Simon Wainwright: Football Unity, Friendship and the Sealand Seahawks

By Mike Ireland, Minister for Sport and Culture for the Principality of Sealand

(I will pre-warn you reader, whilst this may look like a normal 'Legends' post, I have done some considerable 'digging' and found some great photos of one of my best friends in the world...)

American football has always been about more than what happens between the whistles, and nobody proves that better than our latest Sealand Seahawks Legend, #55 Simon Wainwright.

From Player to Coach

Simon's been round the block in British American football (in a nice way, obviously). As a player he turned out for Halton Demons, St Helens Cardinals and Chester Romans. But it's on the coaching side where he's really left his mark, defensive coordinator stints at Bangor University, Chester University, Halton Spartans, Chester Romans and Cheshire Bears, then Head Coach at Halton Spartans, Chester Romans and Cheshire Bears on top of that. 

Not a lot of people know, Simon and I scored a touchdown in the same game - a Bangor Muddogs Old Boys game where we came on against the current team and crashed in for a score each. 

That's a proper CV. And it means Simon brings something to the Seahawks that not everyone can, years of actually understanding how to develop players and bring completely different people together around one goal.

The Mike Ireland Connection

Simon's route into the Seahawks wasn't exactly a cold call. We already knew each other from playing passball (touch Football) on Hoole Fields in Chester in 2005, all the way through to me following him to the Spartans, then the Thundering Herd, and as Simon puts it himself:

"As he always does, he convinced me to join the Seahawks when it started."

Which, fair play, is absolutely what happens. Simon is the best defensive mind I've ever met, the most knowledgeable and passionate, so when it came to getting a DC, he should've been anticipating a call really... 

Dublin: The Beginning of Something Bigger

Ask Simon what sticks out most from his time with the Seahawks and he'll go straight to Dublin 2022, our very first game. He turned up carrying a fair bit of nerves and trepidation, not really knowing what he'd signed himself up for.

Turned out he had a brilliant time, met a load of new people and made friendships that have stuck ever since. Every tour since has followed the same pattern, a new destination, a new set of memories, and as Simon puts it,

"Every tour since has been a wonderful adventure."

Honestly, that sums up the Seahawks experience better than anything I could write myself.

More Than a Team

One of the more interesting things Simon's said about Sealand is that he doesn't really see it as a traditional football team at all. He sees it as a community, and coming from someone with his coaching background, that carries a bit of weight.

The Seahawks pull together people from different clubs, different parts of the country and completely different footballing backgrounds. Suddenly coaches who'd normally only ever cross paths as opponents are sat round a table together, talking football, swapping ideas, actually learning from each other. For Simon, that's Sealand's biggest strength, full stop.

Widening Our Football Horizons

British American football can get a bit insular sometimes, players and coaches mostly stick within their own clubs and leagues. Sealand breaks that pattern. It gets people out of their usual bubble, meeting coaches from other clubs, listening, learning, trading ideas, and ultimately making the wider football community stronger for it.

"We need to widen our horizons. Sealand is the perfect place for this."

For a coach with Simon's experience, that's a genuinely powerful thing to be part of.

Becoming a Sealand Legend

Simon says being named a Legend is

"Rather humbling,"

and looking at who else is already sat in the Legends ranks, I don't blame him feeling like that, but he's earned it too. Being recognised by the very community you helped build means something completely different to just picking up another award.

What Simon Wants for the Future

Nothing complicated. Simon wants the Seahawks to keep growing, more players, more tours, more friendships, and above all, the same message that's sat at the heart of his own Sealand experience from day one: football unity. We've already brought together players and coaches from all over the country and from completely different footballing worlds.

Simon just wants us to keep doing exactly that.

Why Should You Join the Seahawks?

Simon's advice for anyone on the fence is simple:

Come and try it.

No overthinking required, no obligation, just turn up and see what it's about. What you get isn't just another chance to play American football, it's new friends from all over the country, people you can actually rely on, new environments, different perspectives, a fair few chances to travel, and a community built round the sport you love. Oh, and a pretty solid excuse for a few adventures along the way.

A Sealand Seahawks Legend

Simon Wainwright's story was never just about playing American football, it's about building the community around it. From Halton, St Helens and Chester through to university football and years of coaching, he's spent most of his footballing life helping teams and players develop. With Sealand, that influence has gone global, he's now part of an exhibition team representing an entire Principality, bringing together players and coaches who'd otherwise never have crossed paths.

And honestly, that might be the perfect reason for Simon to be a Sealand Seahawks Legend. Sometimes the biggest contribution to a team isn't what happens on the field, it's who you bring together off it.

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