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BAFA National Leagues

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The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) is the primary American football domestic league competition in Great Britain. Originally formed in 1983, the league is run by the British American Football Association to coordinate contact football within England, Scotland and Wales. The top level is the Premier Division and the BritBowl is the annual final championship game. The league was reformed in 2010 following the collapse of the British American Football League, which had run in a number of different guises since the early 1980s. Previous names of the league were the UKAFL (UK American Football League), the Budweiser League and the BNGL (British National Gridiron League). From 1998 until 2005 the league was known as the BSL (British Senior League). Tensions grew throughout 2009 between the directors of BAFL and those of the governing body the British American Football Association, and at the beginning of 2010 the BAFL formally, but unconstitutionally, withdrew from BAFA. This led to uproar from the teams within BAFL, ultimately signalling the end for BAFL as an entity. The league ceased operations on 1 April 2010 and was replaced by the BAFA Community Leagues for the 2010 season, rebranding in 2011 to become the BAFANL. Notable players to have come from the BAFANL who have gone on to play in the NFL are Efe Obada, Aden Durde, Jermaine Allen and Marvin Allen.

BAFA National Leagues
FormerlyBritish American Football League (1985–2010)
SportAmerican football
Founded(1983) reformed in 2010
First seasonreformed 2010
CommissionerJoe Walker
No. of teams60
Country England (52 teams)
 Scotland (7 teams)
 Wales (1 team)
HeadquartersKidderminster, Worcestershire, England[1]
Most recent
champion(s)		Britbowl: London Warriors
Premier North: Manchester Titans
Premier South: London Warriors
Division 1 Championship: Nottingham Caesars
NFC 1 Scotland: Glasgow Tigers
NFC 1 North: Scunthorpe Alphas
NFC 1 South: Nottingham Caesars
SFC 1 East: East Kent Mavericks
SFC 1 West: Bristol Apache
Division 2 Championship: Colchester Gladiators
NFC 2 East: Darlington Steam
NFC 2 West: Sandwell Steelers
SFC 2 East: Colchester Gladiators
SFC 2 West: Sussex Thunder
Most titlesLondon Warriors
(7 titles)
Related
competitions		Britbowl
Official websitebritishamericanfootball.org

Pete Ackerley currently heads the day-to-day operations of the BAFANL. The league operates a summer season and begins in April and plays through until August, with play-off games running into September. There are currently 60 teams who compete in 12 regional divisions across three levels of football. The 12 teams who contest both the two BAFA Premier Divisions compete to reach the annual Britbowl final, whereas teams in the second and third level aim to earn promotion to the Division above, attempting to reach one of the Divisional bowl finals. The current champions are the Manchester Titans who won the 2023 Britbowl as well as the Premier Division North, after defeating the London Warriors for the second successive time in the 2023 Britbowl final.

History

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The London Blitz prior to their 2011 EFAF Cup match in Spain

American football was introduced to the United Kingdom during the early part of the 20th century by American servicemen stationed in the country. The first recorded match took place on 23 November 1910 at Crystal Palace, London, where a team made up of the crew from USS Idaho defeated their counterparts from USS Vermont 19–0.[2][3] During the Second World War, matches were played by American and Canadian servicemen stationed in the UK at venues throughout the country. This included the 'Tea Bowl' game played at the White City Stadium in 1944,[4] and this was followed by the creation of the United States Armed Forces Europe (USAFE) league in 1946. This league consisted of teams from American military bases throughout Europe, with one of the league's three conferences made up of teams based in the UK – teams from this conference won the league championship thirteen times until the competition ceased in 1993.[5][6]

The first teams open to British players were established in 1983, and competition began the following year in the form of a series of one-off games. The match results were compiled into a 'Merit Table', with teams playing more than three games eligible for the championship—the first champions were the London Ravens, who won all ten of their matches.[7][8]

Tensions grew throughout 2009 between the directors of the British American Football League and those of the governing body the British American Football Association, and at the beginning of 2010 the BAFL formally, but unconstitutionally, withdrew from BAFA. This led to uproar from the teams within BAFL, ultimately signalling the end for BAFL as an entity. The league ceased operations on 1 April 2010. The league was replaced by the BAFA Community Leagues for the 2010 season. This organisation, run under the umbrella of the governing body, rebranded in 2011 to become the BAFA National Leagues. Hundreds of clubs have since been formed, playing both full contact football and flag football at senior, university and youth level. Many of these clubs have since folded, renamed or merged with other local teams, but a few of the older clubs survive today.

Season format

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British counties with BAFANL teams in 2023
  NFC (Northern Football Conference)
  SFC (Southern Football Conference)

The BAFANL is contested by teams from England, Scotland, and Wales. Teams from Northern Ireland compete under competition from American Football Ireland and therefore do not compete with teams from the rest of the United Kingdom. The regular season format consists of two Conferences, the Northern Football Conference (NFC) and Southern Football Conference (SFC), within each Conference there are three levels of competition starting at Premier Division and filtering down to Divisions One and Two. Teams can be switched between the NFC and SFC depending on the geographic location of each team at the beginning of the season. In the past when Division One has been loaded with teams from the middle of England there has been a designated Midlands Football Conference (MFC), although this is currently defunct. The current format consists of a ten-game season for Premier Division teams and Division One teams, with Division Two now playing eight games. The league is a summer sport in the UK and runs opposite to the NFL, with teams beginning pre-season training in January to compete in the regular season that takes place between April and August. The play-off games usually running into September, with the finals taking place towards the middle of the month. Following the climax of the regular season, the eventual winners and runners-up from both Premier Divisions make up the semi-final round in which they will compete to win a place in the Britbowl. Since 2014, the Britbowl winners will automatically qualify to play in the IFAF Europe Champions League for the following season. European games run aside the clubs domestic season, prior to 2014 qualification was for the EFAF Cup.

Unlike American football competitions in North America such as the NFL, NCAA and CFL, American football in the UK runs a similar promotion and relegation format to that of association football (soccer) in the United Kingdom. Teams from the Division One and Division Two aim to win promotion to the Division above by attempting to reach their respective play-off final. The team that finishes bottom of their division (excluding Division Two) are relegated to their relevant regional division in the level below. Although there is no active on-the-field promotion process to Division Two, there are a number of non-league sides who operate in the "associate process". Instead of playing to win promotion to the league these teams must gain entry by application to the British American Football Association and must meet a number of different criteria from playing a number of assessed exhibition games, sustainability, facilities and good coaching practice. BAFA have the ability to relegate any BAFANL team back to associate status if that club are failing to make the standard expected of them. If a team withdraws from the season but indicate their wish to continue operating then they will spend the following season at associate level.[9]

The game itself is run following the latest NCAA rules,[10] this has been in practice since the 2005 season. There is currently no limit on roster size, unlike the NFL's 53 man setup. Unlike the majority of top European leagues, British American football is currently amateur as opposed to pro or semi-professional.[11] Clubs largely operate and turnover financially through sponsorship and player subscriptions. Whereas it is not currently illegal for a team to pay a wage to coaches, they are forbidden from paying a wage to players. Players currently have to pay a yearly fee to BAFA as well as contributing to the club they play for, regardless of stature or whether the player has been a professional elsewhere. The transfer window for players being allowed to move teams usually opens in October and closes midway through the season in July. Transfers are all handled through an online portal registration system in which the player requests the move and has to wait for both teams to accept the deal before finalisation is sent to BAFA.

Players

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Players in the BAFANL are largely made up of British nationals who due to the league's current status have to pay a subscription fee to both the league and their respective clubs. British league teams in earlier years were allowed to pay players and most teams had paid US import professionals. Clubs are currently not permitted to pay a wage to any player, but coaches and other staff members are able to receive a wage. There are currently no limits on roster size unlike the NFL's 53 man roster. The minimum age of BAFANL contact player is 18 years old, however players are allowed to play to youth football until the age of 19. Female players are currently permitted to participate in the league as well as the BAFA ran Women's National Football League.[clarification needed] Premier League and some Division One sides tend to operate a try-out basis to recruit potential players over several training sessions, where as other sides tend to operate an inclusive grassroots approach with any player wishing to compete taken on board as long as they are fit enough to do so. A lot of football recruitment tends to come from other sports largely former rugby union players.

In 2019 BAFA announced all non-British players who play within the league have to have a permanent residence address in the UK and had to have been residing in the country for six months and suspended all players who did not meet these criteria,[12] this was largely brought in due to Leicester Falcons partnership with US College side Baker Wildcats who in turned signed a significant number of U.S. athletes to their side following promotion to the BAFA Premier North.[13] Tamworth Phoenix flagged an incident with BAFA in which a Baker player had attempted to broker a deal to play with them, with the player reported Leicester had offered to pay a wage of £1,000 per month and a free master's degree.[14] Leicester were forced to cut ties with the Baker athletes prior to the first game of the 2019 season; they were eventually relegated back to Division 1 with a 2–8 record.[15]

Famous players to have played in the BAFANL include Efe Obada, who played for the London Warriors in 2014 and later played in the NFL.[16] Aden Durde and Jermaine Allen of the London Olympians played in both the NFL Europe and the NFL, with Durde later staying in the NFL as a positional coach. Marvin Allen of the London Warriors also later moved to play in the NFL. Players to have come from the NFL to the BAFANL include Denver Broncos quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt and San Diego Chargers linebacker Jason Brisbane.

England's Rugby Union World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson and GB Olympics sprinter Dwain Chambers also played the sport briefly, as well as television presenters Dermot O'Leary and Vernon Kay and actors Ricky Whittle and Chris Fountain.[17]

Media coverage

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The Britbowl as well as the divisional play-off finals have been on YouTube via DblCoverage.com and Onside Productions. The programmes feature in-game commentary and interviews. Onside began operating by streaming Nottingham Caesars games coined as "Caesars TV" in 2016 before being brought on by DblCoverage.com to broadcast the national finals as well as Great Britain national American football team games [18]

Double Coverage (DblCoverage.com) was the largest British American football-focused media outlet and community hub, it featured news, league results and standings for all formats of the contact game, as well as opinion articles and editorials, their social media pages represented the largest online community of British American Football players and fans.[19][20] However the site was taken down at the end of the 2019 season and the social media platform is now dormant.[21] Sportank (previously Gridiron Hub) is now the UK's main American football outlet and covers all of the topics that were previously featured on Double Coverage. Sportank also offers weekly Livestreams of British American Football games, making them the first media outlet to do such.[22]

In 2019, Onside provided the livestream of the U19 Junior National Championship and BritBowl XXXIII for BBC Sport.[23]

Other popular media platforms include the podcast Exs and O's and Britballin, the latter have also begun streaming games.[24]

Stadiums

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The use of Stadiums in the BAFANL is sporadic due to most clubs running on a budget that relies heavily on sponsorship and subscriptions. Most BAFANL clubs operate from Rugby Union clubs, University or High Schools sports fields or local athletics parks, however some teams do play inside larger sports stadiums which have seating capacities for spectators. The Britbowl itself has recently been played at Allianz Park in London and the Sixways Stadium in Worcester, while Division 1 and 2 finals are often hosted at the South Leeds Stadium. At present the Halton Spartans ground share of the Select Security Stadium with rugby league team Widnes Vikings constitutes as the highest capacity stadium within the BAFANL with 13,350 seats. Other prominent stadiums that are currently in use in Britball include Manchester Titans home field at the National Speedway Stadium. Notable stadiums that have been used in the past includes Doncaster Mustangs use of the Keepmoat Stadium, London Olympians former home at the Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium, the AJ Bell Stadium by the Manchester Titans and De Montfort Park by Leicester Falcons.

 
DCBL Stadium, Widnes, Cheshire
 
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
 
De Montfort Park, Hinckley
 
Allianz Park, London
 
South Leeds Stadium, Leeds
 
Finsbury Park, London
 
Crystal Palace, London
 
Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
 
AJ Bell Stadium, Salford
Rank Stadium City Capacity Tenant Used For Years
1 Don Valley Stadium Sheffield, South Yorkshire 25,000 None Britbowl, Division 1 & 2 Finals 2012
2 Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium Crystal Palace, London 24,000 London Olympians BAFANL Regular Season games, Britbowl 2011
3 Keepmoat Stadium Doncaster, South Yorkshire 15,231 Doncaster Mustangs BAFANL Regular Season games 2014–2016
4 DCBL Stadium Widnes, Cheshire 13,350 Halton Spartans BAFANL Regular Season games 2014–2021
5 AJ Bell Stadium Salford, Greater Manchester 12,000 Manchester Titans BAFANL Regular Season games 2014
6 Sixways Stadium Worcester, Worcestershire 11,499 None Britbowl 2010, 2016–2017
7 Allianz Park Hendon, London 10,500 None Britbowl 2015
8 National Speedway Stadium Manchester 6,700 Manchester Titans BAFANL Regular Season games 2018–
9 New River Stadium Haringey, London 5,000 None Britbowl 2019–
10 Meggetland Sports Complex Edinburgh, Scotland 4,388 Edinburgh Wolves BAFANL Regular Season games 2018–
11 De Montfort Park Hinckley, Leicestershire 4,329 Leicester Falcons BAFANL Regular Season games, Division 1 & 2 Finals 2015–2018
12 South Leeds Stadium Leeds, West Yorkshire 4,000 Yorkshire Academy Rams BAFANL Regular Season games, Britbowl and Division 1 & 2 Finals 2016–
13 Meadow Park Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland 3,500 West Coast Trojans BAFANL Regular Season games 2016–2018
14 St Aidan's CofE Academy Darlington, County Durham 500 Darlington Steam BAFANL Regular Season games 2019–
15 Bedford International Athletics Stadium Bedford, Bedfordshire 2,500 Ouse Valley Eagles BAFANL Regular Season games 2011–2019
16 Harvey Hadden Stadium Nottingham, Nottinghamshire 2,500 Nottingham Caesars BAFANL Regular Season games 1989–2015, 2017–2020
17 Druid Park Newcastle Upon Tyne 2,500 Northumberland Vikings BAFANL Regular Season games, Division 1 & 2 Finals 2018–
18 Quibell Park Stadium Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire 2,000 Scunthorpe Alphas BAFANL Regular Season games 2019–
19 Braidholm Glasgow, Scotland 2,000 East Kilbride Pirates BAFANL Regular Season games 2018–
20 Well Hall Greenwich, London 1,650 London Olympians BAFANL Regular Season games 2014–
21 Finsbury Park Stadium Finsbury Park, London 1,500 London Blitz BAFANL Regular Season games 1995–
22 Stoke Gifford Stadium Filton, Gloucestershire 1,500 Bristol Aztecs BAFANL Regular Season games 2018–
23 Frant Road Thornton Heath, London 1,400 London Warriors BAFANL Regular Season games 2007–
20 Tipton Sports Academy Tipton, West Midlands 1,000 Sandwell Steelers BAFANL Regular Season games 2015–2021
24 Pack Meadow Coleshill, Warwickshire 1,000 Tamworth Phoenix BAFANL Regular Season games 2018–
25 Wilkinson Way Farnham, Surrey 500 Farnham Knights BAFANL Regular Season games 2013–
26 Tilsley Park Abingdon, Oxfordshire 500 Oxford Saints BAFANL Regular Season games 2016–
27 Beltane Park Wishaw, North Lanarkshire 500 Clyde Valley Blackhawks BAFANL Regular Season games 2018–
28 Monkton Stadium Jarrow, Tyneside 500 Gateshead Senators BAFANL Regular Season games 2015–

Teams

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Main article: List of American football teams in the United Kingdom

There are currently 60 teams in the BAFANL who have full membership status. Over the years many teams have formed and folded with only a small handful of original teams from the early 1980s remaining. A lot of teams trace their heritage back through predecessor teams and a large number of BAFA sides have changed their identity on one or sometimes two occasions. Colchester Gladiators (formed in 1983) of Division Two are the oldest team to be operating in their original identity. Other original sides include the Birmingham Bulls, Chester Romans, Nottingham Caesars, East Kilbride Pirates, Ipswich Cardinals and the Crewe Railroaders. Although the London Olympians are the most successful British side, the London Warriors hold the title following on from the BAFANL's official formation in 2010.

Having missed the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BAFA announced that for the 2021 season the BAFANL would be not using the three tier league system and operating from localised Divisions to minimize travel. This means that clubs will not return to their respective divisions until the 2022 season.[25]

Premiership

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The BAFANL Premiership for the 2024 season comprises twelve teams, split into the North and South Divisions. The BAFA Premiership North and the BAFA Premiership South. Within each division each team plays each other twice. There will be two rounds of playoff football with the top ranked team in the North hosting the second ranked team in the South, whilst the top ranked team in the South will host the second ranked team in the North. The winners will then compete for the BritBowl. The teams who finish bottom of each division are relegated to Division 1 for the following season and are replaced by both of the Division 1 winners. Teams can be swapped between the North and South Divisions for a following season depending on the geographical location of teams that may be promoted to the division.

Premiership North

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Team City Stadium / Home Field Founded Head coach
   
   
East Kilbride Pirates		   Giffnock, East Renfrewshire Braidholm 1985 Matthew Davies
   
   
Edinburgh Wolves		   Edinburgh, Scotland Peffermill Fields, University of Edinburgh 2002 Victor Peredo
   
   
Manchester Titans		   Gorton, Manchester National Speedway Stadium 2003 George Foster
   
   
Merseyside Nighthawks		   Skelmersdale, Lancashire JMO Sports Park 1984 Craig Pennington
   
   
Newcastle Vikings		   Newcastle upon Tyne Druid Park 2014 Kevin O'Reagan
   
   
Tamworth Phoenix		   Coleshill, Warwickshire Pack Meadow 2004 Neale McMaster

Premiership South

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Team City Stadium / Home Field Founded Head coach
   
   
Bristol Aztecs		   Filton, Gloucestershire Stoke Gifford Stadium 1990 Pete Jones
   
   
Cambridgeshire Cats		   Cambridge, Cambridgeshire Coldhams Common 1984 Andy Whiteoak
   
   
Hertfordshire Cheetahs		   Watford, Hertfordshire Sun Sports Watford F.C. 1986 Rich Moult
   
   
London Blitz		   Finsbury Park, London Finsbury Park Stadium 1995 Damian Anderson
   
   
London Warriors		   Thornton Heath, London Frant Road 2007 Tony Allen
   
   
Solent Thrashers		   Southampton, Hampshire Solent University Test Park Sports Ground 2003 Dave Gibbs

Division One

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The BAFANL Division One is the second tier of British American football, for the 2024 season it holds 30 teams, now divided into 6 divisions, up from 5. The Division has a Northern Football Conference (NFC) and a Southern Football Conference (SFC). The current individual names of the divisions are the NFC 1 Scotland, the NFC 1 North, the NFC 1 South, the SFC 1 West, the SFC 1 East and the SFC 1 Central. The Scottish division was introduced in 2023, in part due to East Kilbride's promotion to the Premier Division in 2022, coupled with Highland Stags' promotion to Division One. Initially this would have led to Highland and Glasgow's alignment with English teams as far south as the Midlands. To counteract this, BAFA automatically promoted the four remaining Scottish Division Two teams in order to make a complete Division One level. Each team plays the others in their division twice during the regular season as well as all teams playing two opponents on three occasions. There are no inter-division games until the play-offs with the top two teams in each division entering into what is potentially a three-game play-off campaign with the initial games being played regionally. The winner of both the northern and southern playoffs will win promotion to the Premier League and then face each other for the Division One bowl game in order to take home the trophy.[26] The team who finishes bottom of each division is relegated to Division Two.

NFC 1 Scotland

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Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Clyde Valley Blackhawks		   Wishaw, North Lanarkshire Beltane Park 2007 David Yates
   
   
Glasgow Tigers		   Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire Clydebank Sports Club 1986 Ryan McCluskey
   
   
Inverclyde Goliaths		   Greenock, Inverclyde Ravenscraig Stadium 2016 Martin McClintock
   
   
Highland Stags		   Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty Ross Sutherland Rugby Club 2016 Josh Crofts

NFC 1 North

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Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Chester Romans		   Chester, Cheshire Cheshire County Sports Club 1986 Levi Edwards
   
   
Humber Warhawks		   Hull, East Yorkshire Costello Playing Fields 2014 Alex Moore
   
   
Scunthorpe Alphas		   Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire Quibell Park Stadium 2018 Alex Robson
   
   
Sheffield Giants		   Sheffield, South Yorkshire Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium 2008 Toby Chesters
   
   
Yorkshire Rams		   Leeds, West Yorkshire South Leeds Stadium 1986 Jason Shaw

NFC 1 South

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Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Birmingham Bulls		   Hopwood, Worcestershire Hopwood Park 1983 Matthew Sheldon
   
   
Leicester Panthers		   Leicester, Leicestershire Leicester Forest East Rugby Club 2006 Stuart Franklin
   
   
Northants Knights		   Wellingborough, Northamptonshire Wellingborough OG's Rugby Club 2016 Wayne Gumbs
   
   
Nottingham Caesars		   Nottingham, Nottinghamshire David Ross Sports Village, University of Nottingham 1984 Vanden Warner
   
   
Shropshire Revolution		   Telford, Shropshire Telford Athletics Stadium 2006 John Angell

SFC 1 West

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~ Denotes B/reserve team affiliated to another BAFANL team

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Bournemouth Bobcats		   Bournemouth, Dorset Slades Park 1985 Simon McLean
   
   
~ Bristol Apache		   Filton, South Gloucestershire SGS Sports Field 1990 Pete Jones
   
   
Hereford Stampede		   Ledbury, Herefordshire Ledbury RFC 2016 Paul Kent
   
   
Somerset Wyverns		   Taunton, Somerset Victoria Park 2017 Lydon Ward-Best
   
   
South Wales Warriors		   Llanharan, Wales The Dairy Field 2001 Dean Jackson

SFC 1 East

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~ Denotes B/reserve team affiliated to another BAFANL team

Team City Stadium / Home Field Founded Head coach
   
   
East Kent Mavericks		   Canterbury, Kent Simon Langton Grammar School 2002 John Moore
   
   
Kent Exiles		   Bromley, London Westcombe Park RFC 2004 Junior Hayden
   
   
~ London Blitz B		  Finsbury Park, London Finsbury Park Stadium 2015 Anthony Coverdale
   
   
London Olympians		   Greenwich, London Well Hall Stadium 1984 Riq Ayub
   
   
Norwich Devils		   Norwich, Norfolk Thorpe High School 1984

SFC 1 Central

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Team City Stadium / Home Field Founded Head coach
   
   
London Hornets		   Camden Town, London Mill Hill Rugby Club 2011 Paul Holmes
   
   
Oxford Saints		   Abingdon, Oxfordshire Tilsley Park 1983 Greg Kennedy
   
   
Portsmouth Dreadnoughts		   Portsmouth, Hampshire Norway Road, Portsmouth Rugby Football Club 2012 Luke Head-Rapson
   
   
Rushmoor Knights		   Farnborough, Hampshire Cove School 1985 Peter Fields
   
   
Wembley Stallions		   Harrow, London LPOSSA Club 2013 Warren Smart

Division Two

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The BAFA Division Two is the third tier of British American football with 2024 holding 18 teams across 4 divisions. The Division has a Northern Football Conference (NFC) and a Southern Football Conference (SFC). The current individual names of the divisions are the NFC 2 West, the NFC 2 East, the SFC 2 West and the SFC 2 East. Each team plays the others in their division twice during the regular season as well as all teams playing two opponents on three occasions. Previously teams in Central and East divisions played designated inter-divisional games, with these being the only cross-division games until the playoffs. The top two teams in each division enter into what is potentially a three-game play-off campaign with the initial games being played regionally. The winner of both the northern and southern play-offs will win promotion to Division One and then face each other for the Division Two bowl game in order to take home the trophy.[26]

NFC 2 West

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Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Lancashire Wolverines		   Chorley, Lancashire Chorley Panthers RUFC 1987 Ian Nicolson
   
   
Leigh Miners		   Tyldesley, Greater Manchester St George's Park 2020 James Higham
   
   
Sandwell Steelers		   Walsall, West Midlands Broadway Ground 2013 Sam Astley
   
   
Staffordshire Surge		   Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Trentham Fields 2008 Anthony Charles

NFC 2 East

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Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Darlington Steam		   Darlington, County Durham St Aidan's CofE Academy 2013 Adam Wilkin
   
   
Doncaster Mustangs		   Doncaster, South Yorkshire Wheatley Hills Rugby Club 2002 Paul Coley
   
   
Gateshead Senators		   Jarrow, South Tyneside Monkton Stadium 1985 Gary Marshall
   
   
Lincolnshire Bombers		   North Hykeham, Lincolnshire North Hykeham Rugby Club 2005 Michael Etheridge
   
   
Wakefield District Raiders		   Pontefract, West Yorkshire Pontefract RUFC 2014 Zak Constance

SFC 2 West

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Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Berkshire Renegades		   Reading, Berkshire Woodford Park Leisure Centre 1985 Paul Gordon
   
   
Cornwall Monarchs		   Pool, Cornwall Pool Academy 2005 Richard Atkinson
   
   
Sussex Thunder		   Brighton, East Sussex Sussex University Sports Complex 1997 Billy Walker
   
   
Swindon Storm		   Swindon, Wiltshire Southbrook Playing Fields 2012 Richard Westley

SFC 2 East

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Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Colchester Gladiators		   Colchester, Essex Corporal Budd VC Gymnasium 1983 Karl Bourke
   
   
Essex Tridents		   Rayleigh, Essex Deanes School 2024 Grant Sammers
   
   
Ipswich Cardinals		   Ipswich, Suffolk Northgate Sports Centre 1986 Ian Girling
   
   
Ouse Valley Eagles		   Bedford, Bedfordshire Bedford International Athletics Stadium 2013 Nick Benning

Associate teams

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New teams must undergo an indefinite associate period before they are granted full member status of the national leagues. A number of criteria must be met, involving successfully completing a number of games, recruiting a number of new players, proof of required finances and the creation of a club committee. Associate teams spend their seasons playing each other and League teams in what are essentially friendly fixtures. Some of the current Associate teams are also previous League teams that have dropped out of the BAFANL at some stage.[27][28]

~ Denotes B/reserve team affiliated to another BAFANL team
* Denotes team that took voluntary demotion from the league back to the associate process
** Denotes team demoted from the league back to associate status by BAFA

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
*Aberdeen Roughnecks		   Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire Woodside Sports Complex 2012 Chris Breen
   
   
*Crewe Railroaders		   Crewe, Cheshire Back Lane 1984 Jason Smith
   
   
Plymouth Vanguard		   Plymouth, Devon Sir John Hunt Community Sports Centre 2024
   
   
Rossendale Bucks		   Rossendale, Lancashire Rossendale Rugby Club, Marl Pits 2021 Robert Whewell
   
   
Torbay Trojans		   Torquay, Devon Foxhole Community Centre 1983

Defunct teams

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Former teams who competed in the BAFANL and have now ceased operating or have merged with other sides to form a current operating side within the present league structure.

Team City Founded Folded Highest division Notes
   
   
Bedfordshire Blue Raiders		   Bedford, Bedfordshire 2006 2013 Division 1 Merged with the Milton Keynes Pathfinders to form the Ouse Valley Eagles
   
   
Burnley Tornados		   Burnley, Lancashire 2016 2019 Associate Failed to gain entry from associate process, club continues at youth level
   
   
Bury Saints		   Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 2013 2020 Premier League Was promoted through the divisions but folded in 2020
   
   
Carlisle Border Reivers		   Carlisle, Cumbria 2009 2013 Division 2 Following their demise, former members formed the Carlisle Sentinels (renamed Kestrels) in 2014.
   
   
Carlisle Kestrels		   Carlisle, Cumbria 2014 2022 Division 2 Dropped out of the league before the start of the 2022 season.
   
   
Coventry Jets		   Coventry, Warwickshire 2004 2018 Premier League All Jets teams transferred to the Etone Jaguars Youth Academy. The former Jets adult team folded in 2019.
   
   
DC Presidents		   Chester-le-Street, County Durham 1985 2023 Division 2 Team was not entered in to the 2024 schedule.
   
   
Dumfries Hunters		   Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway 2014 2022 Division 2 Folded due to low player retention numbers
   
   
Dundee Hurricanes		   Dundee, Tayside 2002 2019 Division 1 Resigned league status in 2018, dropped into associate process before folding.
   
   
Dunfermline Kings		   Dunfermline, Fife 2016 2023 Division 1 Resigned from League several games into 2023 season.
   
   
East Essex Sabres		   Rayleigh, Essex 2016 2023 Division 2 Merged with the Essex Spartans to form the Essex Tridents
   
   
Essex Spartans		   South Ockendon, Essex 1998 2023 Division 1 Merged with the East Essex Sabres to form the Essex Tridents
   
   
Etone Jaguars		   Nuneaton, Warwickshire 2018 2019 Associate Absorbed the Jets team but folded mid-2019. Club renamed to Nuneaton and youth football continues.
   
   
Furness Phantoms		   Ulverston, Cumbria 2011 2020 Division 2 Resigned from the league prior to the 2020 season. In 2021 they announced they had merged with Morecambe Bay Storm.
   
   
Gloucester Centurions		   Gloucester, Gloucestershire 2007 2015 Division 1 Adult side folding in 2015 with the rest of the programme wound up in 2016.
   
   
Grimsby Scorpions		   Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire 2013 2014 Associate Merged with fellow associate side Kingston Warhawks to form the Humber Warhawks.
   
   
Halton Spartans		   Widnes, Cheshire 2014 2023 Division 1 Took voluntary demotion to Associate process then folded.
   
   
Hastings Conquerors		   Hastings, East Sussex 2013 2022 Division 2 Dropped out of the league before the start of the 2022 season.
   
   
Hull Hornets		   Hull, East Yorkshire 2005 2010 Division 2 Former members later formed the Kingston Warhawks.
   
   
Jurassic Coast Raptors		   Dorchester, Dorset 2016 2021 Division 2 Folded at the end of the 2021 season due to numbers
   
   
King's Lynn Patriots		   King's Lynn, Norfolk 2016 2020 Associate Failed to win a place in the league and folded in 2020
   
   
Leeds Bobcats		   Leeds, West Yorkshire 2014 2021 Division 1 Adult team formed in 2014, announced merger with Yorkshire Rams to become their development team in 2021
   
   
Maidstone Pumas		   Maidstone, Kent 1997 2020 Division 2 Assets handed to the Kent Phoenix Youth side who in turn formed the South East Squadron
   
   
Manchester Bees		   Gorton, Manchester 2019 2021 Associate Manchester Titans reserve team, never played a competitive game
   
   
Milton Keynes Pathfinders		   Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire 2006 2013 Division 2 Merged with the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders to form the Ouse Valley Eagles
   
   
Morecambe Bay Storm		   Morecambe, Lancashire 2016 2022 Division 2 Folded before the 2022 season due to numbers.
   
   
Northumberland Lightning		   Ashington, Northumberland 2012 2017 Division 2 Merged with fellow BAFANL side Newcastle Vikings to form the Northumberland Vikings
   
   
Peterborough Saxons		   Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 2001 2016 Premier League Some former members went on to form the South Lincs Lightning in 2020.
   
   
South East Squadron		   Maidstone, Kent 2020 2024 Division Two Took voluntary demotion to Associate Process then folded.
   
   
South Lincolnshire Lightning		   Bourne, Lincolnshire 2020 2023 Division 2 Formed during the COVID-19 season, were demoted by BAFA back to the associate process in 2023 before folding
   
   
Sussex Thunderbolts		   Brighton, East Sussex 2020 2022 Division 2 B team for the Sussex Thunder, folded due to player numbers prior to 2022 season.
   
   
Welwyn Hatfield Mosquitos		   Hatfield, Hertfordshire 2016 2019 Associate Failed to gain entry into the league and folded as a result
   
   
West Coast Trojans		   Irvine, North Ayrshire 2004 2018 Division 1 Full programme wound up in 2018. Several former players and coaches formed Inverclyde Goliaths.
   
   
Worcestershire Black Knights		   Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire 2016 2022 Division 2 Removed by BAFA in 2022.

Notable people

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The following is a list of notable players and coaches who have featured either in the BAFA National Leagues or any of its predecessor leagues that have at any time represented the domestic game of American football in the United Kingdom.

Player Team Notes
  Phil Alexander Farnham Knights Kicker for the London Monarchs, former professional association football player for Norwich City and chief executive of Crystal Palace[29]
  Jermaine Allen London Olympians, London Warriors Played in the NFL for Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints[30]
  Marvin Allen London Olympians (2001-2004), London Warriors (2008–2011) Played in the NFL for Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins[31]
  Marcel Bellefeuille Crawley Raiders OC at CFL sides including Montreal Alouettes, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers[32]
  Roderick Bradley London Blitz Played "Spartan" on ITV game show Gladiators[33]
  Jason Brisbane London Blitz Played in the NFL for San Diego Chargers[34]
  Dwain Chambers Farnham Knights British Olympic Athletics track sprinter and former NFL Europe player with Hamburg Sea Devils[35]
  Charles Dagnall Leicester Falcons Former professional cricketer and BBC Radio presenter[36]
  Aden Durde London Warriors Defensive coordinator in the NFL with Seattle Seahawks and played for Kansas City Chiefs[37]
  Victor Ebubedike London Ravens, London Olympians NFL Europe player with the London Monarchs[32]
  Chris Fountain Manchester Titans Actor who had regular roles in Hollyoaks and Coronation Street
  Mike Grossner Nottingham Caesars, Leicester Falcons Former NCAA coach with Western Colorado Mountaineers
  Sean Payton Leicester Panthers (1988) Super Bowl winning head coach.
  Christian Holmes Tamworth Phoenix (2016) Played in NCAA Division I for Mississippi State from 2011 to 2014
  Stephen Hutchinson London Blitz Played in NFL Europe for London Monarchs and Hamburg Blue Devils
  David Izinyon London Warriors Plays in the CFL for the Hamilton Tiger Cats
  Martin Johnson Leicester Panthers Professional rugby union player and Rugby World Cup winning captain of the England team[38]
  Vernon Kay London Warriors (2011–2014) Television presenter, formerly of Channel 4's NFL show
  Lorn Mayers London Blitz (2004–2005) Worked out for the Oakland Raiders before playing in NFL Europe for Berlin Thunder
  Efe Obada London Warriors (2014) Plays in the NFL with the Washington Commanders, previously with Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills
  Bamidele Olaseni London Blitz Plays in the NFL for the Las Vegas Raiders
  Ayo Oyelola London Olympians Plays in the NFL of the Jacksonville Jaguars, previously with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL
  Tigie Sankoh London Warriors, Kent Exiles Played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, now with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL
  Phoebe Schecter Staffordshire Surge, GB Lions Women Intern coach in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills
  Bradlee Van Pelt Leicester Falcons (2010) Quarterback in the NFL for Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, graduate of Colorado State
  Ricky Whittle Manchester Titans Actor who notably had lengthy roles in Hollyoaks and Dream Team

Winners

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BritBowl

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Main article: BritBowl

Winners of the Britbowl since the BAFA National Leagues 2010 formation

Team Season
London Warriors 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2024
London Blitz 2010, 2011, 2012
Manchester Titans 2022, 2023
Tamworth Phoenix 2017

Division One Bowl

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For some seasons there has been a separate North and South Bowl final.

Team Season
Solent Thrashers 2019
Bury Saints 2016
Colchester Gladiators 2013
East Kilbride Pirates 2011, 2022
Farnham Knights 2015
Hertfordshire Cheetahs 2023
Leicester Falcons 2018
Manchester Titans 2017
Merseyside Nighthawks 2014, 2015
Nottingham Caesars 2024
Sussex Thunder 2012
Tamworth Phoenix 2010

Division Two Bowl

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For some seasons there has been a separate North and South Bowl final.

Team Season
Aberdeen Roughnecks 2018
Berkshire Renegades 2017
Bristol Apache 2022
Bury Saints 2015
Colchester Gladiators 2024
East Kent Mavericks 2023
Hertfordshire Cheetahs 2018
Leicester Falcons 2016
Oxford Saints 2016
Sandwell Steelers 2015
Shropshire Revolution 2017
South Wales Warriors 2011, 2019

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Contacts | British American Football Association". Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Britball Firsts". Britball Now. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Britbowl XXV Details Announced" (PDF). Inside American Football. July 2011. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  4. ^ Dobson, Cathy (27 April 2010). "Two Sarnia war heroes to be honoured". Sarnia Observer. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  5. ^ Polvino, Andrew. "2009 USAFE Football Reunion Approaching Fast". Andrews Air Force Base: USAF Germany. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  6. ^ "Military Football in the UK". Britball Now. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  7. ^ "1984 Table of Merit". London Blitz. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  8. ^ "All Time British American Football Tables – 1984". Britball Now. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  9. ^ "BAFANL Adult Contact Standings". BAFA National Leagues. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  10. ^ "NCAA rules". Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Podyum Recruit | The Pro Football Recruiting Platform". recruit.thepodyum.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  12. ^ "BAFA suspend a number of foreign nationals with potential bans and club fines to follow". 11 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Leicester Falcons announce top US College partnership – Leicester Falcons American Football Club".
  14. ^ "Tamworth Phoenix accuse Leicester Falcons of potentially paying players". 27 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Falcons Relegated – Leicester Falcons American Football Club". Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  16. ^ Coles, Ben (8 September 2018). "The astonishing journey of Efe Obada - the refugee abandoned in London as a child now playing in the NFL". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2021 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  17. ^ "History | The Club". Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  18. ^ "BRITBOWL XXXI – National Championship – Double Coverage". Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  19. ^ "Double Coverage - Britball. We've got it covered". Facebook. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Double Coverage". Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Double Coverage Laid to Rest". 17 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Sportank parts ways with Gridiron Memes". 13 January 2020.
  23. ^ "Britbowl XXXIII games to be live streamed by BBC Sport". British American Football Association. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  24. ^ https://www.facebook.com/BritBallin [user-generated source]
  25. ^ "Adult Contact league alignments 2021 – British American Football". Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  26. ^ a b "BAFANL League Expansion – Update". Double Coverage. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  27. ^ "Establishing a Club – British American Football". Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  28. ^ "BAFA Announces New 2017 League Alignments". Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  29. ^ "British American Football Where are they now".
  30. ^ "NFL star broke London clubber's cheekbone". 12 April 2012.
  31. ^ "Marvin Allen - Pittsburgh Steelers - news and analysis, statistics, game logs, depth charts, contracts, injuries".
  32. ^ a b "British American Football Where are they now". www.britballnow.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  33. ^ "Bradley, Roderick – Grantham lad became a Gladiator". 9 April 2018.
  34. ^ Bandini, Nicky (24 October 2008). "The ups and downs of the Brits who try to crack the NFL". TheGuardian.com.
  35. ^ "Gridiron: Dwain eyes Knight shift". 11 February 2005.
  36. ^ "Charles Dagnall | First Artist Mission".
  37. ^ "Aden Durde's clobbering Cowboys: The NFL's first full-time British coach is making noise as more than a flag-bearer".
  38. ^ "The Greatest: Number four lock". 29 October 2009.
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