pass down the right sideline to an open receiver in the backfield of the bulls. The prevailing wind overshot the ball and the pass was incomplete. After a couple of tempting runs up the gut by the new addition to the backfield 'Hytham Hamad' the Senators were forced to punt from their own 17 yard line.

Hamad takes the outside lane

With the Bulls starting on the 37-yard line from the shotgun, the 1st play of the 2004 season was a run straight into the heart of the defence. The play was straight into Steve Wooton who again has defied the odds and returned to play another year as a stalwart of the 'D'. The Bulls then completed a 23-yard pass over the middle to gain a first down, but Derek Parry and Ed Morgan soon clawed this yardage back through successive plays in the backfield respectively. The Bulls were forced to punt and Gateshead took over on their own 25-yard line.

Both feet inbounds, but called back

The next drive was a good mix of offence by the Senators and saw them drive to the Bulls' 11 yard line with a mix of run and pass plays. Facing a 2nd and 7 on the Bulls' 8 yard line; David Nimmins threw a scoring pass to the wide-open receiver in the end zone for the go-ahead score. This jubilation quickly turned to dejection as a holding call brought the play back. Two plays later, the Senators were forced to punt back to the Bulls as the drive came to an end. The Bulls quickly went 3 and out and the quarter ended scoreless.

With the Senators unable to move the ball against the tough Birmingham defence headed up by Matt Barrett, the ball was back in the Birmingham hands on their own 35-yard line. After a couple of good receptions across the middle, the Bulls were looking at a 1st and ten going in from the Senator 14 yard line. However, a mix up on the Bulls 'O' line saw the ball snapped to an unsuspecting quarterback who saw the ball roll past him. After a scramble for the ball, Paul Anderson for the Senators on the 31 yard line recovered the ball. Both teams then traded punts until half-time where the score was still 0-0 as the whistle blew.

Senators 'D' stops the Bulls

With strong team talks from both sides at half-time, the third quarter started with the Bulls taking the ball on the 20-yard line. However after some outstanding defensive plays and an intentional grounding call on the Birmingham QB, the Bulls were forced to punt from deep in their own territory. On the second play from scrimmage for David Nimmins a lofted ball was picked of by Birmingham to end the drive for the Senators. Both teams trade punts for most of the third quarter unable to move the ball more than a couple of downs before being forced to punt.

Officials keep their arms down as the Bulls are just short.

With the 4th quarter starting the same as the other three, it took a broken tackle in the Bulls backfield to spring a run to give the Bulls some momentum as the game clock ticked down. Facing a 3rd and 8 from their own 35-yard line, a perfect pass saw the receiver break free and make it to the Gateshead 8 yard line before being tackled from behind. With 3 minutes 50 remaining in the game, Birmingham edged forward and as the two minute warning sounded had a 3rd and goal from the 1 yard line. Unable to make it on the third attempt, Birmingham went for it on 4th down. At first it looked as if they had made it but the referees saw otherwise and gave Gateshead the ball and a first down with 1 min 30 remaining. Gateshead protected the ball and ran out the clock to tie the game up as the final whistle blew.

It was not only an occasion for two good sporting teams to face off, but also an occasion for Mickey Thompson to be proud of his Team. 'Big Mik' would have been proud of the Senators, he would have been proud of his 'Sunday Family'

18 April 2004
Touchback!

Homepage

Staffs surge past Senators

Gateshead Senators 0 Staffordshire Surge 25

Report by Gary Thompson

The game kicked off at 2:30 p.m. with Staffordshire receiving the ball deep in their end zone and running the ball out to the nineteen. Staffs quarterback Richard Large then managed a well-controlled drive through the air and ground to drive the ball deep into Senator territory. Facing a second and eight from the Senator 15, a lofted pass was gratefully brought down by Stuart Beech. Leading 6-0, the Surge went for the extra point and saw the kick blocked by Paul Anderson who broke through the line.


Tom Henniker denied the catch...	...but not this time

Senators took the ball for the first time in the game and on second down saw the ball intercepted by the Surge on the Gateshead 34 yard line. Good running by Andrew Calvert of Staffordshire saw the Senators facing a goal line stand within 4 plays. Two plays later, Ziad Choueiri broke the plane to increase the lead to 12-0 as the first quarter closed. With a failed conversion the quarter closed with Gateshead holding the ball and down by two scores. A long return by Ed Morgan set up a good drive on the ground led by David Nimmins at the helm. A couple of good runs by Mike Rumney and John Harrison saw the drive stall at the Staffordshire 13 yard line. The rest of the second quarter was noted by fumbles by the Senators and the defence stepping up to hold the Surge. The half-time came with the Senators down by two scores and looking for a quick score.


John Harrison pounds out the yardage	Tom Henniker receives for the yardage

With Gateshead taking the ball on their own nine-yard line, David Nimmins led the team down field mixing up the ground game with short passes. After driving for over 7 minutes of the third quarter, Gateshead came up short when a field goal attempt by Pete Rogers went inches wide. Taking the field deep in their own end, Staffordshire tried to move the ball down field to increase the lead but were pegged back and forced to punt. Gateshead took the ball in good field position only to see it be fumbled away again in the Senator backfield. The third quarter closed with Staffordshire driving from the 16 yard line looking for another score, a broken play by the Gateshead 'D' saw an open Staffordshire receiver take a 44 yard reception deep into Senator territory. Two quick runs later and Ziad had another score to his tally to increase the Staffordshire lead to 18-0.


The 'D' stop Ziad Choueiri - this time.	Richie Cowell has the pick knocked away - by Ed Morgan

Another blocked kick and a change at QB saw Gateshead tried to save something from the game. However, this came to nothing and as time expired on the clock Gateshead gave the ball back to the Surge after failing a fourth down attempt. Three plays later and Large hit a leaping Ziad in the corner of the end zone to increase the lead again. With a good extra point this time the game ended with Staffordshire 25 points to the good over Gateshead.

Gateshead now has to regroup for the next game away to Staffs in three weeks.

Scoring Summary

	1st Qtr.	2nd Qtr.	3rd Qtr.	4th Qtr.	Final
Gateshead	0	0	0	0	0
Staffordshire	12	0	0	13	25

Touchback!

Senators' first win

Staffordshire Surge 12 Gateshead Senators 21

The Senators have avenged their defeat by Surge two weeks ago with a decisive win on the road.

Mid field clash

After a long journey down to the Midlands, Gateshead Senators took to the field in their new away strip. The ball was kicked away to the Surge who then proceeded to drive down field with good passes from Richard Large and strong ground game. Putting together an 11-play drive, the Surge were facing 1st and goal from the two with the Senators backed up. The Senator 'D', spurred on by the return of Mark Sloan to the fray, stood firm and forced the Surge to go for it on 4th down. A great hit by Linebacker Steve Wooton on the goal line saw Staffordshire come away with nothing. With David Nimmins leading the offence, Gateshead ran the ball at the heart of the Surge with good gains from John Harrison. From the Senator 38 yard line, Hytham Hamad burst through the line and sprinted 62 yards for the go ahead touchdown and the first Senator points of the season. A reception by Peter Rogers in the corner of the end zone gave the Senators an extra 2 points. On the next drive, the fired up defence increased the pressure on the Surge and got just rewards as Adam Mennim sacked the QB for a 10-yard loss. Facing a 4th and 34 from their own 10 yard line, Staffordshire punted the ball away back to a waiting Ed Morgan. With good blocking downfield, Ed returned the ball 34 yards to the Surge 26 yard line. With end of the first quarter, the score was Gateshead 8, Staffordshire 0

The second quarter started out with an interception for the Staffordshire defence as David Nimmins went to the air trying to hit Duncan French. The second quarter became a stalemate though both teams moved the ball well, could not do enough to score. The score at halftime was Gateshead 8, Staffordshire 0.

John Harrison, ground gainer

In the third quarter, Gateshead took the ball after a good return by Ed Morgan and drove down field. Facing 4th and 1 on the 31-yard line, Gateshead came up just shy of the mark and gave the ball back to the Surge. This time, the 'D' forced the Surge to go three plays and out and punted the ball back to the Senators. A good return by Ed and a penalty on the Surge saw Gateshead starting the drive from the Surge 41 yard line. A quick pass to Matt Barton and a good run by Hytham saw Gateshead gain 31 yards in two plays. Facing a 1st and Goal, Hytham increased his touchdown tally to two by running straight up the middle. With a missed extra point, the score midway through the 3rd quarter was Gateshead 14, Staffordshire 0. On the next play from scrimmage, Richard Large, the QB for Staffordshire went to the air. The pass was picked off by Dave Wilson who returned it 17 yards to the Surge 20 yard line to give the Senators another chance of scoring. Gateshead squandered the opportunity when the ball was fumbled away by Duncan French on the 1-yard line. The Surge tried to generate some momentum as the third quarter came to a close but this was quickly snuffed out when Ed Morgan picked off another pass and returned it 22yards for the score. With a good extra point by Peter Rogers, the lead was now three scores as the quarter ended.

The fourth quarter started badly for the Senators, after forcing the Surge to punt, another fumble by the offence gave the Surge great field position on the Gateshead 5 yard line. After trying to get in on three attempts, the Senator 'D' finally succumbed when Richard Large put his head down and ran the sneak in to get the Surge 6 valuable points. Gateshead then gave the ball back to Surge on the very next play when a David Nimmins pass was picked off on the 44-yard line. Nine plays later and Richard Large connected with rookie Oliver Smith for a touchdown and to narrow the Senator lead to 9 points. The next drive was halted by a now fired up Surge when another fumble was recovered in the backfield. Staffordshire drove downfield but were thwarted by the Senator Defence on the 17-yard line. Trying to reduce the score, Staffordshire missed the field goal to give Gateshead the ball as the two-minute warning came. Gateshead then ran down the clock as time expired to seal their first victory for the season.

Touchback!

Senators Ram home message

Gateshead Senators 48 Yorkshire Rams 14

Report by Gary Thompson

Senators catch spectators young

After a minute's silence in which both sides paid tribute to heroes from the D-Day landings, Gateshead took the ball from a Yorkshire kick to start the game. Looking to maintain the momentum, which saw them defeat Staffordshire, Gateshead went to the ground. A good mix of running from Andrew Goodhead and passing from David Nimmins saw the Senators quickly gain ground and move to the Rams 15 yard line. Going for it on 4th and 6 at the Rams 15 yard line, John Harrison came up just shy and turned the ball over to Yorkshire. Yorkshire then started their first drive deep in their own red zone and used the ground game to good effect to get to the halfway line. Facing a third and 5 from the midway marker, Yorkshire came up short and was forced to punt back to the Senators. The first quarter ended with the game scoreless with the Senators in possession at the 41-yard line.


Duncan French #28 breaks the plane	Pete Rogers catches for 2 pts

Gateshead 'D' stop the Rams

With David Nimmins at the helm, Gateshead gained 24 yards through a screen pass to Hytham Hamad to set up a 1st and ten at the Rams 11 yard line. Two plays later Duncan French caught a swing pass and skipped his way through four tackles to break the goal line to put the first points on the board. Peter Rogers then increased the lead making a perfect catch in the endzone from David Nimmins to make the score 8-0 midway through the second quarter. From the ensuing kickoff, Gateshead 'D' stepped up and forced the Rams to go three and out.

Pete Rogers goes into the End Zone

After a good return by Ed Morgan, David Nimmins hit pass after pass to a wide-open Richard Holme to move the ball to the 2-yard line. Running a short pass play, David Nimmins hit an open Peter Rogers for another score to increase the lead to 14-0. On the point after, a bobbled snap saw Peter Rogers pick up the ball and sprint around the outside of the pursuing Rams defence to get the much needed 2 points.

Yorkshire took the ball in the second half and the fired up team talk must have hit a nerve as Yorkshire started to move the ball well against the Gateshead 'D'. With some strong running up the field, the Rams started to wear down Gateshead with the punishing ground game. Facing a 3rd and 1 at the Senator 34 yard line, Richard Lowthion, the Rams QB, went to the air. A perfect pass over the middle saw Jody Forder make the reception at the 10-yard line and sprint into the endzone to claw 6 points back. With a failed 2-point conversion, the score was now Gateshead 16, Yorkshire 6.


Derek Parry #38 - and more - stop the Rams runner.	Wimmie van Tergouw returns an interception

Gateshead now had to dig deep and put a sustained drive together to take the momentum away from the Rams. An excellent 46-yard return by Ed Morgan saw Gateshead pick up the drive at the Rams 34 yard line. Good running by Duncan French saw the Senators move into a scoring opportunity in 6 plays. 1 play later, Peter Rogers caught another touchdown deep in the endzone to increase his tally for two on the day and increase the scoreline to 22-6. With 2 point reception to Tom Henniker, the third quarter ended with the score Gateshead 24, Yorkshire 6.


Pete Rogers with the ball in the Endzone - again.	Tom Henniker catches for 2 more

Not deterred by this quick response by the Senators, Yorkshire put a strong drive together which culminated in a 7yard TD run by Justin Lester early in the fourth quarter. Justin then added the two points by running in the conversion himself to make the score 24 -14 with 13 minutes remaining in the game. From the kickoff and another good return by standout Ed Morgan, Duncan French who had promised so much in the third quarter burst through the line and following excellent blocking downfield by the 'O' line ran 57 yards for another touchdown. With a failed conversion attempt, the score was now Gateshead 30, Yorkshire 14.

David Nimmins #17 in charge

Trying to get the offence going, Richard Lowthion who had been hounded all day by the Senator 'D' had a pass hit on the line of scrimmage. Mark Sloan playing in only his second game after coming out of retirement picked off the wayward pass. Mark then proceeded to return the ball for 20 yards before he was tackled. With the team firing on all cylinders, David Nimmins went to the air on the first play and picked out Richard 'Jesus' Green for an outstanding touchdown reception. Again the conversion failed and with 9 minutes of the game remaining, Gateshead were up by 3 scores.

Hytham Hamad ran 24 yards untouched into the endzone

Yorkshire then returned to the ground game but with time running out was forced back to the air. After failing a fourth and ten at their own 40 yard line, Gateshead took the ball and powered the ball downfield on the back of Mark Hume. Two plays later a bone crushing block by Mark Hume sprung Hytham Hamad who ran 24 yards untouched into the endzone to increase the score to 42 - 14 with less than 4 minutes remaining. After two forced fumbles in the dying minutes from both sides and an interception by Ed Morgan, Gateshead were sitting at the Rams' three yard line with 29 seconds in the game remaining. John Harrison then burst through a huge hole in the line to increase the lead again for Gateshead to 48 - 14. With another failed conversion, time expired with Yorkshire trying to move the ball quickly downfield. The final score was Gateshead Senators 48, Yorkshire Rams 14.

Scoring Summary

Quarter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gateshead	0	16	8	24	48
Yorkshire	0	0	6	8	14

Qtr 2 8yd pass from David Nimmins to Duncan French, Peter Rogers 2 point reception
Qtr 2 2yd pass from David Nimmins to Peter Rogers, Peter Rogers 2 point run
Qtr 3 34yd pass from Richard Lowthion to Jody Forder, no conversion
Qtr 3 4yd pass from David Nimmins to Peter Rogers, Tom Henniker 2 point reception
Qtr 4 7yd run by Justin Lester, Justin Lester 2 point run
Qtr 4 57yd run by Duncan French, no conversion
Qtr 4 23yd pass from David Nimmins to Richard Green, no conversion
Qtr 4 24yd run by Hytham Hamad, no conversion
Qtr 4 3yd run by John Harrison, no conversion

MVP Awards

Game	Pete Rogers
Offense	The 'O' Line
Defense	Ed Morgan

Touchback!

Senators shutout Caesars

Gateshead Senators 21 Nottingham Caesars 0

Report by Gary Thompson

In a hard fought game between old rivals, The Senators' D achieved their second shutout this year and the offense point 21 points on the board to give the Senators an important win.

Duncan French sells the D a dummy

Two teams with great respect for each other came face to face on the field of play this Sunday to repeat one of the best games from last season. Nottingham coming off a loss to the East Kilbride Pirates travelled north to face their foes of old. Both sides needed the win to maintain their position within the division. The game kicked off on the stroke of 2.30 with Nottingham taking the ball after a booming kick by Peter Rogers for the touchback. Nottingham immediately went to the air on the back of Gary Stainton's arm, but good defensive play by the Senator secondary downfield forced the incompletion. After running on second down and gaining only a yard, Gary again went to the air and hit his receiver this time for a short pass but falling short of the first down. Nottingham punted into the wind, Ed Morgan took the awkward kick and returned it for 15 yards to give the Senators the first chance at putting points on the board. The offence then went to work on the ground game using Mike Rumney and Duncan French on consecutive plays to test the heart of the Caesar D. Facing a 3rd and 8 from the 'C' 42 yard line, an incomplete pass from David Nimmins stalled the drive. The ensuing punt by Peter Rogers put Nottingham at their own 16 yard line midway through the first quarter. Paul 'Uncle' Anderson brought the next drive by Nottingham to a sudden halt when facing a third and ten at their own 40-yard line, he sacked Stainton for a loss. On the punt return, Ed Morgan returned the ball the length of the field from the 16-yard line to the endzone only to see it cancelled out by a penalty on the return.

Duncan French #28 races in for the long score

Gateshead then started from their own 6-yard line as time was running out in the first quarter; a good pass by David Nimmins to Richard Green kept the drive alive. With a penalty against Gateshead, the offence was facing a 2nd and 20 from the 7 yard line. Following up from last week's impressive display, Duncan French burst through several tackles and ran for 83 yards to score the first touchdown of the game. The Gateshead 'D' then stepped up to the mark and forced the Caesars to go 3 and out and punt the ball back to Gateshead as the quarter ended

Peter Rogers crosses the line

Both teams traded punts and halfway through the second quarter Nottingham was facing a 4th and 19 at their own 25 yard line. A bad snap by Nottingham gave Dave Wilson time to get through and bring down the punter. Going in from the 20 Yard line, the Senators took 5 plays to increase the lead when Peter Rogers caught a pinpoint pass from David Nimmins to make the score Gateshead 14, Nottingham 0. Gateshead then forced Nottingham to go three and out and took the ball as the clock wound down. Trying a long-range field goal to increase the lead, Peter Rogers' kick was blocked and Nottingham took over with less than a minute on the clock. After an outstanding play by Derek Parry on first down, consecutive plays by Mark Lindsey and Wimmie van Tergouw forced a fourth down situation for the Caesars. Derek Parry again then forced the play and sacked Gary Stainton for a loss to give the Senators the ball with less than 30 seconds on the clock. The half finished with Gateshead up by two scores and receiving the kick-off in the second half.

Gateshead D swarm round the Notts runner

The third quarter was a defensive stalemate, 2 interceptions by Nottingham and a forced fumble by Steve Wooton and Jonathan Rooney held both sides scoreless through the first fifteen minutes of the second half. With the end of the quarter in sight, Gateshead took the ball from a failed 4th down attempt by Nottingham at their own 30-yard line. On the back of some good running by both Duncan French and Andrew Goodhead respectively, Gateshead moved to the Senator 41 yard line as the quarter closed.

Richard Green catches under pressure.

After a quick run up the middle, David Nimmins went to the air and found Richard Green open between the Nottingham secondary. Green then held off the tackles to sprint in for a 54-yard touchdown reception. With a good extra point kick by Peter Rogers, the score with 11 minutes remaining in the game was Gateshead 21, Nottingham 0. Both teams again then traded punts and as time expired Nottingham changed quarterbacks to try and achieve some momentum. With Albert Thompson under centre, Nottingham powered the ball up the middle for a quick gain. On his next play he hit Bernie Hackshaw on a screen pass for the best Caesar gain of the day. Time expired with Nottingham on their own 42-yard line and suffering a shutout for two weeks in a row.

Scoring Summary

Quarter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gateshead	8	6	0	7	21
Nottingham	0	0	0	0	0

MVP Awards

Game
Offense
Defense

Senators Rout Romans

Chester Romans 0 Gateshead Senators 43

Gateshead Senators dominated Chester Romans with a 43-0 shutout, the Defense's third shutout of the season.

With 28 unanswered points at the half, the Senators continued with scores in both remaining quarters.

Pete Rogers

After a 5 hour journey on the bus down to the Welsh border, Gateshead faced the Chester Romans who weeks before had come back to beat Staffordshire. The late win against the Surge was the first win of the season for the Romans. The Senators won the toss and elected to kick off to Chester, Peter Rogers stepped up and like so many times this season kicked the ball into the back of the endzone for a touchback. Gateshead's defence stopped the first two plays by Chester forcing the running back backwards in both plays for a loss of yardage. On 3 and 13 from their own 17-yard line, James Keogh, the Chester QB, went to the air. Closing quickly on the pass, the Senator secondary forced the incompletion and the Romans were forced to punt. In difficult conditions, the punt went out of bounds at the Romans' 39 yard line.

David Nimmins

Going straight to the ground, Mike Rumney powered up the middle for a short gain and gave the Senators a second down on the Romans 36. Duncan French coming off a good game against Nottingham burst through the line and sprinted in untouched for the go ahead score. With a two point conversion reception from Peter Rogers, the score was 8-0 early in the first quarter. Another kick off for a touchback saw Chester starting the second drive of the day at their own 20-yard line. After another couple of runs by Leon Cordingley, Chester was again forced to punt from deep in their own territory. After a short punt affected by the weather, Gateshead took over on the 23-yard line going in. David Nimmins who has been outstanding of late went straight to the air and hit a wide-open Richard Green for a 23-yard touchdown reception. Gateshead held the ball for less than two minutes, ran three offensive plays and put two touchdowns on the board. With a failed conversion, Gateshead had quickly jumped out to a two score lead. Chester then took the ball and tried to generate some offense but after gaining a few yards on the ground was pegged back by penalties and a fired up Gateshead Defense. With a good return by Ed Morgan, the Senators took to the field on the 25-yard line going out. Using the good running of Hytham Hamad, Gateshead drove the ball on successive first downs and deep into Chester territory. After a couple of plays and a holding call, Gateshead was faced with a 4th and goal in the Chester red zone. Peter Rogers stepped up to attempt the 35-yard field goal but saw his kick sail wide left due to the prevailing wind. The first quarter ended with the Senators up by two scores.

The 'O' line

Chester tried again to use the ground game but to no effect on the next drive and facing a 3rd and 11, QB Keogh went to the air and hit his receiver on a crossing pattern. Trying to go for another first down, the Romans came up short on a 3rd and 2 when Ed Morgan tackled the ball carrier for a 5-yard loss and forced the punt. Gateshead took the ball from the punt and on the first play from scrimmage, David Nimmins handed the ball off to Duncan French in the backfield. On the back of excellent blocking by the offensive line, Duncan sprinted 50 yards to the Chester 20 yard line. After a quick pass to Richard Green, David Nimmins pulled one out of the bag and sprinted in untouched for the touchdown to increase the lead to 20-0. With a good extra point by Peter Rogers, the score midway through the second quarter was Gateshead 21, Chester 0. Chester, looking for inspiration, went to the air on their next series and forced the ball over the middle only to see the pass intercepted by Richard Nice who ran the ball back for 12 yards. Gateshead who alternated the backs throughout the game then went to the ground on the back of Hytham Hamad. After running for 21 yards on his first attempt, he then ran the remaining 12 yards for the touchdown to increase the lead again by another 6. With another good PAT by the boot of Rogers, the lead as the half closed was Gateshead 28, Chester 0.

Richard Cowell

The second half kicked off with the Senators receiving the ball. Putting together a solid drive, Gateshead moved the ball into Chester territory before coming up short on a 3rd and 17. Forced to punt for the first time, a line drive kick by the Senators went out on the Romans 33 yard line. Going to the air for the first play from scrimmage in the second half, QB James Keogh had his pass picked off by Ed Morgan who then returned the ball 42 yards for the touchdown. With another good extra point by Peter Rogers, the score was 35-0 in the Senators' favour. On the next drive, Chester went back to the ground, but a penalty flag ruled out the yardage gained by the Roman backfield. Facing a 2nd and 18, Rich Cowell raced in from his position in the secondary to sack Keogh for an 8-yard loss. With an incompletion on the next play, the Romans were again forced to punt. Gateshead started the drive and controlled the ball moving it out to their own 36-yard line. Three successive penalties on the Romans' defense on three successive plays then saw the ball moved to the Romans' 12 yard line. Gateshead however could not profit from this position and good defensive play from Chester forced the incompletion on a 4th down. The quarter ended with Chester driving deep out of their own red zone and down by 5 scores.

Duncan French

Using a good mix of the ground game and passing, the Romans finally made the break into Senator territory for the first time in the game. After getting to Gateshead's 32-yard line two outstanding defensive plays forced the Romans to go the air on 3rd and ten. The pass was picked off by Mark Lindsey and returned for 10 yards to the Senator 36. Two plays later the ball was given back to the Romans when a fumbled ball in the backfield was gratefully pounced on by Chester. A quick pass over the middle saw the ball sitting on the 27-yard line of the Senators going in. Excellent plays by Richard Marshall, Adam Mennim and Paul 'Uncle' Anderson on defense saw the Romans stopped in their tracks on the next three plays. Going for broke on a 4th and 11, Richard Nice killed the play dead when he sacked Keogh in the backfield for an 8-yard loss. Gateshead then mixed the plays up by putting Peter Rogers in at QB who moved the ball well over a couple of plays. Facing a 4th and 10, a fake punt call allowed Peter to hit the wide-open receiver Christopher Mayne for a 12-yard gain to get the first down. Two plays later, Duncan French burst the 'D' again and raced in from 28 yards to increase the lead further. With David Nimmins back in behind Center, a pin point pass to Rogers for two points sealed the scoring for the day and capped off an excellent all round performance by the Gateshead Senators.

Scoring Summary

Quarter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gateshead	14	14	7	8	43
Chester	0	0	0	0	0

MVP Awards

Game	Duncan French
Offense	The 'O' Line
Defense	Rich Marshall

Touchback!

Senators See-Saw Caesars

Nottingham Caesars 12 Gateshead Senators 22

by Gary Thompson

In a see-saw game that saw scores in every quarter, with Gateshead leading in the first, Caesars catching up in the second, Gateshead going ahead again in the third and clinching it in the fourth, the Senators increase their winning streak to five consecutive games.

David Nimmins looks for his open receivers in the first quarter.
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

With an early kick-off, the Senators were on the road at 6 a.m. to Nottingham with the season end closing in fast. Gateshead had won 4 straight victories since losing back in the second week of the season while Nottingham were still smarting from losing to the Senators three weeks earlier. The game kicked off at midday and Nottingham were handed the ball. Starting at their own twenty after another Peter Rogers trademark touchback kick, the Caesars went straight to the ground and lost three yards on the first play. With Albert Thompson filling in at QB, the next hand-off was fumbled and recovered on the seventeen-yard line by an alert Jonathan Rooney for the Senators. Gateshead however could not make the 'C' pay for the early mistake and came up short on a 4th and 6. Nottingham started their second drive where they left off but were met with a fired up defence and were forced to punt from their own 14 yard line. With a shanked punt, the ball went out of bounds on the Nottingham 25-yard line. Mixing up the plays, David Nimmins again controlled the game behind the outstanding 'O' line. On the back of good running from Duncan French, Gateshead took the lead with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter when French went in from 6 yards out. With a failed conversion, the score midway through the first quarter was Gateshead 6, Nottingham 0. Nottingham then took the ball again at their own 20 and started to move the ball well down field on the back of running by Scott Messom and Guy Kersey. The 1st quarter closed with Nottingham holding the ball on the Senator 17 yard line.

Albert Thompson hands off the ball on the way to Nottingham's first points
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Falling short on a 3rd down, the 'C' went for the field goal to narrow the gap but Paul Anderson blocked the kick. Gateshead on the next drive moved the ball out to the 31 yard line before a fumbled snap allowed Nottingham to recover the ball. From here, the 'C' moved the ball through the air and on the ground using the power running of Bernie Hackshaw. Bernie capped off the drive as he went in from 5 yards to tie up the game. With a blocked extra point the score was level early in the second quarter.

Both teams then traded punts along with an interception by Senator new boy Richard Nice for the second game in a row. The half-time whistle blew with the honours even from the first half of the game.

Steve Wooton tracks Albert Thompson in the backfield before stepping up to make the play
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Gateshead took the ball in the second half and held the ball 7 minutes before Peter Rogers stepped up and put a 35 yard field goal squarely through the uprights. Nottingham again took the ball from the twenty on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, however the Senator 'D' were really fired up. After making adjustments under the guidance of 'D' coach Mark Sloan, Steve Wooton followed by Jonathan Rooney made outstanding plays to force the 'C' into a punting situation. From the ensuing punt, good running by French moved the ball close to the goal line looking for his second touchdown of the day. Running a short pattern, Peter Rogers came free in the back of the end zone and was hit by David Nimmins for 6 points. Failing on the conversion the score with 2 minutes left in the third was Gateshead 15, Nottingham 6.

Albert Thompson tries the option with Scott Messom on his outside
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

The next drive by Nottingham was again another three and out as excellent individual plays by Dave Wilson and Richard Nice forced another punt. The third quarter ended with Gateshead pulling away and beginning another drive. Two plays later, Gateshead were looking to get into the Nottingham red zone when going for it on a 4th and 3 from the 'C' 22 yard line, they came up 1 yard shy. Looking to spur the offence into action, Thompson tried the option several times but to no avail and again Nottingham were forced to punt.

Ed Morgan, who had another exceptional day on both defence and special teams, returned the punt. Gateshead then took the ball at their own 38 going out and gained twelve yards to the half way line on the first run by Duncan French.

David Nimmins rolls out and hits Richard Holme for a 55 yard touchdown
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

After an illegal motion call pulled them back 5 yards, David Nimmins went to the air but missed his first two strikes by inches. Facing a third and 15 from his own 45 yard line, Nimmins rolled out and hit wide open receiver Richard Holme for a 55 yard touchdown pass. Peter Rogers then stepped up for the extra point to make the score Gateshead 22, Nottingham 6 early in the 4th. Nottingham's reply was immediate, taking the ball on the 23-yard line; they put together a 10-play drive down to the 12-yard line. From there Scott Messom went in from 4 yards out to narrow the gap. Going for the two-point run to close the gap to within one score, Richard Marshall and Dave Wilson combined to stop the runner 2 yards short. With Gateshead then forced to punt on their next possession, Nottingham took the ball with 2:06 remaining in the game. Fumbling on their first play, Nottingham was lucky to recover their mistake. An incomplete pass on second down forced a third and long with time running out. Using their last time-out to stop the clock, Nottingham went to the air for the third down. As Thompson dropped back, Richard Marshall broke free to sack him for a 14 yard loss and forced the 'C' to punt. The game ended with Gateshead holding the ball and the double over their nearest rivals in Division 1A.

Gateshead now have a week off before they make the long journey to East Kilbride to face the Division 1 North leaders.

Scoring Summary

Quarter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gateshead	6	0	9	7	22
Nottingham	0	6	0	6	12

Qtr 1 6 yd run by Duncan French, no conversion
Qtr 2 5yd run by Bernie Hackshaw, no conversion
Qtr 3 35yd field goal by Peter Rogers
Qtr 3 23yd pass from David Nimmins to Peter Rogers, no conversion
Qtr 4 23yd pass from David Nimmins to Richard Holme, PAT by P. Rogers
Qtr 4 4yd run by Scott Messom, no conversion

MVP Awards

Game
Offense
Defense

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Pirates halt Senators' run

EKP 26 Gateshead Senators 0

EKP put a stop to the Senators' run of winning games with a 26-0 shutout of Gateshead in Scotland on Sunday.

The game started badly for the Senators who lost leading receiver Richard Green in the warm up session. Richard spent the game in hospital having a cast put on his broken leg and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Nimmins hands off to Duncan French for the short gain
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

East Kilbride won the ball and took their first play from scrimmage under the guidance of quarterback James Thompson. Under good pressure from the Gateshead 'D', the Pirates went three and out and were forced to punt. With the wind playing a major factor on the game, the punt could not be returned and Gateshead started the first drive of the game on the 49-yard line. A quick burst up the middle by Michael Rumney followed by Duncan French gained only 5 yards. Going to the air on 3rd and 5, David Nimmins saw his pass blown of course and out of bounds to force the Senators to punt.

Thompson hands off to Ian McGowan while the 'D' close in
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Both teams then traded punt after punt, with no team gaining any advantage the quarter ended with a 0-0 score line. The second quarter started with ex Senator Lee Fraser coming under center. With his first throw from scrimmage, his pass was picked off by Charles Heathcote who returned the ball 14 yards into Pirate territory. From here, the pirates mixed both the plays and quarterbacks as they strung together a solid drive. The drive was capped when John Sutherland went over from 2 yards out to get the go-ahead score. The extra point was blocked and the score remained 6-0 to the Pirates mid way through the second quarter. After fumbling the ball away on the next drive, the Senator defense forced the Pirates to go three and out and gave Gateshead one more chance to score before half-time.

Rogers in motion prior to the pass from Nimmins
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Starting the drive on the Senator 15-yard line with 2.20 in the half, David Nimmins went to the air and cut the Pirates defense apart. Hitting Peter Rogers and Matt Barton with 20 yard plus passes he quickly moved the ball into the Pirates' half. With less than 45 seconds on the play clock, Nimmins hit Rogers again for a 22-yard reception down to the Pirates' 17 yard line. Taking it back to the ground, good running by French put the ball on the hash mark ready for Rogers to try the field goal. After making a 35-yard kick in the previous game, Rogers had his ball blocked and then was hit by a rushing Pirate. Expecting to take the re-kick, the Senators were amazed to see East Kilbride take the ball on their own 2-yard line. From here, the Pirates ran out the clock and went in at half-time up by one score.

Nimmins drops back to pass behind the solid 'O'line
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

The third quarter started with Gateshead returning the ball out to the 35-yard line. Going for a pass on 3rd down from the 25-yard line, the throw from Nimmins was picked off and returned to the 10-yard line. From here a sweep left by Jonathan Chilton saw him break the plane of the end zone to increase the lead further. With a catch in the back of the end zone on their second attempt by Joshua Crass, the score was East Kilbride 14, Gateshead 0 early in the third quarter. The next two drives for both sides stalled until another interception return by East Kilbride saw them knocking on the door at the 10 yard line. With the quarter closing out, the Pirates increased the lead to 20-0.

Derek Parry and Steve Wooton close in on Sutherland to make the stop
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Trying to move the ball, Gateshead then mixed up the ground and air attack with success until a tipped pass was again picked off by East Kilbride. Using the ground game to good effect, strong running by Jordan Falconer and John Sutherland moved the ball well and ran down the clock on the way to increasing the lead. The final score of the game came when Chilton went in from 10 yards out to make the score 26 - 0. With a failed conversion, the score midway through the 4th quarter was East Kilbride 26, Gateshead 0.

Another interception on the next drive killed the game dead for Gateshead who ran out disappointed losers to a strong East Kilbride team. Gateshead then faced Chester at home for the last home fixture of the season on the 25th July.

Scoring Summary

Quarter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gateshead	0	0	0	0	0
East Kilbride	0	6	14	6	26

MVP Awards

Game
Offense
Defense

Senators Rout Romans Again

Gateshead Senators 42 Chester Romans 6

Chester QB James Keogh goes for the pass on 2nd down from his 10-yard line
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

The game started with Gateshead taking the ball after a touchback kick by the Romans. The Romans playing with a depleted squad showed the spirit that keeps them in the league when they intercepted a David Nimmins pass on the first drive after good running by Andrew Goodhead. Chester took their first snap at the 15-yard line going out and found it hard to run against the fired up defence of Gateshead. A punt with the wind from the 10-yard line saw Gateshead's offence start the next drive from the Romans' 37 yard line going in. With better running from Goodhead, Gateshead was facing a 1st and ten at the Romans' 24 yard line.

RB John Harrison cuts the line and powers in from 24 yards for the Senators' first points
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

On the next play, John Harrison, using his unique running style, broke the tackles and powered in to score the first points of the day. With the 2-point reception from Peter Rogers, the score with 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter was Gateshead 8, Chester 0. Taking the ball from the kick-off, Chester started the next drive at their own 32-yard line. A saving tackle by Rich Cowell and Ed Morgan forced Chester into a 4th down situation. Declining to punt and going for the 1st down early in the game, a well defended pass by the Senator secondary gave Gateshead the ball back with good field position as the 1st quarter ended. Coming into the ball game for the first time, Michael Rumney gained his biggest yardage from scrimmage this season and ran for 24 yards down to the Roman 16 yard line. The drive was quickly finished off from there when Duncan French came in and ran the remaining 16 yards for the touchdown. With a failed conversion, the score was Gateshead up by two scores early in the second quarter.

Ed Morgan returning the punt for good yardage
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Gateshead again held strong on the next series and again forced Chester into a punting situation. This time they got the ball away only to see Ed Morgan return the ball over 35 yards to the Romans' own 34 yard line. From there, Duncan French repeated his earlier efforts and ran in following good blocks downfield to score another touchdown. With another failed conversion the score was now Gateshead 20, Chester 0. The momentum was killed instantly when Chester returned the ensuing kick off to the Gateshead 4 yard line. Only a score saving tackle from Rich Cowell stopped Chester replying immediately. With Chester looking to reduce the deficit, QB James Keogh ran the sneak and forced his way in from 4 yards out. With a blocked extra point by Paul 'Uncle' Anderson and Richard Marshall the score as halftime approached was the home team up 20 - 6.

With less than a minute to play and Gateshead looking to increase the lead, a swing pass to Duncan French was picked off for the second time in the game by the Roman defence. Halftime came with Gateshead leading 20 - 6 over the visitors.

The second half started in much the same vein as the first half; both teams traded punts and could not move the ball enough to gain an advantage. The third quarter ended with no additional scoring and Gateshead still up by 2 scores

QB Keogh gives up the safety
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

On the first play of the 4th quarter, a mix up in the backfield of the Senators led to a fumble which was picked up by the Romans on their own 11 yard line. However on the first play, QB James Keogh under pressure from the D-Line threw the ball out of the endzone for the 2 point safety.

Rogers pulls in another spectacular reception giving him 99 yards on the day from 6 catches

Rogers #10 pulls in another spectacular reception giving him 99 yards on the day from 6 catches
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Gateshead then went to work and after another outstanding return by Ed Morgan, QB David Nimmins found his touch on his next pass. With a 'frozen rope' over the middle to Peter Rogers, the Gateshead receiver went in from 33 yards to increase the lead further. Chester went to the air for the next series but found the going difficult and was forced to punt after going three and out. Taking the helm under centre again, Nimmins went to the air completing 12 from 24 attempts for 192 yards and 2 TDs.

John Harrison on the screen with blocking by Ben 'Slinky' Johnson
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Finding receivers across the field, Nimmins hit John Harrison on the screen pass for a 22 yard gain to move the ball to within striking distance. After another pass to Matt Barton, who was stopped short of the goal line, John Harrison went in for the second time to increase the score to 36 - 6 in Gateshead's favour. With a failed extra point and time running out Gateshead were in control of the game as the end drew near.

Nimmins hits Christopher Mayne for the final score of the game
(Photo: Gary Thompson)

Chester, going for a final score, tried in vain to get momentum through the passing game but saw their attempts defended well. Facing a 3rd and 10 from the 27-yard line, Keogh was sacked by Wooton, Doran and Anderson. An incomplete pass on 4th down gave the Senators the ball back with 22 seconds left on the clock. Two quick passes from David Nimmins to receiver Christopher Mayne sealed the victory for the Senators.

Division 1a Northern Champions
(Photo: Gary Thompson, download larger version)

With the withdrawal of Lancashire from the last regular season game, this result left Gateshead Senators as Division 1A North Champions and facing opponents yet to be decided in the semi-final for the Division title on 12 September.

Qtr1 24yd run by John Harrison - 2 Pt reception by P. Rogers from D. Nimmins
Qtr2 16yd run by Duncan French - no conversion
Qtr2 34yd run by Duncan French - no conversion
Qtr2 4yd run by James Keogh - no conversion
Qtr4 Safety
Qtr4 33yd reception by P. Rogers from D. Nimmins - 2Pt reception by P. Rogers from D. Nimmins
Qtr4 2yd run by John Harrison - no conversion
Qtr4 6yd reception by Christopher Mayne - no conversion

Scoring Summary

Quarter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Gateshead	8	12	0	22	42
Chester	0	6	0	0	6

MVP Awards

Game	David Nimmins
Offense	Andy Goodhead
Defense	Jim Waite
Special	Chris Mayne

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Bristol again

By narrowly beating Cambridge, Bristol Aztecs have earned the right to be Gateshead Senators' opponents in the semi-final at Gateshead on 12 September.

QB David Nimmins

The only time the teams have met before was in the nail biting Division 1 final in 1999 when the Senators emerged 7-2 winners and champions, so the Aztecs have extra motivation for beating Gateshead.

For the Senators, the withdrawal by Lancashire Wolverines from the last regular season game, and the fact that the Senators' league record gave them a 'bye' for the quarter final stage, this all means a long wait from their last game until the semi-final.

Quarterback David Nimmins has urged the team not to relax, saying, "we know on our day we can play/beat anyone" and promising the team "will play and play their hearts out". This message has been endorsed by other senior club members.

In the meantime the club will be training ready for what will undoubtedly be a hard fought contest on September 12.

Touchback!

Season's End

Gateshead Senators 14 Bristol Aztecs 24

Swan-song? QB David Nimmins scrambles for a 1st down.

The Gateshead Senators' 2004 season ended with a disappointing defeat by Bristol Aztecs in the semi-final played at Gateshead on 12 September.

Gateshead started strongly with 14 unanswered points in the first quarter, but some costly errors shifted the game's momentum and confidence to Bristol who took advantage of the mistakes to put 24 points on the board before the final whistle.

Bristol proceed to the final at Don Valley while Gateshead start thinking about 2005

Touchback!

The Woot departs

'The Woot' lies in wait

One of the longest serving, most liked and - off and especially on the field - respected players in the British game has retired.

Steve Wooton, the stand out linebacker who has been at the heart of the Senators' defense literally for decades has called it a day. He has said this before and has then come back for 'just one more' season, but this time his shirt number #34 has been retired as well!

The presentation was made at the Gateshead Senators' annual Presentation Evening and AGM which was held at "The Schooner Inn", Gateshead on Saturday 4 December. It started with the AGM where club finances and other matters were discussed. Afterwards there were presentations of awards to members of the "Sunday Family" that have made significant contributions over the last very successful season, including "Most Valued Player" awards, and season trophies in various categories. There was a new award for 2004, the "Big Mik" Team Spirit Award to commemorate Mickey Thompson, former Senator veteran killed in a motorcycle accident at Easter 2004. The inaugural recipient was John "Harra" Harrison. Mik would have approved.

Awards were made to:

Steve Wooton presented with his shirt by club Chairman Gary Marshall.

Rookie of the Year	Richard Nice
Special Teams	Ed Morgan
Offense	Pete Rogers
Defense	Paul 'Uncle' Anderson
Play of the Season	Rich Cowell
Leading Tackler	Steve Wooton
Players' Player	Mickey Thompson
Big Mik Team Spirit Award	John Harrison

Some more pictures

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