Sussex Thunder: Difference between revisions

Sussex Thunder
Founded	1997 & 2002
Based in	England, East Sussex
Home stadium	Haywards Heath Rugby Club (2024-Present)
Head coach	Billy Walker
General manager	Samuel Oldfield
Division	Division 2 - South
Colors	Royal blue, red, white
League titles	3
Division titles	3
Website	https://www.sussexthunder.com

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Latest revision as of 00:55, 2 March 2024

The Sussex Thunder are an American football team from England based in Sussex. The club entered the league for the first time in 1997 when the Crawley Raiders merged with local rivals the Brighton B52s to form a new club – Sussex Thunder under inaugural Head Coach Jim Jasicki. The Thunder reached the BritBowl Final in their second year led by current Head Coach Ian Ellis, narrowly losing to the London Olympians. Success continued to allude the club afterwards, but on 20 September 2008, led by Head Coach Len Scott, the Thunder won the Division 1 national championship in an overtime win against the Redditch Arrows.

Promotion to the BAFL Premier Division in 2009 saw the Thunder struggle to a losing season and the departure of two Head Coaches during that season (Len Scott and then Jim Roberson).

In November 2009, the Sussex Thunder appointed ex-San Francisco 49ers trialist Tony Stitt as head coach and under his guidance won promotion back to the Premier Division of the BAFA National Leagues. After two seasons in the Premier Division, the club returned to the BAFA National Leagues Division 1 South, and re-hired Ian Ellis. A Play-off run followed in 2011 (where they lost to the Birmingham bulls 14–13) before the club once again claimed the Division 1 National Championship in 2012.

Due to a large amount of senior player retirements, the Thunder withdrew from the league for the 2014 season and then entered the associate process to rejoin the league in the 2015 season. Membership was approved by the league and in 2015 the team re entered the Division 2 South East Conference. After a successful season in 2015 ending in a Semi Final defeat in Triple Overtime to eventual Division 2 Champions the Thunder were awarded promotion to Division 1 SFC South for 2016.

2024 General Manager

Samuel Oldfield
Management Team

2024 Coaching Staff

Head coach – Billy Walker
Coaching Staff

Retired numbers

26 Andy Smythe
56 Adrian Teague

Previous Home Grounds

Brighton Rugby Club, Brighton (2002-2004) Breezehurst Pavilion, Crawley (2005-2009) Broadbridge Heath Stadium (2010-2012) Brighton Rugby Club, Brighton (2013-2018) University of Sussex (2019-2023) Haywards Heath Rugby Club (2024-Present)

External links

Official website

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+{{Short description|American Football team based in the United Kingdom.}}
 {{Unreferenced|date=September 2010}}
+{{Infobox American football team
-{{Advert|date=September 2010}}
-{{Infobox BAFL team
 | name = Sussex Thunder
-| founded = [[2002]]
+| founded = 1997 & 2002
 | logo = Sussex_Thunder_Logo.jpg
-| city = Horsham, West Sussex
+| location = England, East Sussex
+| colors = Royal blue, red, white
-| nicknames =
+| manager = Samuel Oldfield
-| colours = Blue, Red and White
-| coach = Ian Ellis
+| coach = Billy Walker
-| BAFL_start_yr = 2003
+| div_champs = 3
+| league_champs = 3
-| division_hist = BSL Division 2 (2003-2005)<br/>BAFL Division 2 (2006)<br/>BAFL Division 1 (2007-2008)<br/>BAFL Premier Division (2009-2010)
+| stadium = [[Haywards Heath Rugby Club]] (2024-Present)
-| hist_misc =
+|division=Division 2 - South|website=https://www.sussexthunder.com}}
-| hist_yr = 2002
-| hist_misc2 = Also: Sussex Thunder, 1997-2000
-| no_eurobowl_champs =
-| eurobowl_champs =
-| no_bowl_champs = 1
-| bowl_champs = Division 1 Bowl 2008
-| no_conf_champs = 1
-| conf_champs = Division 1 South 2008
-| no_div_champs = 3
-| div_champs =
-| no_league_champs = 3
-| league_champs =
-| stadium_years = [[Brighton Rugby Club]], Brighton (2002-2004)<br/>Breezehurst Pavilion, Crawley (2005-2010) Broadbridge Heath Stadium 2010 on
-}}
-The '''Sussex Thunder''' are a Football ([[American Football]]) team from the [[United Kingdom]] based in [[Horsham]], [[Sussex]].  The team won promotion to the Premier Division of the [[British American Football League]] after winning the Division One Bowl on [[20th September 2008]].
-==2011 Executive Staff==
-===Chairman===
-Eber Kington
-chairman(at)SussexThunder.com
+The '''Sussex Thunder''' are an American football team from England based in Sussex. The club entered the league for the first time in 1997 when the Crawley Raiders merged with local rivals the Brighton B52s to form a new club – Sussex Thunder under inaugural Head Coach Jim Jasicki. The Thunder reached the BritBowl Final in their second year led by current Head Coach Ian Ellis, narrowly losing to the London Olympians. Success continued to allude the club afterwards, but on 20 September 2008, led by Head Coach Len Scott, the Thunder won the Division 1 national championship in an overtime win against the Redditch Arrows.
-===Vice Chairman===
-Stuart Cameron
+Promotion to the BAFL Premier Division in 2009 saw the Thunder struggle to a losing season and the departure of two Head Coaches during that season (Len Scott and then Jim Roberson).
-vicechairman(at)SussexThunder.com
+In November 2009, the Sussex Thunder appointed ex-San Francisco 49ers trialist Tony Stitt as head coach and under his guidance won promotion back to the Premier Division of the BAFA National Leagues. After two seasons in the Premier Division, the club returned to the BAFA National Leagues Division 1 South, and re-hired Ian Ellis. A Play-off run followed in 2011 (where they lost to the Birmingham bulls 14–13) before the club once again claimed the Division 1 National Championship in 2012.
-===Finance Director===
-Fraser Roberton
+Due to a large amount of senior player retirements, the Thunder withdrew from the league for the 2014 season and then entered the associate process to rejoin the league in the 2015 season. Membership was approved by the league and in 2015 the team re entered the Division 2 South East Conference. After a successful season in 2015 ending in a Semi Final defeat in Triple Overtime to eventual Division 2 Champions the Thunder were awarded promotion to Division 1 SFC South for 2016.
-finance(at)SussexThunder.com
+== 2024 General Manager ==
-===Secretary===
-Adam Fishlock
+* Samuel Oldfield
-secretary(at)SussexThunder.com
+* Management Team
+== 2024 Coaching Staff ==
-===Media & Communications===
-Oli DeRuyter
+* Head coach – Billy Walker
-media(at)SussexThunder.com
+* Coaching Staff
-===Operations===
+==Retired numbers==
-Stuart Cameron
+* 26 Andy Smythe
-operations(at)SussexThunder.com
+* 56 Adrian Teague
+==Previous Home Grounds==
-==2011 Roster==
+Brighton Rugby Club, Brighton (2002-2004)
-Paul Robinson  RB
+Breezehurst Pavilion, Crawley (2005-2009)
-Jaden Ellis  QB
+Broadbridge Heath Stadium (2010-2012)
-Andy Miles  WR
+Brighton Rugby Club, Brighton (2013-2018)
-Phil Allman  WR
+University of Sussex (2019-2023)
-Oli De Ruyter  QB
+Haywards Heath Rugby Club (2024-Present)
-John Searle Jnr  K
-Eber Kington  QB
-Sam Yaxley  TE
-T.K Chisango  RB
-Dominic Gould  DB
-Chris Percival  DB
-Simon Pinchin  DB
-Franco Puerton  RB
-Seb Dujardin  RB
-Peter Knight  LB
-Alex Brew  RB
-Nick Gandey  DB
-Aaron Montgomery  DB
-Ben Tolley  DB
-Scott Tolley  DB
-Peter Henworth  RB
-Colin Smith  DB
-James Bennett  DL
-Jay Cashman  DB
-Ben Soro-Perez  DB
-Jeremy McMinn  LB
-Owen Williams  LB
-Paul McIntosh  OL
-Steve Skinns  OL
-James Canavan  LB
-Simon Fisk  LB
-Adrian Teague  OL
-Dave Lawrey  DL
-Callum Graham  LB
-James Wright  OL
-John Searle Snr  OL
-Fabian West  OL
-Anthony Copper  OL
-Igwe Ojike  DL
-Dan Branch  OL
-Femi Ogunwusi  DL
-Adam Fishlock  WR
-Damon McMinn  WR
-Chris Jones  WR
-Dan Stoner  WR
-Ari Halldorsson  DL
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.sussexthunder.com/ Official site]
+*[http://www.sussexthunder.com/ Official website]
 {{British American Football}}
 {{BAFL seasons|British American Football League seasons}}