Sheffield Giants vs Northants Knights | Gameday Program | 6th August 2023

Game day VS

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PARTNERS:

16 player spotlight

18 staff roster

20 coach spotlight

23 giants in the community

25 around the club

PRODUCED BY: Unit Digital

EDITED BY: Unit Digital, Matt Flynn & Kyle Tranter

DESIGN BY: Unit Digital & Kyle Tranter

CONTRIBUTORS: Coaches, Players & Committee Members of the Sheffield Giants

PHOTOGRAPHY: Dave Tidswell & Scott Thomson

Words from the head coach Matt Flynn

Firstly, congratulations to YOU for the result against Chester. The team thoroughly deserved the win and proved what we knew all along, that we are a match for any team in this division. The entire team is grateful for the atmosphere our fans created. It really does give us a 12th man on the field, and it makes our opponents miserable.

It’s been quite the season and we’ve a lot to reflect on, but for today I’d like to welcome Coach Gumbs and the Northants Knights to Sheffield. We last met in April in a match now infamous for all the wrong reasons but one that

ultimately goes down as a loss for us. We’ve a point to prove on the field and I fully intend to end today with our 3rd win in a row and a 5th win on the season.

Getting that win won’t be easy and today is effectively a shootout between us and the Knights to finish best of the rest. The Knights offer a very different test to the ones we’ve faced of late and it’s going to take all our nous and all our effort to finish above them. With your support though we intend to do that and end our season on a high.

Thank you once again for all your support and we’ll see you in 2024.

sheffield giants - 38 chester romans - 12

Game Report

On Sunday July 23rd, the Giants capped off the Academy/Adults double header with their home fixture against the Chester Romans. Whilst the Romans have secured their spot in this year’s playoffs, the Giants still had a score to settle following their Saturday night lights blowout in Chester.

The weather forecast for the afternoon was heavy rain and conditions on the field did not disappoint. Sheffield, clearly enjoying the weather, started the game with a running touchdown on their opening drive.

Sheffield’s game plan appeared simple. Run the ball until Chester stopped it. Two additional rushing TDs in the first half suggested Chester might not be able to achieve this task.

Sheffield’s defence had also had a stellar first half. Of Chester’s five drives in the first two quarters, Sheffield allowed only one TD.

The Romans opened the third quarter with their second, and final, TD of the day. From this point onwards Sheffield forced Chester to either punt the ball away or fail to convert 4th down plays.

This Giants’ run game continued to pile on the points late in the game. In total, the Giants created 375 of offense. Barron Abrahams contributed 300 of these yards and four of the five TDs

The score at the end of regulation was Sheffield 38 – 12 Chester. The Giants celebrated not only their fourth win of the season, but also a 103 point turnaround in their two fixers against the Romans. Whilst the Giants will miss the playoffs this season, a win in their final game against the Northants Knights will have them finish third in their division with a 5-5 record. All is still to play for this Sunday

Team Captains

Jack Ramsden Defensive Line

Josh Allen Quarterback

Luke spooner Wide receiver

Matthew ‘McFly’ Sherridan Defensive Back

PLAYER spotlight

henry burton - offensive line

Hi Henry. Let’s start with what first attracted you to football?

I remember going round to a friends house when I was 9 or 10 and playing a Madden video game and playing with Mike Vick on the Eagles and remember thinking it was a pretty cool game. I then decided to start following the sport from that point on and eventually playing it when I got to university.

And what brought you to the Giants?

Having played it through university the next step up really for me was to play at the adults level. The Giants had talked to me and members from within the Sabres had mentioned going, so I decided to try it out and ultimately decided I wanted to play for the Giants for the next season.

How does playing for the Giants compare with university football?

It’s certainly a step up, I feel. The speed of which the game goes at and the physical strength of the opposing players is higher than that at the university level. However once I’d adjusted to those differences I felt comfortable playing at the Giants.

And what do you like about the Giants this year?

Coming to the Giants new this year I felt instantly welcomed and embraced into the culture and the team. On top of that the resilience shown from our team through injuries or poor results means we always come back stronger and I feel like the foundations of a really great team have been planted.

What about on a personal level – how is this season going for you?

Personally I feel this has been a strong season for my rookie adult season. I’ve yet to let up a sack or been flagged. However there is certainly room for improvement. The O Line as a whole has been averaging incredibly high rushing yards per attempt. Personally, I need to get stronger to win more dominantly in the run game.

It’s only be one season so far, but do you have any highlights?

There’s certainly been a lot of highlights this season, from winning our first game after a slow start or bouncing back after losses, but the highlight has to be winning the game against Chester. I did not play in the first fixture but completing a 103 point turnaround within a month and a dominant rushing game was a culmination of hard work by the team and the payoff was definitely the highlight of the season. How are you finding Coach Lilley and his offensive scheme?

Working with Coach Lilley has been very good this season. Having been brought into the sport with him as my coach at the Sabres it’s nice having familiar faces taking the next step up in the game. I feel like as an offence we’re very good at having open discussions about what’s working and what isn’t and in particular on gamedays how to plan and adjust for what we are seeing.

Speaking of coaches, how is it working with Coach Monaghan and the O Line?

Oli has significantly improved my game since I’ve arrived at the Giants. When

I look back at tape from the start of the university season the comparison is almost night and day. I feel my kick step and hand placement in pass pro have improved and leveraging myself better in the run have been big improvements since Oli started coaching me. Furthermore, helping with a transition from tackle to guard as well.

What are your thoughts on the Knights game?

I feel pretty confident going into the next game against Northants. In the first fixture we played the game was incredibly close and when I look personally at our team then compared to now, we are significantly better and more refined than in that first game. Furthermore, taking the energy and momentum from the win against Chester I feel sets us up nicely and hopefully we can finish the season at .500. You’ve also been involved with the GB program this year. How has that experience been?

It was an amazing experience to be a part of. It came very unexpectedly, 3 days before the penultimate training, so learning the whole playbook was certainly a challenge going into it. For me getting to see what the best of the best in this country have to offer was brilliant to see and to go up against. I felt like I was able to hold my own against the players there but again the quickness of the game and strength of the opposition was a step up that would take some adjustment. And what does Henry Burton do away from the game?

I’ve recently finished my masters in

aerospace engineering at the University of Sheffield so for the most part over the season my time and focus has been going into university work. Outside of university and sport I try to travel as much as possible, in particular meeting up with friends who now live abroad.

Finally, tell us something that fans of the Giants would never know about you.

I lived and studied in Buffalo, USA for a year and will be moving to Australia to play over there following this season.

player info

Name: Henry Burton

Position: Offensive Guard/Tackle

Number: 78/65

University/College Team: University of Sheffield Sabres

Years Playing: 4

Giants Playing Debut: 2023 versus Northants Knights

Favourite NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles

COACHES & STAFF

Head Coach

FLYNN, Matt Head Coach

Coordinator

LILLEY, Adam

MARSDEN, Anthony

Positional Coach

MONAGHAN, Oli

MAGEE, Dan

HARDY, Jacob

VICKERS, Oscar

CALVERT, Sam

CARVALHO, Fernando

Assistant Coach

SKEATES, Luke

MULLINAR, Tim

TANNER, James

SHERRIDAN, Matthew

GORMLEY, Shannon

ROWLEY, Dave

Staff

LOCKHART, Ric

DYSON, Jack

TIDSWELL, Dave

THOMSON, Scott

Offensive Coordinator

Defensive Coordinator

Offensive Line Coach

Wide Receivers Coach

Quaterbacks Coach

Defensive Line Coach

Defensive Backs Coach

Linebackers Coach

Offensive Line

Running Backs

Quarterbacks

Defensive Backs

Linebackers

Linebackers & Special Teams

Head Physio

Team Statistician

Team Photographer Team Photographer

Adult Team Committee

MOXON, Tom

BERRY, Adam

RUDD, Chloe

TRANTER Kyle

MCCALLUM, Zoe

FLYNN, Verity

RAMSDEN, Emma

GORMLEY, Shannon

TANNER, James

RAMSDEN, Jack

General Manager

Sponsor & Facilities Officer

Digital & Media Officer

Marketing & Comms Officer

Finance Officer

Academy & Community

Engagement Officer

Gameday, Roster & Social Officer

Welfare Officer

Equipment Officer

Player Liaison Officer

Coach spotlight

oscar vickers - defensive line, special teams - punt

Let’s start at the beginning. How did football find you?

I’d watched the Super Bowl when Carolina played Denver [Editor: the Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50 in 2016] and managed to last a quarter. The year after, I watched the whole thing and thought it looked like fun. I then got an advert for a team on Instagram and up popped the Giants. It’s easily the best sport I’ve ever played, and I’ve never looked back since.

And what attracted you to coaching football?

In my 2nd year of uniball I broke my arm, which meant I was unable to play for an extended period. Having graduated from the Giants Academy, I reached out to Ted & Paul [Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, respectively] regarding a coaching position, to keep me around the sport and stop me losing my mind. Watching the players develop was more rewarding than playing, and so when I was forced to hang up the pads, it was a no brainer.

There are other Teams closer to you. What keeps you in Sheffield?

The close knit nature of the team and the Giants community kept me around previously and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

With 2023, obviously going into a rebuild there were no expectations this year, we just wanted to play football and see where it took us. The first few fixtures were tough for a variety of reasons, but the back half with plenty of home fixtures has been incredible. I often refer to it as Fortress Norton because it truly is incredible how much noise a handful of airhorns can make and it really makes a difference.

How is this season going for you personally?

Personally it’s been a year of development. I approached Coach Eli and Matt regarding the open DL position following Matt’s promotion to Head Coach, and was admittedly shocked when they agreed! The level of trust they have placed in me, especially by letting me lead the punt unit, means a lot to me and I hope to have repaid their faith.

That’s great. How has it been working with Coach Eli?

Eli’s a delight to work with. He gives me autonomy to plan and run indies, allows me to lead and contribute to classroom sessions and on gamedays trusts us to manage our units and tell him what we’re seeing. It’s a level of freedom I haven’t been used to, but it’s one I’ve loved having. Tell us about your involvement with the Giants Academy.

I started with the Academy back in 2019, the year before Covid hit. I was a lot skinnier back then, so was a Swiss army knife player, trying every position on defence. After Covid, I had bulked up, and cemented myself as a Linebacker, and was honoured to be named a captain. To then go back and coach was a nice way to give back to the team.

And yet there’s more. You’re also involved with Giants Flag. Tell us about that.

I can’t stop talking about it! To be back playing football has been the highlight of my week, and the tournament this weekend puts us in a great spot to build and grow going into our first full season next year. The vibe is like nothing else I’ve been a part of, and I couldn’t recommend it enough. If you could choose one highlight as a Giant, what would it be?

The highlight would have to be my first win as temporary DC at the Academy. It was a tough one, as I was completely on my own but the players responded well. It was a tight game, ending on a game winning kick return by one of my Defensive Ends, Girey. The feeling of watching him break the last tackle and knowing we’d won was like nothing else.

What are your thoughts on the game against Northants today?

Obviously the away game against Northants ended in a way no one expected, and the positive news about Josh’s recovery is the most important takeaway from that game. Coming off the back of a huge win against Chester, we’re all fired up and focused on ending the season 5-5 to provide a solid foundation for next season. And what does Oscar Vickers do when he’s not involved with football in some way?

If you ask my friends and family, they’d probably say nothing! I enjoy playing games with my mates, and I’m often in the gym or walking up in the peaks.

Finally, tell us something about you that fans of the Giants won’t know.

I’m only 21, I suppose? A lot of the guys always seem shocked when they find out how young I am (and I’m equally shocked by how old some of them are) I’m also a big lover of 00s pop music as anyone who’s had to share a car with me will know!

coach info

Name: Oscar Vickers

Favourite NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings

COACHING:

Role/Unit: Defensive Line, Special TeamsPunt

Previous Clubs: University of Leeds (Linebackers Coach)

Years Coaching: 2

Giants Coaching Debut: 2023 v Northants

Knights, 2022 for Giants Academy v Nottingham Caesars

PLAYING:

Position: Linebacker

Number: 66

Clubs: University of Leeds, Sheffield Giants Academy, Sheffield Giants

Years Playing: 3 (5 seasons)

Giants Playing Debut: 2022 v Tamworth

Phoenix, 2021 Giants Academy v Manchester Titans

GIANTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Through July the Giants have taken part in two events in support of the local community.

The first of these was Beighton Gala, with the Giants sending representatives to man a stall at the annual family fun day and raise awareness of the events that we take part in. The weather was unkind, but the Giants still had plenty of people in attendance and spent the day talking to members of the community and offering shelter from the rain.

Later in the month, and despite the heavy rain once again, the Giants took to the streets and carried out a community litter pick. Focussed initially in the

Hillsborough area and moving into the city centre as the weather improved, a group of players and coaches helped to clean up the streets and bag up rubbish for collection. It was hard, wet work but it was a pleasure for all involved to do something valuable and to speak to members of the public showing their appreciation throughout.

It has been a pleasure to put a big focus on the community this year and we look forward to doing more in the off-season, as well as bigger and better events in 2024.

Around the club

Academy

The Sheffield Giants American Football Academy has a place for everyone to enjoy the sport; from age 7 to 19, any gender, any size, and any ability.

The Academy offers both contact and non-contact versions of the sport in inclusive, supportive, and most importantly fun teams. All of these are run by experienced and committed coaches every Saturday morning at our Mosborough Training Ground (S20 5AQ).

ADULT FLAG

The Sheffield Giants Adult Flag teams allow adults to play non-contact football in Sheffield. There’s no previous experience or talent required to join the Women’s or Mixed teams, who compete in tournaments / leagues against teams based all across the UK.

The Giants Mixed Flag Team has already begun their preparations for the 2023 season, training every Sunday at Hillsborough College, but it’s not too late to get involved. The Giants Women’s Flag Team begins their training later in the year and practices at the Mosborough Training Ground.