Düsseldorf Panther
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| Founded | 1978 |
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| League | German Football League |
| Based in | Düsseldorf, Germany |
| Stadium | VfL Benrath Stadium |
| Colors | Red and Black |
| Head coach | Clifford Madison |
| Championships | Eurobowl: 1995 German Bowl: 1983, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1995 NFL Bowl (Germany): 1980, 1981 Junior Bowl: 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 |
| Division titles | GFL North: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1996 |
| Website | www.duesseldorfpanther.de/ |
The Düsseldorf Panther are an American football team from Düsseldorf, Germany. The club is the oldest exant American football club in Europe, having been formed on 1 May 1978.
The Panthers are one of the most successful American football clubs in Germany, having won six German Bowls as well as becoming the first-ever German team to win the Eurobowl in 1995. Having won its 15th Junior Bowl in 2010, the club has the most successful youth department in the sport in Germany.
The Panthers were formed on 1 May 1978 and, while not the first American football club in Germany—this honour going to the Frankfurter Löwen who were formed in 1977 but folded in the mid-1980s—are the oldest still existing club.
In 1979, the American Football Bundesliga, later to be renamed the German Football League, was formed, consisting of six clubs, the Düsseldorf Panther, Frankfurter Löwen, Ansbach Grizzlies, Munich Cowboys, Berlin Bears and Bremerhaven Seahawks. Of those six, the top two teams would contest the first ever German Bowl on 10 November 1979, however, the Panthers were a long shot from this game, finishing last without a win or point.
The team did not take part in the second or third season of the league, instead forming a rival league with a number of other clubs. The Panthers won this league, the Nordwestdeutsche Football-Liga, the NFL, in 1980 and 1981. Those two titles are however not recognised as national championships and the club, like all others in the league, soon returned to the Bundesliga.
From 1982 to 1986, the league stood under the dominance of the Panthers and the Ansbach Grizzlies, who played each other in four consecutive German Bowls, with the Panthers winning all but the 1985 one. The team remained a strong side after this but was only able to win one more championship, in 1988, in the following four years.
After a 1991 season when the club couldn't qualify for the play-offs, the Panthers returned to their former strength from 1992 onwards, the club experiencing a second golden era until 1996. Three German championships were won, in 1992, 1994 and 1995. In between, in 1993, the club only reached the semi finals while in 1996, it lost the final. Additionally, the Panthers became the first German side to win the Eurobowl in 1995. From 1995 onwards, the Panthers also had some local competition, with the Rhein Fire, based at Düsseldorf, playing in the NFL Europe until the league folded in 2007.
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