West Flanders Tribes
| Established | 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Folded | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Based in |
 West Flanders
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| Home stadium | De Schorre, Ostend (terrain 23) Sportpark de Krekel, Izegem (terrain 4) |
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| Head coach | Benedict Verheyen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General manager | Ben Machiels | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Belgian Football League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Flemish Football League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) |
West Vlaanderen TRIBES |
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| League titles |
8 (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) |
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| Division titles | 6 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The West Flanders Tribes was a Belgian American football team based in the province of West-Flanders, with two home cities, Ostend and Izegem. The Tribes were members of the Flemish American Football League (FFL) conference in the Belgian Football League (BFL). Their team colours are maroon, white and black. In 2012, the team split up into the Ostend Pirates and the Izegem Tribes.
In 1990 the Izegem Redskins were formed by Rudy Dewaegemaeker after his old team, the Moeskroen Redskins, was disbanded. After a couple of months of practice the Redskins played their first game against the Brussel Raiders. The Raiders, led by Mike La Salle and QB Jon VandeMergel, beat the Redskins 78-0. The game was stopped in the 3rd quarter. This poor start was a harbinger of years of losses. But the Redskins were a group of friends, crazy about the game of football, so they stuck in there. During the second season they scored their first touchdown, which was celebrated afterwards as if they were World Champions. They won their first game in their fourth season.
In 1994 the other team in the province, the Ostend Tigers, ended play. Players from the Tigers transferred to Izegem to start playing with the Redskins. At the time there were 2 coaches: Frank Daemen and John Vandemergel. After Daemens' tragic death. Luc Verhoest, the quarterback, took over as Offensive coach and John Vandemergel was the Defensive Coach. Vandermergel became president.
In the mid '90s the Redskins started a junior flag team in Izegem, the Redskin Warriors, coached by Andy Vandenbulcke. A junior team was set up in Ostend also, under the name of the Ostend Seminoles. This was the start of the two practice fields for the Izegem Redskins. The team name was then changed to West-Vlaanderen Tribes as an overall organization, with 2 practice squads: Redskins and Seminoles. During games they played under the name Tribes.
In 1999 the Redskins played the Antwerp Diamonds in Belgian Bowl XII but lost in their first Belgian Bowl appearance with a score of 41-6.
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In 2005 Frans "Harve" Heuvicq took over as headcoach. The 2005 season was the last season that the Tribes were beaten on the road.
Off. Coordinator: Frans Heuvicq / Def. Coordinator : John Vandemergel / Off. Assistant : Frederik George / Def. Assistant : Benedict Verheyen.
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