Swarco Raiders Tirol

SWARCO Raiders Tirol

City:

innsbruck

Founded:

1992

Team colors:

Black and silver

Head coach:

Kevin Herron

League (2019):

AFL

Greatest successes

Austrian champion

2004, 2006, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019

Eurobowl winner & CEFL winner

EB: 2008, 2009, 2011
CEFL: 2017, 2018, 2019

EFAF Cup winners & ECTC winners

EFAF: 2004
ECTC: 2019

Stadion

Surname:

Tivoli Stadium Tirol

Address:

Stadionstrasse 1b, A-6020 Innsbruck

Capacity:

17,400

Contact

Internet:

raiders.at

Data status

28th July 2019

The Swarco Raiders Tirol, formerly Papa Joe's Tyrolean Raiders, are an Austrian American football team from Innsbruck .

history

founding

The Raiders were born on September 15, 1992, when a group of football enthusiasts met for their first training session. After several months of preparation, an American football club was finally founded. The financial basis was laid by sponsoring a restaurant, from which the former club name "AFC Papa Joe's Raiders West" resulted. In 1993 the Papa Joe's Raiders West started in the third division, where they didn't lose a single game and achieved a total score of 158: 11. This was followed by the election of the “New Comer Team of the Year 1993” and the granting of the right to play in the second division.

Second division

The Raiders could not continue the successes in the second division in 1994 and 1995. During this time, 14 out of 16 games were lost. Regardless of this, the club was placed on a broader basis in 1994 with the establishment of a cheerleading section, the Raiders Roses, and the first junior team. In 1996 the Raiders were again successful. In seven games they achieved six wins (Score 185: 70), but failed against the "Amstetten Thunderbolts" with 0:22 at Tivoli. In the following 1997 season, the Second Division was marked by a duel with the Salzburg Bulls . After two defeats in the championship, however, the Raiders also lost the semifinals against the Bulls in overtime. Eight Raiders players were called up for the national team, and the juniors won the Austrian Junior Cup. This year the youngsters were reorganized into a school (up to 13 years), youth (up to 16 years) and junior team (up to 19 years).

First division 1998-2000

Due to a league increase and the good performance in the previous season, the Raiders played in 1998 for the first time in the First Division. The team finished the season seventh of eight teams. In the following season in 1999 the Raiders strengthened themselves for the first time with legionnaires and placed themselves in the midfield. In 2000 the club was renamed from “Papa Joe's Raiders West” to “Papa Joe's Tyrolean Raiders” and the cheerleading group from “Raiders Roses” to “Tyrolean Raiderettes”. Due to the increased use of legionnaires, the Raiders won seven of eight games in the regular season in the 2000 season, as did the playoff game against the Klagenfurt Cowboys. The first participation in the Austrian Bowl ended with a defeat against the Chrysler Vikings 28:34. While the juniors of the Raiders also lost in the final against the Vikings, the student and youth team of the Raiders secured the championship title.

First division 2001-2003

In the 2001 season, the Raiders first took part in the Euro Bowl , although the Raiders had a rather mixed season. As in the previous year, the team reached the Austrian Bowl , but failed again at the Vikings with 21:14. The student team again secured the title of Austrian champion. In the following season 2002 the Raiders could not repeat the finals of the last two years due to bad luck with injuries, they finished 3rd in the Austrian championship and took 10th place at the Euro Bowl. Also in the 2003 season the Raiders could not advance to the final, but only had to admit defeat to the Carlstad Crusaders in the EFAF Cup in the final .

First championship title in 2004

In the 2004 season, the Raiders achieved their greatest success to date. They beat the Chrysler Vikings in the game for the Austrian Bowl 28:20 after losing the games against the Vikings in the regular season. In the same year the Raiders won the EFAF Cup 45-0 against the PA Farnham Knights from Great Britain .

AFL finalist 2005

In 2005, the Raiders made it to the Austrian final again, but were beaten by the Vikings in Südstadt in front of 4,200 spectators with 43:14 (21: 7).

Second championship title 2006

Since 2006, the Raiders have been appearing under the new sponsor Swarco Holding Wattens under the name Swarco Raiders Tirol . In the European Football League , the Raiders reached the semi-finals after a surprise victory over the Braunschweig Lions , in which they had to admit defeat to La Courneuve Flash from France at 17:27 . In the AFL, the Raiders became Austrian champions. In the Austrian Bowl XXII they beat the Dodge Vikings Vienna with 43:19.

Eurobowl victory in 2008 and cooperation with the Oakland Raiders

In the Eurobowl semi-final in 2008, the club defeated the later Austrian Bowl winners, the Graz Giants, after extra time with 56:49.

On June 27th the Raiders lost the XXIV Austrian Bowl against the Giants with 31:21. In retrospect, it turned out that two Graz players were doped. But at least three players would have had to be doped for the title to be withdrawn.

On July 5, 2008 the Raiders defeated the Raiffeisen Vikings 28:24 in the final . It was the first Eurobowl title for the Raiders and the first major international title won by a Tyrolean team. Florian Grein became MVP of the game with 104 yards run and 2 touchdowns.

In 2008, the Swarco Raiders entered into a cooperation with the namesake from the NFL, the Oakland Raiders . Through the cooperation, the Raiders want to make amateur football more popular in Austria. Several coaches, including Head Coach Santos Carillo, Andreas Pröller and Nick Johansson, have already taken part in courses and the Oakland Raiders training camp .

EFL title 2009

The Swarco Raiders started as a title contender in the regular season, the basic round was won with 6 wins and 2 defeats. The new quarterback from Innsbruck, the NFL and CFL experienced Jason Johnson led the Raiders Offense with 29 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the playoffs. In the semifinals they met the Vienna Vikings again . In a game marked by many penalties, the Raiders were already leading 21-0 at the break. After half-time, the Vikings scored by safety for the first time and the Viennese started a race to catch up. A few seconds before the end, the Vikings were in the Raiders Redzone at 15:21 and were able to equalize with a touchdown pass to Pasha Asiladab. Kicker Peter Kramberger was able to utilize the PAT and made the final score 21:22. The Vikings surprisingly moved into the Austrian Bowl XXV with this victory . a.

On July 11, 2009 the Swarco Raiders defeated Flash de la Courneuve in Eurobowl XXIII , which eliminated the Graz Giants and the Vienna Vikings on the way to the finals , with a clear 30:19. It was the second EFL title for the Tyroleans in a row.

No title 2010

Started the 2010 season with great ambitions, at the end of the 2010 season the Swarco Raiders went without a title for the first time in three years. First the Tyroleans were eliminated in the semi-finals of the European Football League in front of a home crowd with 27:29 against the eventual Eurobowl winner Berlin Adler. Then they lost - also in Innsbruck's Tivoli Stadium - the Austrian Bowl 21:28 against the Danube Dragons. At the end of the season, the Tyroleans parted ways with head coach Santos Carillo and offensive coordinator Nick Johansen. In November 2010, the Swarco Raiders introduced Shuan Fatah as their new head coach . The Berliner had just won the Eurobowl with Berlin and led the Adler to the German Bowl final.

Third championship title in 2011

Shuan Fatah brought offensive coordinator Lee Rowland as well as quarterback Kyle Callahan , wide receiver Talib Wise and kicker Dennis Wiehberg from Berlin to Innsbruck. The team won the “double” for the first time in the history of the club. The Swarco Raiders won both the Eurobowl and the Austrian state championship. On Saturday, June 18, 2011 the Tyroleans defeated defending champion Berlin Adler 27:12 in front of 8,600 spectators in the Tivoli Stadium (record for a football game in Tyrol) . Florian Grein was elected MVP. Just five days later, the Tyroleans also secured the title in the Austrian Bowl XXVII with a 23:13 win against Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna in Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium in front of 9,634 fans (Austrian record). Wise scored three touchdowns and was named an MVP. Before the final in Vienna, Grein was also named “Offensive MVP” of the 2011 AFL season. Safety John Clements was voted the season's “Defensive MVP”.

As part of the final of the Eurobowl XXV , the Oakland Raiders, brother team of the Swarco Raiders, sent six cheerleaders of the legendary Oakland Raiderettes and Raiders legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Brown.

Team building 2012–2014

After winning the title in the previous year, the Raiders could not build on previous successes in the following years.

Many club legends ended their careers after the double and the American Football World Cup in 2011, and Shuan Fatah and his coaching staff had to build a completely new team core from many young up-and-coming players.

Although the Raiders always conjured up good football on the lawn in 2012, 2013 and 2014, they were defeated in the Austrian Bowls by the overpowering Vienna Vikings.

Fourth championship title 2015

After the Raiders had to be content with the runner-up title for several years, the team from Innsbruck made their way back to the top in 2015.

In a very one-sided game, the Vienna Vikings in Klagenfurt's Wörthersee Stadium were defeated at 38:00, the Raiders relied on the services of US quarterback Sean Shelton .

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned for the Raiders on the international stage, they were defeated by the Braunschweig Lions in the semi-finals of the BIG6 competition. Although the Raiders had the game under control for long stretches, the Germans managed to take the lead with a "lucky punch" a few minutes before the end - the Raiders attempted to catch up with no luck.

A novelty is the "Battle4Tyrol" competition - an invitation tournament of the Swarco Raiders. The aim of the competition is to offer the Tyrolean audience more games at an international level and also to ensure more match practice for US imports, since their playing times in the current league competition are limited by the regulations.

Fifth championship title in 2016

In a superior game in the Austrian Bowl XXXII, the Graz Giants in the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt were defeated 51: 7.

CEFL winner 2017

In the 2017 season, the game for the Austrian Bowl XXXIII against the Dacia Vikings Vienna was lost 45:26 in the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt. The game for the Central European Football League Bowl XII against Kragujevac Wild Boars from Serbia, which was played in Innsbruck, won 55:20.

Sixth championship title 2018

In the game for the Austrian Bowl XXXIV against the Dacia Vikings Vienna, the Tyroleans were victorious with 51:48 in the NV Arena in St. Pölten. The final of the Central European Football League, the CEFL Bowl XIII, was won by the Raiders 49:20 in Innsbruck. The Raiders won the superfinal against the Northern European Football League Copenhagen Towers with 45:20.

Seventh championship title 2019

The 2019 season went down in history as a season without any defeat for the Tyroleans with a total of 16 wins and no defeat. The Raiders won the Austrian Bowl XXXV against the Dacia Vikings Vienna in the NV Arena in St. Pölten with 42:34, the European Club Team Competition I against the Dacia Vikings Vienna with 35:10 in Innsbruck and the Central European Football League Bowl XIV against the Calanda Broncos from Chur, Switzerland, with 46:42 in Chur. After the season head coach Fatah and attack coordinator Rowland left the team, the previous defense coordinator Kevin Herron was promoted to the office of head coach.

Other teams in the club

In addition to the combat team, the Raiders have the following teams:

five junior teams for super micros (6 to 9 years), micros (up to 12 years), minis (up to 14 years), pupils (up to 16 years) and juniors (up to 19 years)

the Raiderettes and Raiderettes Juniors cheerleading teams , who have already won several championship titles
a Flag Football team founded in 2001
a basketball team started in the western league in the 2018/19 season