Future Olympic sport comes to Keighley as northern sides flock over

Last Saturday saw a future Olympic sport come to Keighley, when Calderdale Locomotives hosted their British American Football Flag home game day at Carlton College, Utley. The red-hot day featured teams from Manchester, Halifax, Salford, Ormskirk and Middlesbrough, who battled it out in 40-minute contests in what was the second round of 2025 games. The Locomotives faced off against the Serpents from West Lancashire, the Ravens of Manchester and the Steel River Stingrays from Middlesbrough.

Each match up for the Locomotives was keenly contested, with the opener against the Serpents a very back and forth game that the latter won in the dying seconds. However, the Locomotives picked themselves up for game two and demolished a strong Ravens side 39-14, earning their first win of the campaign, much to the jubilation of the squad and the onlookers in attendance. They ended the day with another arm wrestle against the Stingrays, who took the lead in the second half and never relinquished it, winning by two scores.



The three games that featured the Locomotives will have been a treat for the neutral, showcasing all the skills needed within this fast-growing sport, which differs from American football in one key way. Instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier (deflagging) to end a down. Selina Fields ended Saturday’s flag football extravaganza with a club record six touchdowns.

But it was star quarterback Josh Hardy who took home the MVP award after throwing for 11 touchdowns, while Harry Whitaker showed great instincts and game intelligence to take home the defensive MVP prize. The Locomotives move onto game day three in Newcastle next month, as their season continues. If you want to know more or fancy giving this all-inclusive sport a go, please reach out to the Calderdale Locomotives on Facebook.

REPORT WRITTEN BY JAMES EVANS.