The home of American Football in Beds, Bucks and Northants
Although we are in the off-season there’s no excuse for slacking!
We’re hosting taster sessions for all of you wishing to have a try at the game on every Sunday in November. Doesn’t matter if you are youth (13-17), junior (16-19) or adult senior or flag (18+) please come along to any or all of them and run through drills and practices with our coaches. It’s all free of charge and suitable for anyone interested in the game. Look at the events or ‘Contact Us’ for more details.
The Ouse Valley Eagles 2018 Player of the Year Awards take place tonight at the Slug and Lettuce, Milton Keynes.
A total of seventeen awards will be handed out to members of the Eagles senior team, Bedford Blackhawks (Flag) and Bedford Blackhawks Youth teams. We’ll announce the results over the weekend, but in the meantime here’s a reminder of the previous winners:
MVP – Fin Jones
Coaches Player – Oliver Chester Lewis
Players Player – Sam Butterwick
Offensive MVP – Harrison Reed
Defensive MVP – Connor Perrett
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Alex Gedny
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Rom Dougla
Most Improved Player – Oliver Crampton
Dhesi Award – Harrison Smith
MVP – Matthew Couldridge
Offensive MVP – Jake Cooper
Defensive MVP – Jed Parisi
Exceptional Contribution – Zech Smith
MVP – Kase Chibwe
Players Player – Kase Chibwe
Coaches Award – Stuart Cooper
Offensive MVP – Stuart Holland
Defensive MVP – Mike Turner
Special Teams MVP – Stuart Holland
Lineman of the Year – Stuart Holland
Rookie of the Year – Bobby Benney
Most Improved Player – Ryan Bowtell
Players Player of the Year – Ross Hubbard and Danny Cousins
Most Valuable Player – Ross Hubbard
Defensive MVP – Gareth Pullen
Offensive MVP – Ross Hubbard
Lineman of the Year – John Rudgard
Rookie of the Year – Nathan Spencer
Most Improved Player – Rhian Shirley
Players Player of the Year – Justin LaRoda
Most Valuable Player – Justin LaRoda
Defensive MVP – Gareth Pullen
Offensive MVP – Justin LaRoda
Lineman of the Year – John Rudgard
Rookie of the Year – Danny Cousins
Most Improved Player – Martin Day
Players Player of the Year – Gareth Pullen and Darren Gregory.
Most Valuable Player – Chris Parr
Defensive MVP – Darren Gregory
Offensive MVP – Dale Hawes
Lineman of the Year – Andy Larwill
Rookie of the Year – John Rudgard
Most Improved Player – Vasco Dias
Players, coaches and officials from the Eagles, Blackhawks and Redwings teams are going to be attending the 40th Anniversary Bedford River Festival this weekend (14th and 15th July) in the Sports Village.
Recognised as one of the largest outdoor events of its kind in the UK, the 2016 festival saw over a quarter of a million people enjoy the events, entertainments and activities on Bedford’s beautiful Embankment.
To have an insight into the layout of the site before you arrive, to locate your favourite stage or to plan your festival weekend hour by hour, take a look at the 2018 River Festival programme here.
For full details on the River Festival click here.
Would you like to win your favourite NFL team’s hat? Visit us in the Sports Village and complete one of your entry forms to enter a free prize draw.
When you complete the form we will ask for consent to contact you regarding upcoming events. For more information about how we use your personal data, please read our privacy notices here.
Bedford Blackhawks defensive back Liam Cole has been named in the Great Britain Lions U17 developmental squad for the training camps taking place in May and June.
The GB U17 group is the development squad for the U19 team, and is aimed at players who have shown the skills to potentially progress to the U19 squad in the future.
Liam is the first player from the Eagles Academy to be selected for the development squad, and Head Coach Nick Benning said:
“We are all extremely proud of Liam as the first youth player being selected for an international squad. Having only taken up the sport mid-way through last season he has worked a hard on adapting his skill set and understanding the game.
“Physically he already possess no end of talent and we hope to help him develop his knowledge to match this and continue further on his journey. Liam has now set the bar for his team mates and I’m sure he will continue to raise it. Great work Liam!”
Speaking on the BAFA National Teams Facebook page, GB Head Coach Jason Henry said on the trials:
“Over the past decade I have had the chance to see U12 flag right up to U19 kitted and seen the talent we have in flag and U17 kitted programmes across the country. The coaches bought in with the idea of having players ‘grow’ with Team GB and planning success on and off the field.
“Yet again credit must go to the legions of dedicated coaches, volunteers and family members who have given young players the chance to grow and experience Football. The majority of the players attending had ever played football with more than 5 on a team but by the end of the day impressed coaches as the grasped and ran with the format which is 11 man tackle football.
“Congratulations on all the players selected to start the exciting chapter in their Football development.”
The Ouse Valley Eagles were formed in 2013 with the aim of becoming one of the leading lights for American Football in the UK.
The 2018 season is almost upon us but it is never too late to join one of our four teams:
Despite being a relatively new Club, the Eagles are made up of an experienced team of coaching and backroom staff, with more players registering to join each month.
The goal set by our founding committee was to have a club here still winning games in 25 years time, and for our children to be able to play for the same team we did.
That remains the goal today, and we are working every day to make the club bigger and stronger. To register your interest in joining any of the teams under the Ouse Valley banner please complete the form below:
Players and coaches visited Bedford and Milton Keynes Hospitals over the Easter weekend to deliver chocolate eggs and toys to the Children’s Wards.
We visited the Riverbank Ward in Bedford on Good Friday (30th March) and the Children’s Unit at Milton Keynes on Saturday morning (31st March) to make the special deliveries, which had been donated by the club.
Speaking on behalf of the Club afterwards, Michael Dilley said:
“We always enjoy delivering eggs to our local hospitals and are really pleased to carry on the tradition this year.
“The staff on the wards do an incredible job, and we’re also really happy to be able to show our appreciation in this way”.
The Ouse Valley Eagles were formed in 2013 with the aim of becoming one of the leading lights for American Football in the UK.
The 2018 season is almost upon us but it is never too late to join one of our four teams:
Despite being a relatively new Club, the Eagles are made up of an experienced team of coaching and backroom staff, with more players registering to join each month.
The goal set by our founding committee was to have a club here still winning games in 25 years time, and for our children to be able to play for the same team we did.
That remains the goal today, and we are working every day to make the club bigger and stronger. To register your interest in joining any of the teams under the Ouse Valley banner please complete the form below:
This Saturday (17th March) sees the OVE Academy, consisting of Bedford Blackhawks and Milton Keynes Redwings, host the Nuneaton Jaguars in a joint training session and scrimmage.
The Jags are no strangers to the Blackhawks having hosted the Bedford lads on two occasions last season, so it’s only fair that the favour was returned to the fastest growing Youth Teams in the UK.
As part of the session all three squads will do their bit to help raise attention to this year’s Sports Relief and they welcome any interested 13-17 year-olds down to join the training section of the session.
Blackhawks Head Coach Nick Benning can’t wait for the session to begin:
“Much like our own set up, the Jags have had outstanding success going from nothing but a dream 18 months ago to one of the largest youth squads in the UK today.
“We joined Coach Lawrence’s team for two great sessions last year we are looking forward to returning the favour. On the day we will have boys and girls from all three teams working together learning from a variety of Coaches. We will then split down to take part in the kitted scrimmage and give our Rookies a true taste of what the season has in store for them.”
If you are aged between 13 and 17 or know someone who is that wants to take part, feel free to join the team at Stantonbury Campus in Milton Keynes from 11am on Saturday.
Due to the adverse weather conditions training is cancelled this weekend for all four teams:
– Milton Keynes Redwings (U17)
– Bedford Blackhawks (U17)
– Bedford Blackhawks (Senior Flag)
– Ouse Valley Eagles (Senior)
Apologies for any inconvenience caused, we hope to return to our usual practice schedule next week.
To register your interest in joining one of our teams please complete the form below:
The club are delighted to announce that training sessions for the Milton Keynes Redwings U17s contact team will begin next week.
The sessions will take place every Saturday from 3rd March between 11am and 1pm at Stantonbury Campus in Milton Keynes.
The Redwings are open to anyone aged 13-17 and will initially play friendly matches during a development year in 2018 with a view of joining the National League in 2019. These training sessions are a key first step towards achieving those goals.
If you are coming along there are a few things you’ll need to bring with you:
– Plenty of water
– Footwear suitable to be worn on grass
– Warm clothes
– Gumshield (optional but recommended)
To register your interest in joining the Redwings, or any of the other teams under the Ouse Valley banner (Ouse Valley Eagles senior contact, Bedford Blackhawks U17 contact, Bedford Blackhawks senior flag) please complete the form below:
Can the New England Patriots go back-to-back and win a record sixth Lombardi Trophy, or will the Philadelphia Eagles finally end their Super Bowl drought and win the biggest game of them all at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday?
We asked some of our members what they thought ahead of Super Bowl 52…
Jeremy Charlton: Would like the eagles to win but can’t change the inevitable…
Neale McMaster: I’d like to see the Eagles win, but as much as I dislike them, I can’t see past the Patriots. I absolutely love Bill Belichick as a coach, he’s awesome, and Tom Brady operated that offensive system perfectly. I think they’ll win by three scores.
Mike Davies: If the Patriots win, maybe Brady will retire and give someone else a go…
Danny Cousins: Love an underdog. But can’t see anything other than a Patriots win.
Harry Rackham: Patriots win allowing Brady and Belichick to ride off into the sunset as the goats, clearing the path for a Bears dynasty.
Jonathan Chilton: I’m going to go with the Eagles. Logic makes the Patriots favourites but they were slow to start against Jags and maybe this is one of those days where Brady doesn’t perform.
Mark Brown: An Eagles win in overtime.
Gareth Pullen: Pats 27 Eagles 21.
Neil Duffy: Can’t we all forget about the score and just hope all the players have fun…and so says everyone who isn’t a Patriots fan…because although we have seen favourites simply not turn up at the Super Bowl before, I have a funny feeling Brady is about to make an announcement a few days afterwards and will want to go out on a high…
Troy Mayer: Patriots 31 – 14 Eagles. Two firing offences but the Patriots have their talisman, the Eagles don’t and after last year’s Super Bowl anything is possible with Brady at the forefront. Unlike everyone else though as Brady is possibly the most competitive person on the planet I don’t think he will retire. 6 rings won’t be enough and records are only made to be broken after all…but then again I’m a Lions fan so I don’t know what a Superbowl is.
Ikenna Iloka: Eagles, because of the strength of their defense and their offense seems to be firing on all cylinders. I don’t see the Pats offense being able to get past the Eagles defense.
Oliver Chesters-Lewis: Pats to win 28-10, the Eagles have looked good on defense but the Pats showed they can score against high powered-defences and shut-out a Foles who isn’t reliable.
Stevie Cole: For the first time in my life I am begrudgingly going for the Pats as I can not root for them dirty birds as bitter NFC East rivals. Their fan’s proudest moment to date might be the body bag game. Doh! #HTTR
Rachel Marscheider: Think the Pats will win (they over came the strong Jags defense) but I shall be rooting for the Eagles – Dolphins fan here so I shall never ever cheer for the Pats.
Our Senior Team are holding a further Open Sessions on Sunday 4th and 11th February at the University of Bedfordshire on Polhill Avenue between 11am and 12:30pm.
American Football is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and with the success of the NFL International Series interest in the game has never been higher.
If you are aged 18 or above and have always fancied having a go why not try it out and see how you get on? No previous experience is necessary, as our team of qualified coaches will put you through your paces running a series of passing, catching, running and blocking drills designed to give you a real taste of American Football.
If you want to know what to expect at the session, check out this highlights video from our previous Bedford session in November:
There are a few things you’ll need to bring with you to the session:
– Water (recommended 2L but the more the better).
– Rugby or football boots as the session will be taking place on grass
– Shorts/Joggers or similar
– Top of some kind: sweatshirt, t-shirt or similar
– Gumshield
To register your interest in the session, please respond to our Facebook event, complete the form below, or get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Before the session you will be asked to complete a simple registration form (registrations open at 10.45am). If you would like to download a registration form and complete it ahead of the session, you can do so here.
The Club AGM, postponed from last month due to the snow, took place on Sunday 7th January at the University of Bedfordshire.
Attended by members, coaches, friends, family and supporters, the meeting covered off elections to the committee for the year ahead, as well as a brief financial update and a look ahead to the upcoming year.
All committee positions will be up for election at the meeting, except for the role of Club Chairman which has a two-year term and was elected last year:
– Treasurer (two-year role): Nick Chapman
– Academy Coordinator (two-year role): Mark Chilton
– Flag Football Coordinator (two-year role): Matthew Couldridge
– Communications Manager (one-year role): Vacant
– Child Welfare Officer (one-year role): Jenny Chilton
– 3 x Ordinary Members (one-year role): Gareth Pullen, 2x vacancies
Following the application and election process there is currently a vacancy on the Committee for a Communications Managers and two “Ordinary Members”. Fore more information on the role please get in touch.
To download the public version of the AGM presentation please click here.