The Ghent Gators are an American football team situated in Ghent. The team was established in 1999 by Craig Bailey, an American living in Belgium, through his local pizza delivery business. Along with 8 other Flemish teams, they are part of the Flemish American Football League (FAFL) conference in the Belgian Football League (BFL). They managed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in their existence on May 18, 2014 and won their first Belgian championship on 29 June 2014 by beating the Brussels Tigers in Belgian Bowl XXVII.

Ghent Gators
Established1999
Based inGhent
Home stadiumRUSS Ghent / Blaarmeersen Ghent
LeagueBelgian Football League
DivisionFlemish American Football League
League titles1 (2014)
Division titles1 (2014)
Current uniform
Helmet
Left arm Body Right arm
Trousers
Socks
Home
Helmet
Left arm Body Right arm
Trousers
Socks
Away

Current Season

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In 2018, the Gators took part in the Belgian second division. They were relegated after the 2016 despite finishing third in the first division due to a forfait in the final game of the season. After cruising through the second division with a record of 8-0 against Izegem Tribes, Leuven Lions and Waasland Wolves, they qualified for the FAFL Bowl. The game was played on 10 June 2018 against the 2nd best team in the division, the Izegem Tribes. After regulation, the score was 28-28 so it went into overtime. On the very first play of overtime, the Tribes managed to score a touchdown and the Gators were unable to respond. This means Izegem won the Flemish title[1] and advanced to the promotion game where they lost to the Ostend Pirates.

Senior Roster

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Ghent Gators Senior Roster 2020

Quarterbacks

  •  4 Gilles Van Overschelde
  •  5 Robin Van Litsenborg
  • 18 Mathias Callebaut

Wide receivers

  •  3 Pauwel Depreitere
  •  7 Pieter-Jan Dhaese
  • 24 Kim Jolie
  • 80 Stephen Amant
  • 83 Thomas Lezy
  • 84 Senne Keuppens
  • 88 Frederik Ongenae
  • 89 Jona Dermul

Running backs

  •  1 Richard Mayango
  • 19 Jordi De Meyer
  • 32 Anton Bardyn

Offensive linemen

  • 53 Michiel Morel
  • 60 Matthias Van Gysegem
  • 65 Chato De Veirman
  • 69 Fettah Alioski
  • 76 Tom Ragaert

Defensive linemen

  • 13 Destiny Osegbe
  • 56 Alexander Van de Cotte
  • 77 Paolo Tokmaji
  • 91 Youri Maas
  • 94 Robert Skibicki
  • 99 D'Jim Verbanck

Linebackers

  • 33 Jorge Castrillo
  • 51 Kenzo Lannoo
  • 54 Simon Van der Sluys
  • 55 Rogier Depreitere
  • 58 Leonard Coremans

Defensive backs

  • 25 Timothy Buyle
  • 26 Andreas Van der Sluys
  • 27 Owen Engels
  • 30 Florian Steelant
  • 36 Willem Doms

Coaching staff

  • Head coach
    Roald Piqueur
  • Defensive Coordinator
    Roald Piqueur
  • Offensive Coordinator
    Pauwel Depreitere
  • Assistant Offensive Coordinator
    Jelle Van Melder
  • Running Backs coach
    Benoit Lagae
  • Defensive Line coach
    Sander De Gussem

Performance

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2000-2004

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  - clinched seed to the playoffs

BFL 2000 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Izegem Redskins 7 1 0 .875 202 67 W7
Charleroi Cougars 6 2 0 .750 138 40
Liège Red Roosters 3 5 0 .375 77 108
Flemalle Flames 3 5 0 .375 52 186
Brussels Tigers 2 6 0 .250 76 154
Ghent Gators* 0 7 0 .000 57 256
  • (*) Ghent was removed from competition on April 14, 2000. All results were cancelled.

2000 Playoffs

Quarterfinals
May 7, 2000 @ Brussels
Semifinals
May 14, 2000 @ Izeghem
Belgian Bowl XIII
May 28, 2000 @ Izeghem
1 Izegem Redskins 34
1 Izegem Redskins 20 4 Flemalle Flames 20
5 Brussels Tigers 16 1 Izegem Redskins 28
2 Charleroi Cougars 0
2 Charleroi Cougars 14
3 Liège Red Roosters 50 3 Liège Red Roosters 12
6 Ghent Gators (FF) 0
BFL 2002 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
BFL West 2002 Standings
Antwerp Diamonds 8 0 0 1.00 286 24 W8
Tournai Phoenix 6 2 0 .750 184 78
West Flanders Tribes 4 3 1 .500 146 90 W1
Ghent Gators 0 8 0 .000 6 299 L8
BFL East 2002 Standings
Brussels Tigers 6 2 0 .750 158 66
Brussels Angels 4 3 1 .500 160 97
Flemalle Flames 4 4 0 .500 202 162
Charleroi Cougars 2 6 0 .250 124 194
Liège Red Roosters 1 7 0 .125 40 302
BFL 2004 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Antwerp Diamonds 8 0 0 1.00 306 0 W8
Leuven Lions 7 1 0 .875 161 43
Brussels Black Angels 6 2 0 .750 143 46
Charleroi Cougars 6 3 0 .667 75 115
Liège Red Roosters 4 4 1 .444 92 161
Tournai Phoenix 3 5 0 .375 101 94
Flemalle Flames 3 5 1 .333 78 152
West Flanders Tribes 2 5 1 .250 68 70 L1
Brussels Tigers 1 8 0 .111 12 177
Ghent Gators 0 7 1 .000 32 207

2006-2009

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FFL 2006 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
West Flanders Tribes 6 1 0 .857 175 75 L1
Brussels Black Angels 6 1 0 .857 199 39
Antwerp Diamonds 5 2 0 .714
Leuven Lions 3 4 0 .429 101 115
Bornem Titans 1 6 0 .143 32 177
Ghent Gators 0 7 0 .000 56 196 L7
FFL 2007 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
West Flanders Tribes 6 0 1 .857 198 34 W6
Brussels Black Angels 6 1 0 .857 148 51
Antwerp Diamonds 4 3 0 .571 74 48
Leuven Lions 2 3 1 .333
Bornem Titans 1 6 0 .143 26 176
Ghent Gators 0 6 0 .000 L6
FFL 2008 Standings[2]
W L T PCT PF PA STK
West Flanders Tribes 8 0 0 1.00 277 59 W8
Brussels Black Angels 6 2 0 .750 271 67 W1
Antwerp Diamonds 5 3 0 .625 101 76 L1
Ghent Gators 5 3 0 .625 146 122 W3
Bornem Titans 3 5 0 .375 39 190 L1
Leuven Lions 1 7 0 .125 66 175 L4
Brussels Bulls 0 8 0 .000 36 247 L8
FFL 2009 Standings[3]
W L T PCT PF PA STK
West Flanders Tribes 8 0 0 1.00 279 37 W8
Brussels Black Angels 7 1 0 .875 207 75 W6
Bornem Titans 4 4 0 .500 141 166 W3
Brussels Bulls 3 5 0 .375 159 194 L3
Leuven Lions 2 5 1 .313 78 168 L4
Antwerp Diamonds 2 6 0 .250 82 191 L2
Ghent Gators 1 6 1 .188 119 230 L1

2010 season

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Gators Regular season 2010
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
21/02 15:00 Brussels Bulls W 19-00 1-0-0 Gent
07/03 12:30 Brussels Black Angels L 20-12 1-1-0 Oostende
21/03 16:00 Limburg Shotguns W 20-14 2-1-0 Gent
28/03 12:30 Bornem Titans L 20-06 2-2-0 Brussel
04/04 12:30 Antwerp Diamonds W 48-12 3-2-0 Brussel
11/04 12:30 West-Vlaanderen Tribes L 29-09 3-3-0 Brussel
18/04 12:30 Limburg Shotguns W 13-06 4-3-0 Brussel
02/05 15:00 Leuven Lions T 06-06 4-3-1 Leuven

COLOR KEY:

  •   Win -   Tie -   Loss.
FFL 2010 Standings[4]
W L T PCT PF PA STK
West Flanders Tribes 8 0 0 1.00 263 77 W8
Brussels Black Angels 7 1 0 .875 179 66 W4
Bornem Titans 5 3 0 .625 192 94 L2
Ghent Gators 4 3 1 .500 127 100 T1
Antwerp Diamonds 3 5 0 .375 79 170 W1
Brussels Bulls 2 6 0 .250 95 197 L3
Leuven Lions 1 6 1 .125 46 144 T1
Limburg Shotguns 1 7 0 .125 76 208 L2

2011 season

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Gators Regular season 2011
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
20/02 15:00 Leuven Lions L 23-00 0-1-0 Gent
06/03 15:00 Bornem Titans L 14-07 0-2-0 Puurs
13/03 15:00 Antwerp Diamonds W 15-12 1-2-0 Gent
20/03 12:00 Limburg Shotguns L 26-06 1-3-0 Berendrecht
03/04 15:00 Brussels Black Angels L 49-00 1-4-0 Brussel
10/04 15:00 Brussels Bulls L 54-06 1-5-0 Brussel
17/04 12:00 Leuven Lions W 10-07 2-5-0 Izegem
08/05 15:00 West-Vlaanderen Tribes L 54-00 2-6-0 Oostende
FFL 2011 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
West Flanders Tribes 8 0 0 1.00 283 62 W8
Brussels Black Angels 6 1 1 .928 220 26 W5
Brussels Bulls 5 2 1 .688 253 52 W4
Bornem Titans 4 4 0 .500 114 142 L2
Antwerp Diamonds 3 5 0 .375 101 162 L2
Limburg Shotguns 2 6 0 .250 90 286 L4
Ghent Gators 2 6 0 .250 44 239 L1
Leuven Lions 1 7 0 .125 57 193 L7

2012 season

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Gators Regular season 2012
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
11/03 12:00 Puurs Titans W 41-00 1-0-0 Brussel
18/03 15:00 Antwerp Diamonds L 10-07 1-1-0 Gent
01/04 15:00 Brussels Black Angels L 25-00 1-2-0 Brussel
15/04 15:00 Leuven Lions W 08-07 2-2-0 Gent
22/04 15:00 Brussels Bulls L 31-07 2-3-0 Brussel
05/05 14:00 West-Vlaanderen Tribes L 41-13 2-4-0 Oostende
FFL 2012 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Brussels Bulls 5 1 0 .833 117 55 L1
West Flanders Tribes 4 1 1 .667 157 80 W3
Antwerp Diamonds 4 1 1 .667 78 47 W1
Brussels Black Angels 4 2 0 .667 77 37 W3
Ghent Gators 2 4 0 .333 76 114 L2
Leuven Lions 0 5 1 .000 57 95 L4
Puurs Titans 0 5 1 .000 47 183 L3
Limburg Shotguns (*) - - - - - - -
  • (*)Limburg Shotguns gave forfait for the entire 2012 season. The games the Shotguns played became null and void, as if they were never played.

2013 season

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Gators Regular season 2013
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
09/02 12:00 Brussel Black Angels L 34-07 0-1-0 Izegem
10/03 15:00 Leuven Lions T 00-00 0-1-1 Leuven
17/03 15:00 Puurs Titans L 28-13 0-2-1 Gent
14/04 11:00 Izegem Tribes W 14-07 1-2-1 Puurs
28/04 12:00 Antwerp Diamonds L 24-12 1-3-1 Brussel
05/05 15:00 Brussels Bulls L 33-00 1-4-1 Brussel
FFL 2013 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Brussels Bulls 6 0 0 1.00 178 14 W6
Brussels Black Angels 5 1 0 .833 127 29 W3
Puurs Titans 3 2 0 .600 81 54 W1
Leuven Lions 2 3 1 .417 56 96 L2
Antwerp Diamonds 1 3 1 .300 49 105 T1
Ghent Gators 1 4 1 .250 46 126 L2
Izegem Tribes 0 5 1 .083 49 162 T1

2014 season

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After their sixth win of the season - versus the Puurs Titans - the Ghent Gators qualified for the playoffs for the first time since being established in 1999. They finished the season as the first seed in the Flemish American Football League and by doing so, won the Flemish championship and earned a first round bye for the playoffs. In the playoffs they beat the Ostend Pirates - they only team that had beaten them so far this season - in a Semi Final thriller and qualified for Belgian Bowl XXVII. In their first ever Belgian Bowl, the Gators defeated the Brussels Tigers (Walloon Champions) 38-0 and became Belgian Champions.[5][6][7]

Gators Regular season 2014
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
09/02 12:00 Brussels Black Angels W 28-14 1-0-0 Beringen
23/02 12:00 Brussels Bulls W 14-00 2-0-0 Oostende
09/03 15:00 Izegem Tribes W 30-08 3-0-0 Gent
23/03 12:00 Limburg Shotguns W 56-06 4-0-0 Brussel
20/04 15:00 Leuven Lions W 34-00 5-0-0 Leuven
04/05 15:00 Ostend Pirates L 22-25 5-1-0 Oostende
18/05 12:00 Puurs Titans W 56-06 6-1-0 Izegem
01/06 15:00 Antwerp Diamonds W 48-06 7-1-0 Gent
2014 Playoffs
15/06 16:00 Ostend Pirates W 16-14 8-1-0 Gent[8]
Belgian Bowl XXVII
29/06 14:30 Brussels Tigers W 38-00 9-1-0 Izegem
FAFL 2014 Standings
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Ghent Gators 7 1 0 .875 288 65 W2
Brussels Black Angels 7 1 0 .875 226 66 W7
Ostend Pirates 6 2 0 .750 196 84 W4
Brussels Bulls 5 3 0 .625 158 73 W2
Leuven Lions 4 4 0 .500 148 138 W1
Puurs Titans 3 5 0 .375 84 219 L3
Limburg Shotguns 2 5 1 .313 80 208 L2
Izegem Tribes 1 6 1 .188 90 203 L3
Antwerp Diamonds 0 8 0 .000 51 265 L8
Quarterfinals
June 8, 2014 @Grez-Doiceau
@Anderlecht
Semifinals
June 15, 2014 @Gent
@Evere
Belgian Bowl XXVII
June 29, 2014 @ Izegem
1 Ghent Gators 16
2 Grez-Doiceau Fighting Turtles 22 3 Ostend Pirates 14
3 Ostend Pirates 30 1 Ghent Gators 38
1 Brussels Tigers 0
1 Brussels Tigers 7
2 Brussels Black Angels 52 2 Brussels Black Angels 3
3 Liège Monarchs 12

2015 season

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Gators Regular season 2015
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
15/02 12:00 Leuven Lions W 42-06 1-0-0 Antwerp
22/02 12:00 Puurs Titans W 40-00 2-0-0 Izegem
08/03 12:00 Izegem Tribes W 50-00 3-0-0 Leuven
22/03 15:00 Antwerp Diamonds W 22-00 4-0-0 Ghent
05/04 12:00 Limburg Shotguns W 52-00 5-0-0 Leuven
17/05 14:00 Ostend Pirates W 20-12 6-0-0 Ghent
24/05 12:00 Brussels Black Angels L 00-39 6-1-0 Puurs
FAFL 2015 Standings[9]
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Brussels Black Angels 7 0 0 1.00 295 W7
Ghent Gators 6 1 0 0.857 216 L1
Ostend Pirates 5 2 0 .714 187
Izegem Tribes 4 3 0 .571 114
Antwerp Diamonds 2 5 0 .286 68
Leuven Lions 2 5 0 .167 84 W
Limburg Shotguns 1 6 0 .143 85 L
Puurs Titans 1 6 0 .143 71
Quarterfinals
June 7th, 2015
Semifinals
June 14th, 2015
Belgian Bowl XXVIII
June 27th, 2015 @ Sint-Niklaas
1 Brussels Black Angels 14
2 Liège Monarchs 12 3 Ostend Pirates 6
3 Ostend Pirates 22 1 Brussels Tigers 8
1 Brussels Black Angels 13
1 Brussels Tigers 56
2 Ghent Gators 22 3 Waterloo Warriors 14
3 Waterloo Warriors 24

2017 season

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Gators Regular season 2017
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
05/03 14:00 Waterloo Warriors W 42-06 1-0-0 Ghent
19/03 14:00 Ostend Pirates W 38-00 2-0-0 Ghent
02/04 14:00 Brussels Tigers L 14-77 2-1-0 Evere
16/04 14:00 Antwerp Argonauts W 48-09 3-1-0 Ghent
30/04 14:00 Grez-Doiceau Fighting Turtles W 56-14 4-1-0 Ghent
14/05 14:00 Liege Monarchs W 20-6 5-1-0 Liege
28/05 14:00 Brussels Black Angels L 00-50 6-2-0 Brussels
Pos. Team GP Streak W L T PF PA Diff
1 Black Angels 7 Won 7 7 0 0 272 08 +264
2 Tigers 7 Won 2 6 1 0 311 41 +277
3 Pirates 7 Won 1 4 3 0 120 134 -14
4 Warriors 7 Lost 1 2 4 1 67 180 -113
5 Monarchs 7 Won 1 1 5 1 43 192 -149
6 Turtles 7 Lost 4 1 6 0 78 331 -253
7 Argonauts 7 Lost 2 1 6 0 68 195 -127
DSQ Gators 7 Lost 1 5 2 0 218 137 +81
Source: [1]

2017 BFL season

2018 season

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Gators Regular season 2018
Date Kickoff Opponent Result Location
Score Team record
25/02 12:00 Izegem Tribes W 26-15 1-0-0 Sint-Pauwels
18/03 15:00 Leuven Lions W 32-00 2-0-0 Ghent
01/04 12:00 Izegem Tribes W 34-21 3-0-0 Leuven
15/04 12:00 Waasland Wolves W 32-06 4-0-0 Izegem
29/04 15:00 Leuven Lions W 30-07 5-0-0 Ghent
05/05 12:00 Waasland Wolves W 54-06 6-0-0 Izegem
13/05 12:00 Izegem Tribes W 18-16 7-0-0 Leuven
27/05 12:00 Leuven Lions W 50-0 8-0-0 Sint-Pauwels
FAFL Bowl
10/06 14:00 Izegem Tribes L 28-34 8-1-0 Ghent

2018 BFL season

References

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  1. ^ "Izegem Tribes kunnen driejarenplan al na anderhalf jaar realiseren".
  2. ^ "Flemish American Football League". AmericanFootball.be. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  3. ^ "Flemish American Football League". AmericanFootball.be. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  4. ^ "Flemish American Football League". AmericanFootball.be. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  5. ^ "Ghent Gators winnen Belgian Bowl 2014 | Flemish American Football LeagueFlemish American Football League". Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  6. ^ kv. "BELGIAN BOWL - Ghent Gators kampioen - nieuws 30/06". Het Nieuwsblad.
  7. ^ "Football américain: Les Gators de Gand remportent le Belgian Bowl".
  8. ^ VERDRUYE, KOEN. "'Ontgoocheling ging over in voldoening'". Het Nieuwsblad.
  9. ^ "Flemish American Football League". fafl.be. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
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