IN August 2023 Alex Underwood created an account on a local meet up app. The advert read “anyone up for throwing an American football”. Three people responded including Brandon Cannon who would go on to take an official position on the club management team.
The first training session took place on Sunday 20th August 2023 at the War Memorial Park, next to the bandstand. Out of the three who responded two attended for the initial session, however over the coming months the number rose to five and the wheels were set in motion.
The first proposed name for the team was the Basingstoke Pistons, the logo included the number 72 to honour the year production of trucks ended at the Thornhill factory in Basingstoke.
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The new Facebook account changed everything, and numbers swelled. Within six months numbers more than doubled with new faces appearing almost every session. The boost in numbers forced the club to move to the football pitches at the other end of the park.
Also, in November the structure of the club was made official. Founder Alex was officially recognised as general manager and Peter Christmas was installed as assistant general manager.
As the year came to an end, and within four months, Basingstoke once again had American football.
In January 2024 the growth and development continued. Christmas became the official head coach aided on the defence by American Ricardo Sanchez. Alex also appointed Brandon Cannon (the only player on the team from the very first session) as the first player representative. In mid-February the club also had in place its official constitution designed to keep and expand the Turtles for years to come.
The Turtles are not the first American football team in Basingstoke, the sport first appeared in the town in 1985. The Basingstoke Cavaliers, based at Down Grange Park, chose red and black uniforms.
The club played for one season in the British American Football Federation (BAFF) A1 conference ending with a record of 1-7-0.
Following a poor start the team decided to rebrand as the Hampshire Cavaliers and move to Andover FC.
With a new name, new home and playing in the new Budweiser League Channel Division hope was high in 1986. It didn’t last long, and the team finished winless with a 0-10-0 record.
The club lacked direction and in 1987 returned to Down Grange. Placed in the Budweiser League Division One Southern Conference the Cavaliers finished with an improved 3-7-0 record.
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The team's first playoff appearance didn’t end well. The visiting Inverclyde Crusaders (from Greenock, Scotland) came to town and left with a 36-6 victory.
The following year in 1989 the team joined the CGL (Combined Gridiron League) Duke Premier Division Southern Conference and slumped to a 0-10-0 record.
In 1990 the club once again bounced back in the BNGL (British National Gridiron League) Premier Division Southern Conference, winning all 10 games without a loss or tie.
On the 11th of August 1990 the Cavaliers gained their first playoff win in the quarter final, at home, with a 24-14 victory over the Brent Bandits.
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The following week, on the 18th August the clubs best-ever season came to a halt as they were beaten by the Destroyers at home 28-2.
The Duchy Destroyers form Cornwall would go on to capture the championship over the Cumbria Cougars 31-19 on the 1st September at Saffron Lane Stadium in Sheffield.
A highlight of the season was on the 1st July during a 26-0 away win against Southampton. Running back Nick Preece rushed for 220 yards including a 97 yard sideline dash.
Progress however once again suffered a setback in 1991 in the BNGL South Capital Conference, while a 6-4-0 record was respectable it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs.
The team improved to 7-3-0 in the BNGL National Division Southwest Conference in 1992 however this still wasn’t enough to make the playoffs. At the end of the season long serving head coach Bob Pitt quit and the club fell into a sharp decline.
Now in the BNGL National Sothern conference 1993 became a disaster. The club forfeited all 10 games and pulled out of all league competition. At the beginning of the season 38 players kitted up, by the end only 18 remained. The only way they could continue, was to merge.
The Cavaliers collapse all but assured Basingstoke looked destined to be without football for the first time since 1985. However, what was left of the team stayed together and after merging with the Farnham Knights rebranded themselves the Southern Seminoles. The new team remained at Down Grange Park in Basingstoke and kept the original team colours of red and black.
The Cavaliers collapse all but assured Basingstoke looked destined to be without football for the first time since 1985. However, what was left of the team stayed together and after merging with the Farnham Knights rebranded themselves the Southern Seminoles. The new team remained at Down Grange Park in Basingstoke and kept the original team colours of Red and Black.
The merger worked. In 1994 and playing in the BAFA (British American Football Association) Southwest Conference the team posted a record of eight wins and two losses making it to the playoffs.
On the 7th August the season came to an end away to the Brighton B52’s with a 18-10 defeat.
The good times didn’t last with a losing record in 1995 (3-6-0) playing in the BAFA Division 2 South West conference. On the 9th of July the last home game of the season was played with the Seminoles losing 6–2 to the playoff bound Bristol Aztecs. This would be the final season of contact football in Basingstoke.
In 1996 the team relocated to Carrington Park in Ash and posted a record of four wins, five losses and a tie.
By 1997 the original Farnham Knights colours were re installed and thanks to a sponsorship deal became the PA Knights. The club would eventually go on to become one of Britain’s top clubs winning a national championship and representing Great Britain in Europe.
Today the club is still considered one of the best run teams in the country. The Basingstoke Turtles GM and founder was once a member of the Knights youth team of the late 90s early 2000s - a subtle link to the history of Basingstoke’s football history.
Rewind back to 1987 and Cavaliers looked to the future and founded the Ironsides. The team called Down Grange Park home and entered its first season in 1988 playing Youth Two touch in the London and West Conference finishing with a 6-2-0 record and a playoff berth. They were knocked out of the competition in the first round by Ealing Eagles (who would later become the London Blitz).
The club returned in 1989 in the Southern conference but ended the season with a record of 1-5-0. The following season in 1990 placed them in the Southwestern Conference finishing 4-3-1.
In 1991 the team moved into contact football in the Youth Kitted league, Southeastern conference finishing with a record of 2-5-1. Shortly afterwards the team folded.
Basingstoke’s first steps into Flag American football took place in 2010 with the formation of the Zombie Hoard. The only information of the team is via the history page on the Chichester Sharks website.
From the limited information it seems the club struggled through 2011. Only two results can be confirmed, 53-31 loss to the Sharks on the 17th April in Cardiff. Later in the year the Sharks won again, this time by a scoreline of 35-7 in Chichester.
The Hoard final known season was in 2013 with 2 scores listed by Chichester Sharks. A 61 – 0 home loss on the 23rd June and a 66 – 27 away loss on the 1st September.
In 2019 the Basingstoke Giants, kitted, created and folded.
Not much is known about the Giants. The attempt to kickstart contact football in Basingstoke for the first time in 24 years started and finished with a Twitter advertisement.
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