Mersey Centurions
| Established | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1988 |
| Based in | Birkenhead |
| Home stadium | Various |
| Head coach | George Aguado |
The Wirral Wolves were an American football team based in Birkenhead, Wirral, England. Following a speculative advertisement placed in the Wirral Globe by Paul Tiplady, the Wirral Wolves were formed in 1984. They played their first game, a friendly against Leigh Razorbacks as part of an America Day in Arrowe Park in the spring of 1985. They played a series of friendly games in 1985, joined the Amateur American Football Conference for 1986 reaching the 'Steel Bowl' Final and the British American Football League in 1987. They played in Black and Silver and based their uniform on the LA Raiders.The Wolves disbanded in early 1988 but former Wolves players went on to form the Birkenhead Nighthawks around this time.
Training at the former Ellerman Lines Cricket Ground, in Hoylake West Wirral , the Wolves used a playing field in Arrowe Park as their matchday base. They amassed a 6-3 record in friendly fixtures, defeating prominent clubs such as the Steel City Giants (38-31), Stoke Spitfires and Sherwood Outlaws.
The Wirral Wolves joined the AAFC West Division alongside teams from St Helens, Macclesfield and Runcorn. They played their home games at Birkenhead Park RUFC's Upper Park ground, having first faced Leigh Razorbacks and Coventry Bears there during the winter. They won the Western Division with an 8-2 record, losing only to Steel City (home interconference fixture) and St Helens (away), beating eventual champions Scunthorpe Steelers away in an early season matchup. They reached the AAFC Steel Bowl championship game, played on September 28, 1986 they lost 50-32 to the Steelers in the final, with five passing touchdowns by their well renowned passing offense, spearheaded by quarterback Danny Aguado, Wide Receiver Manny Owolabi, Middle Linebacker dave Egan and Running Back Wayne Freeman.
In the closed season the Wolves management negotiated the use of Tranmere Rovers' Prenton Park Stadium with new Tranmere owner Peter Johnson who had taken over earlier that year. The preseason was marked by a fixture against an Oregon High School All-Stars team at New Brighton F.C. in which San Diego Chargers' Quarterback Dan Fouts attended as the guest of honour. They regularly attracted paying attendances of 500-1000 for home games at Prenton Park. Having lost at home to Lancashire, they faced the Washington Presidents knowing that only a win would put them back into playoff contention. This, the most exhilarating game of the 1987 season, was played in front of around 1000 enthusiastic fans at the home of Tranmere Rovers.
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