Three Is The Magic Number

The Halton Spartans have held three training sessions in three different venues so far this season but the club have finally settled on a training base for the immediate future.

Preparations for the Spartans first ever season are now taking place on the astroturf of Ormiston Bollingbroke Academy. The move to an all weather pitch has been hailed as a success by Head Coach Ian Derbyshire:

"The all round improvement is clear to see. We've had good squad sizes at training and our classroom sessions. We've had some fresh meat breathe new life into the defence, our Offence are passing and catching with much more confidence. The new coaching structure and the transitions between coaching sessions have also been pleasing to the eye."

Before their season begins, the Spartans will face their toughest test to date on 22nd February as they visit Division I side Chester Romans for a pre season scrimmage. The Spartans have worked closely with former Spartans Coach Simon Wainwright who now heads up the Chester Romans. The short trip to Chester will be used to give the Spartans a tough, physical encounter whilst revising plays and game scenarios.

Coaching Staff for 2015 Confirmed

Following a very successful first Coaches meeting of 2015, Head Coach Ian Derbyshire has confirmed his coaching structure for the Halton Spartans first season in the National Football Conference.

There have been very few changes in personnel but the major changes of note are the departure of Ricardo Martinez, who will join the playing roster and the addition of Will Johnson, a former Halton Demons player.

"Head Coach Darbs" has ensured that under this new structure, every position is covered and that any new players looking to be introduced to the game are given the specialist coaching required.

Ian Beattie heads up the Spartans attack as Offensive Co-Ordinator and will act as Head Coach should Ian Derbyshire be absent for any reason. Beattie's team consists of Nathan Hazel- who has moved from Defence to Running Back Coach. Mike Astle takes charge of the Quarterbacks, Chris Henry will focus on Wide Recievers and Andrew Keam retains his position as Offensive Line Coach.

Lively as ever, Defensive Co-Ordinator Simon Grice has largely the same structure in place with Player-Coaches Sandy Kyriacou and Mark Johnson overseeing the Linebackers and Defensive Line respectively.
Newcomer Will Johnson will head up the Defensive Backs.

Carl Roberts and Fred Coppock will focus on developing Spartans rookies and newcomers for 2015.

There is excitement in the camp and the existing players have received their new playbooks. Keep your eyes peeled on HaltonSpartans.com for further updates regarding our pre-season in the coming days.

Spartans On The Lookout

The Halton Spartans begin their 12 week pre season programme this Sunday. The coaching staff are anticipating a healthy squad size for the Spartans' 1st season in the National Football Conference but there is always a need for more players.

Existing Spartans players have rushed to get ahead of the game in what is likely to be a pre season heavily focused on conditioning with a good proportion of the squad hitting the gym, knowing there is potentially more competition on the depth chart this season.

Jack Price, Spartans Media Manager explains why even off the back of a successful 2014, a larger squad is required:

"Last season to ease us into this sport, we only needed three games to prove our worth. This year we are in a league with teams more experienced than us and some will have more depth. We have a 10 game season, which to an outsider may appear short. However, all of our players have work/family commitments which sometimes prioritise above football. Plus with American Football being such an intense contact sport, injuries are inevitable and we need the strength in depth to cover any eventuality.

This game is not like any other. You don't have a starting 11 with the remainder being cast out. Every player in our squad gets game time. Provided you show regular commitment to training, learning your playbook etc. We will repay that faith in return with time on the field."

The Halton Spartans welcome anyone male or female aged 18 or over who would like to give American Football a try. Your physical stature and existing level of fitness are irrelevant so whether you are muscular and fast, or if you carry some flab, there is a position for you and our friendly coaching staff will make you feel at home.

Our first training session is being held this Sunday 10am-1pm at Heath Park in Runcorn. Your first session is free and all subsequent sessions thereafter are £3 each. Upper body pads and helmets will be provided.

Give this great game a try and who knows? You too could be a Spartan!

Sponsorship Opportunities Now Open

The Halton Spartans have several avenues of sponsorship open to any interested parties.

The Spartans have rounded off an outstanding first year as a club with an Unbeaten 3-0 Record and a trophy following their win in The Associate Bowl Game at the Select Security Stadium infront of a record crowd of 480 spectators.

The Spartans have been granted entry to the National Football Conference- Division II North- having proven their worth to the British American Football Association. The Select Security Stadium, Widnes has been confirmed as the home of the Spartans for the 2015 Season, who will host all of their home games for this campaign.

American Football is a large participation sport. The Spartans have approximately a 60 strong squad and 12 coaches at the helm and all members pay their way. Players contribute to the running costs of the club by paying subs at training session. Players also purchase their own equipment- pads, helmets, boots etc. at their own personal cost.

The Spartans have already secured two fantastic sponsorship deals from DRL Reinforcement- our jersey sponsors, and Dravet Syndrome UK- who display their charity logo on the players 'helmets. However, to continue this upward trend of success and to sustain the growth of the club, The Halton Spartans are seeking further sponsorship.

Your sponsorship would cover running costs such as registration fees, referee payments, stadium hire and other administration costs associated with running an American Football Club. Your contribution would be recognised on the Halton Spartans Website and our official social media channels.

For sponsors willing to contribute a substantial amount, we can negotiate adding your company logo to our jerseys, along with DRL Reinforcement Ltd.

If you are a fan of a particular player or coach, you can sponsor an individual player/coach for just £30 per season with the money going directly to the Halton Spartans. Again, we will promote your business via our website and social media channels.

If you are interested in sponsoring the Spartans, or have any questions, please contact our Fundraising Manager Billy Forrest via e-mail: haltonspartansmedia@gmail.com

The Spartans are Halton's Fastest Growing Sporting Organisation and we would love you to be a part of it.

Play For The Spartans

HaltonSpartans.com have been inundated with enquiries on how to get involved and play for The Halton Spartans in our upcoming league campaign.

Unlike other more established clubs, we will not be holding any official trials or Rookie Days. However, anyone who is interested is coming to training will be made most welcome.

Our first training session for 2015 begins on Sunday 11th January, 10am on Heath Park Playing Fields, Runcorn. Players normally pay £3 subs per session but your first session is free of charge.

Training is open to both men and women aged 18 or over of any level of fitness and experience. The Spartans pride themselves on being a welcoming club and encourage anyone to give American Football a go. We have pads and helmets which you can use during training sessions to get used to the gear we use in this demanding sport and you will be closely supervised by our coaching staff.

To confirm your attendance, please feel free to join our Facebook Event.

Spartans Pre Season Fast Approaching

The Halton Spartans are preparing diligently for their first ever pre season campaign ahead of their first season in the BAFA National Leagues.

The Spartans begin their rookie year in the BAFA National Conference Division 2 North West with a Cheshire Derby vs. Crewe Railroaders on Sunday 5th April.

HaltonSpartans.com had a chat with Head Coach Ian Derbyshire who has outlined the challenges ahead for his squad:

"With Christmas now behind us the thoughts of myself and my coaching team turn to our plans for 2015. We are currently finalising updated versions of both our offence and defence playbooks for our first full season in the National Leagues, as well as pulling together a 12 week pre-season programme that will ensure we are competitive for the 10 game season. 

Focus in the early period of pre-season will be on conditioning, as following a great 2014 the Spartan players will have certainly enjoyed the Christmas festivities, and we need to get them all back in shape. 

Focus will then move onto fine tuning our skills and plays with relevant drills and controlled scrimmages / scenarios. 

As the majority of our squad are rookies it will be the first American Football pre-season they have been through and although it will be tough I’m sure the Spartans players will rise to the challenge, as we keep in mind the cornerstone motto of our sporting organisation – work Hard, Play Hard, Have Fun."

A New Way Of News

To check out the latest Halton Spartans News, this can now be found on our new official news blog, located here on the HaltonSpartans.com Website.

Keep checking the website for upcoming details of our pre season programme and how you can become a Spartan!