Hamburg Blue Devils

The Hamburg Blue Devils are an American football team in Hamburg, Germany. The Blue Devils are one of the most successful American football clubs in Germany, having won four German Bowls as well as three Eurobowls. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the clubs rivalry with the Braunschweig Lions dominated the game in Germany, with the two sides meeting in six German Bowls between 1998 and 2005 as well as the 1999 Eurobowl.[1]

Not to be confused with Hamburg Sea Devils.
Hamburg Blue Devils
Founded1992
LeagueRegionalliga Nord
Based inHamburg, Germany
StadiumAdolf-Jäger-Kampfbahn
ColorsNavy blue
 
Head coachFlorian Voss
ChampionshipsEurobowl: 1996–1998
German Bowl: 1996, 2001–2003
Division titlesGFL North: 1997, 2001
CheerleadersBlue Angels
Websitewww.bluedevils.hamburg

In the late 1990s, the club had become the most financially successful American football club in Europe,[2] but by 2003, the club had to declare insolvency.

History

The Hamburg Blue Devils were formed in 1992 and began playing non-league football in September 1992. It continued to take part in tournaments in 1993, defeating a number of European top clubs, including the German champions, the Munich Cowboys.[3]

In 1994, the Blue Devils took part in the Football League of Europe, where they lost the final to the Stockholm Nordic Vikings, played in front of 18,000 in Hamburg.[3]

Unusually, the club was admitted to the American Football Bundesliga, the later GFL, without having worked its way up through the league system in 1995 and reached the German Bowl in its first attempt. There however, the Düsseldorf Panthers proved too strong and Hamburg lost 10–17.[3]

eVendi-Arena

The club's second season in the league brought triumphs and sadness. The team won both the German Bowl and the Eurobowl, however, the team's head coach since 1992, George White, died two days before the play-off semi finals. In 1997, the Blue Devils were able to defend their European crown but lost in the semi finals of the national championships. Finally, in 1998, the club won the Eurobowl for a third consecutive time, as the first club ever, but once more lost the German Bowl, to future bitter rival Braunschweig Lions.[3]

The 1999 season was all about the Blue Devils versus the Lions, the two teams meeting both in the Eurobowl and the German Bowl. On both occasions, the Lions kept the upper hand, but the 30,000 that turned out to see the German Bowl at Hamburgs Volksparkstadion were a new record for the game in Germany.[3]

The following season was a disaster for the club. With new coach and quarter back, the club played its first losing season in its short history and missed the play-offs. It did reach the Eurobowl once more but this time lost to the Bergamo Lions.[3]

With a new coach and playing at the Millerntor-Stadion, the club began a new era of success in 2001. Three German Bowl victories were to follow, all against the Braunschweig Lions. However, not all went well for the club. Midway through the 2002 season, the coach left but the Blue Devils remained successful. In 2003, the club experienced financial trouble, having to declare insolvency. Despite this, the German Bowl was won in extra time in a narrow 37–36 victory.[3]

The club somewhat declined from 2004 onwards, only reaching the quarter finals that year. In 2005, a last appearance in the German Bowl was made, but this time the Lions came out as the winners. Additionally, the clubs marketing agency had to declare insolvency, too, but the Blue Devils survived theirs and moved into their own stadium, the eVendi Arena.[3] From 2005 to 2007, the club also faced some local competition in the form of NFL Europe team Hamburg Sea Devils.

From 2006 onwards, the performances of the Blue Devils dropped off. In 2006, the play-off semi finals could still be reached, in 2007 it was only the quarter finals and, in 2008, a fifth place meant the club did not play a post season at all. What followed was the withdrawal to the tier-three Regionalliga Nord, where the club played the 2009 and 2010 season without ever suffering a league defeat. However, in the promotion round, things were not as easy and the Blue Devils missed out on promotion in 2009 but were successful in 2010. In 2011, the club has risen to the second tier of German football, the GFL 2, a league it never played in before.

On 5 January 2011, the club announced that it would start a cooperation with the Hamburger SV with the aim of becoming a department of the club and, eventually, from 1 January 2012, all teams of the Blue Devils would become part of the multi-sports club HSV. The idea was floated as early as 1992 and the club will, in future, be known as the HSV Hamburg Blue Devils.[4] In 2012, the club came seventh in the northern division of the GFL and failed to qualify for the play-off.

In January 2014 the club announced that it would withdraw its team from the GFL because of a loss of players and would restart in 2015.[5] After not fielding a senior team in 2014 the club returned to league football for 2015, entering the tier five Verbandsliga Nord, where they finished third.

Teams

Apart from the senior men's team, the Blue Devils also operate a reserve side, a junior team, the Hamburg Junior Devils, ladies team, the Hamburg Blue Devilyns and a flag team, the Hamburg Flag Devils.[6]

Honours
  • Eurobowl
    • Champions: 1996–1998
    • Runners-up: 1999, 2000
  • German Bowl
    • Champions: 1996, 2001–2003
    • Runners-up: 1995, 1998, 1999, 2005
  • EFL
    • Participations: (7) 1996–2000, 2000, 2006
  • GFL
    • Northern Division champions: 1997, 2001
    • Play-off qualification : (12) 1995–1999, 2001–2008
    • League membership : (16) 1995–2008, 2012–2013
  • GFL 2
    • Northern Division champions: 2011
  • Junior Bowl
    • Champions: 1999

German Bowl appearances

The club's appearances in the German Bowl:[1]

Bowl Date Champions Runners-Up Score Location Attendance
XVIISeptember 16, 1995Düsseldorf PantherHamburg Blue Devils17–10Braunschweig12,125
XVIIIOctober 5, 1996Hamburg Blue DevilsDüsseldorf Panther31–12Hamburg19,700
XXOctober 3, 1998Braunschweig LionsHamburg Blue Devils20–14Hamburg22,100
XXIOctober 9, 1999Braunschweig LionsHamburg Blue Devils25–24Hamburg30,400
XXIIIOctober 6, 2001Hamburg Blue DevilsBraunschweig Lions31–13Hanover23,193
XXIVOctober 12, 2002Hamburg Blue DevilsBraunschweig Lions16–13Braunschweig21,097
XXVOctober 11, 2003Hamburg Blue DevilsBraunschweig Lions37–36 (aet)Wolfsburg20,517
XXVIIOctober 8, 2005Braunschweig LionsHamburg Blue Devils31–28Hanover19,512

Recent seasons

Recent seasons of the Blue Devils:[7][8][9][10]

YearDivisionFinishPointsPct.GamesWDLPFPAPostseason
2005 GFL (North) 2nd 14–60.700 10703 224119 Won QF: Stuttgart Scorpions (30–0)
Won SF: Marburg Mercenaries (42–41 aet)
Lost GB: Braunschweig Lions (28–31)
2006 2nd 16–80.667 12804 356215 Won QF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (34–13)
Lost SF: Marburg Mercenaries (20–33)
2007 4th 14–10 0.583 12705 305219 Lost QF: Stuttgart Scorpions (17–27)
2008 5th 12–120.500 12606 201185 —
2009 Regionalliga Nord
3rd level		 1st 24–0 1.000 12 1200 466 53 Lost PR: Mönchengladbach Mavericks (13–19 & 12–21)
2010 1st 20–0 1.000 10 1000 333 104 Lost PR: Potsdam Royals (26–27)
Won PR: Troisdorf Jets (28–7)
2011 GFL 2 (North) 1st 18–2 0.900 10 901 260 80 —
2012 GFL (North) 7th 4–240.143 142012 257586 —
2013 6th 8–20 0.286 144010 225448 —
2014 inactive
2015 Verbandsliga Nord
5th level		 3rd 8–80.500 8404 197122
2016 2nd 18–20.900 10901 45565
2017 Oberliga Nord
4th level		 1st 18–01.000 9900 313149 Won PR: Hamburg Black Swans 51–6
Won PR: Kiel Baltic Hurricanes II 33–0
2018 Regionalliga Nord
3rd level		 3rd 16–120.571 14860 327195
2019 7th 7–170.25 12381 267353
  • PR = Promotion round.
  • QF = Quarter finals.
  • SF = Semi finals.
  • GB = German Bowl.

Charity Bowls

The victory against St. Xavier University was the first success for a European team against a US college team.[11]

Year Home team Guest team Score Attendance
1993Hamburg Blue DevilsPacific Lutheran University Lutes18–4215,200
1993Findlay OilersHamburg Blue Devils28–75,950
1994Hamburg Blue DevilsFindlay Oilers14–2111,000
1995Hamburg Blue DevilsSt. Xavier Cougars20–010,000
1996Hamburg Blue DevilsIllinois Wesleyan Titans7–3714,200
1997Hamburg Blue DevilsBenedictine Ravens18–1311,400
1997Florida State Seminoles alumniHamburg Blue Devils20–15?
1998Hamburg Blue DevilsUS Allstars17–1010,700
1999Hamburg Blue DevilsKristianstad C4 Lions (Sweden)72–06,700
2000Hamburg Blue DevilsNotre Dame Fighting Irish alumni10–1418,500

References
  1. Bowls Archived 2015-09-29 at the Wayback Machine GFL website, accessed: 1 January 2011
  2. PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL POLICY COMMITTEE SELECTED EFAF website, accessed: 9 January 2011
  3. History der Hamburg Blue Devils (in German) Hamburg Blue Devils website - Club history, accessed: 9 January 2011
  4. Blue Devils kooperieren mit dem HSV (in German) football-aktuell.de, published: 6 January 2011, accessed: 9 January 2011
  5. Hamburg Blue Devils ziehen sich zuruck Archived 2014-02-26 at the Wayback Machine (in German) GFL website, published: 18 January 2014, accessed: 14 May 2014
  6. Other teams (in German) Hamburg Blue Devils website, accessed: 9 January 2011
  7. Football History (in German) Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 4 January 2021
  8. GFL 2008 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011
  9. GFL 2009 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011
  10. GFL 2010 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011
  11. Hamburg Blue Devils Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine GFL website, accessed: 27 February 2011
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