BAFA National Leagues
FormerlyBritish American Football League (1985–2010)
SportAmerican football
Founded2010 (2010)
Inaugural season2010
CommissionerPete Ackerley
No. of teams70
Country England (57 teams)
 Scotland (9 teams)
 Wales (1 team)
HeadquartersKidderminster, Worcestershire, England[1]
Most recent
champion(s)
Britbowl: Manchester Titans
Premier North: Manchester Titans
Premier South: London Warriors
Division 1 Bowl:East Kilbride Pirates
NFC North 1: East Kilbride Pirates
NFC South 1: Leicester Falcons
SFC Central 1:Cambridgeshire Cats
SFC West 1: Hertfordshire Cheetahs
Division 2 Bowl:Bristol Apache
NFC West 2: Staffordshire Surge
NFC North 2:Highland Stags
NFC South 2: Scunthorpe Alphas
NFC East 2:Darlington Steam
SFC East 2: Norwich Devils
SFC South 2: East Essex Sabres
SFC West 2: Bristol Apache
SFC North 2: Northants Knights
Most titlesLondon Warriors
(6 titles)
Related
competitions
Britbowl
Official websitebritishamericanfootball.org

The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) is the primary American football domestic league competition in Great Britain. 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.

Originally formed in the 1980s, 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 between the directors of BAFL and those of the British American Football Association, the governing body throughout 2009 and at the beginning of 2010, 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 BAFNL. 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.

Pete Ackerley currently heads the day-to-day operations of the BAFANL, The League operates is a summer season and begins in April and plays through until August, with play-off games running into September. There are currently 70 teams who compete in 12 regional divisions across three levels of football. The 12 teams who contest both the two BAFA Premier Division's 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 six regional bowl finals. The current champions are the Manchester Titans who won the 2022 Britbowl as well as the Premier Division North, they are first times winners after knocking off the London Warriors in the 2022 Britbowl final.

History

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 championshipthe first champions were the London Ravens, who won all ten of their matches.[7][8]

Tensions grew between the directors of British American Football League and those of the British American Football Association, the governing body throughout 2009 and at the beginning of 2010, 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

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 teams 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 First Division teams, with the Second Division 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 Division's make up the semifinal 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 First and Second Division 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" that are active but instead of playing to win promotion to the league they must gain entry by application to the British American Football Association in which each applying team 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 withdraw 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. Where as 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

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. 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 this 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

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.[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

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.

Rank Stadium City Capacity Tenant Used For Years
1Don Valley StadiumSheffield, South Yorkshire25,000NoneBritbowl, Division 1 & 2 Finals2012
2Crystal Palace Athletics StadiumCrystal Palace, London24,000London OlympiansBAFANL Regular Season games, Britbowl2011
3Keepmoat StadiumDoncaster, South Yorkshire15,231Doncaster MustangsBAFANL Regular Season games2014–2016
4DCBL StadiumWidnes, Cheshire13,350Halton SpartansBAFANL Regular Season games2014–2021
5AJ Bell StadiumSalford, Greater Manchester12,000Manchester TitansBAFANL Regular Season games2014
6Sixways StadiumWorcester, Worcestershire11,499NoneBritbowl2010, 2016–2017
7Allianz ParkHendon, London10,500NoneBritbowl2015
8National Speedway StadiumManchester6,700Manchester TitansBAFANL Regular Season games2018–
9New River StadiumHaringey, London5,000NoneBritbowl2019–
10Meggetland Sports ComplexEdinburgh, Scotland4,388Edinburgh WolvesBAFANL Regular Season games2018–
11De Montfort ParkHinckley, Leicestershire4,329Leicester FalconsBAFANL Regular Season games, Division 1 & 2 Finals2015–2018
12South Leeds StadiumLeeds, West Yorkshire4,000Yorkshire Academy RamsBAFANL Regular Season games, Britbowl and Division 1 & 2 Finals2016–
13Meadow ParkIrvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland3,500West Coast TrojansBAFANL Regular Season games2016–2018
14Blackwell MeadowsDarlington, County Durham3,271Darlington SteamBAFANL Regular Season games2019–
15Bedford International Athletics StadiumBedford, Bedfordshire2,500Ouse Valley EaglesBAFANL Regular Season games2011–2019
16Harvey Hadden StadiumNottingham, Nottinghamshire2,500Nottingham CaesarsBAFANL Regular Season games1989–2015, 2017–2020
17Druid ParkNewcastle Upon Tyne2,500Northumberland VikingsBAFANL Regular Season games, Division 1 & 2 Finals2018–
18Quibell Park StadiumScunthorpe, North Lincolnshire2,000Scunthorpe AlphasBAFANL Regular Season games2019–
19BraidholmGlasgow, Scotland2,000East Kilbride PiratesBAFANL Regular Season games2018–
20Well HallGreenwich, London1,650London OlympiansBAFANL Regular Season games2014–
21Finsbury Park StadiumFinsbury Park, London1,500London BlitzBAFANL Regular Season games1995–
22Stoke Gifford StadiumFilton, Gloucestershire1,500Bristol AztecsBAFANL Regular Season games2018–
23Frant RoadThornton Heath, London1,400London WarriorsBAFANL Regular Season games2007–
20Tipton Sports AcademyTipton, West Midlands1,000Sandwell SteelersBAFANL Regular Season games2015–2021
24Pack MeadowColeshill, Warwickshire1,000Tamworth PhoenixBAFANL Regular Season games2018–
25Wilkinson WayFarnham, Surrey500Farnham KnightsBAFANL Regular Season games2013–
26Tilsley ParkAbingdon, Oxfordshire500Oxford SaintsBAFANL Regular Season games2016–
27Beltane ParkWishaw, North Lanarkshire500Clyde Valley BlackhawksBAFANL Regular Season games2018–
28Monkton StadiumJarrow, Tyneside500Gateshead SenatorsBAFANL Regular Season games2015–

Teams

There are currently 64 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]

Premier Division

The BAFANL Premier Division for the 2023 season comprises twelve teams, split into the North and South Divisions. The BAFA Premier Division North and the BAFA Premier Division South. Within each division each team plays each other twice. There will be 2 rounds of playoff football with the top ranked team in the North will host 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 team who finishes 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.

Premier North

Team City Stadium / Home Field Founded Head coach
   
   
East Kilbride Pirates
Scotland Giffnock, East RenfrewshireBraidholm1985Jamie McLaughlin
   
   
Edinburgh Wolves
Scotland Edinburgh, ScotlandPeffermill Fields, University of Edinburgh2002Victor Peredo
   
   
Leicester Panthers
England Leicester, LeicestershireLeicester Forest East Rugby Club2006Stuart Franklin
   
   
Manchester Titans
England Gorton, ManchesterNational Speedway Stadium2003Jon Homer
   
   
Merseyside Nighthawks
England Skelmersdale, LancashireJMO Sports Park1984Craig Pennington
   
   
Tamworth Phoenix
England Coleshill, WarwickshirePack Meadow2004Jason Scott

Premier South

Team City Stadium / Home Field Founded Head coach
   
   
Bristol Aztecs
England Filton, GloucestershireStoke Gifford Stadium1990Ben Herrod
   
   
Cambridgeshire Cats
England Cambridge, CambridgeshireColdhams Common1984Andy Whiteoak
   
   
Kent Exiles
England Bromley, LondonWestcombe Park RFC2004Junior Hayden
   
   
London Blitz
England Finsbury Park, LondonFinsbury Park Stadium1995Damian Anderson
   
   
London Warriors
England Thornton Heath, LondonFrant Road2007Tony Allen
   
   
Solent Thrashers
England Southampton, HampshireSolent University Test Park Sports Ground2003Steve Rains

Division One

The BAFANL Division One is the second tier of British American football, for the 2023 season it holds 30 teams, now divided into 5 divisions. Each division has a Northern Football Conference (NFC) and a Southern Football Conference (SFC). The current individual names of the each divisions are the NFC 1 Scotland, the NFC 1 Central, the NFC 1 South, the SFC 1 West and the SFC 1 East. 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 1. Initially this would have led to Highland and Glasgow's alignment with English teams as far down as the Midlands. To counteract this, BAFA automatically promoted the four remaining Scottish Division 2 teams in order to make a completely Division 1 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

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Aberdeen Roughnecks
Scotland Aberdeen, AberdeenshireWoodside Sports Complex2012Chris Breen
   
   
Clyde Valley Blackhawks
Scotland Wishaw, North LanarkshireBeltane Park2007David Yates
   
   
Dunfermline Kings
Scotland Dunfermline, FifeDuloch Leisure Centre2016Alistair Choat
   
   
Glasgow Tigers
Scotland Clydebank, West DunbartonshireClydebank Sports Club1986Ryan McCluskey
   
   
Inverclyde Golliaths
Scotland Greenock, InverclydeRavenscraig Stadium2016
   
   
Highland Stags
Scotland Invergordon, Ross and CromartyRoss Sutherland Rugby Club2016Josh Crofts

NFC 1 Central

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Darlington Steam
England Darlington, County DurhamBlackwell Meadows2013Darren Mitchell
   
   
Lancashire Wolverines
England Chorley, LancashireChisnall Lane, Chorley Panthers RLFC1987Lea Hall
   
   
Northumberland Vikings
England Newcastle upon TyneDruid Park2014Bryce Stevenson
   
   
Scunthorpe Alphas
England Scunthorpe, North LincolnshireQuibell Park Stadium2018Alex Robson
   
   
Yorkshire Rams
England Leeds, West YorkshireSouth Leeds Stadium1986Jason Shaw

NFC 1 South

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Birmingham Bulls
England Hopwood, WorcestershireHopwood Park1983Matthew Sheldon
   
   
Chester Romans
England Chester, CheshireCheshire County Sports Club1986Levi Edwards
   
   
Northants Knights
England Wellingborough, NorthamptonshireWellingborough OG's Rugby Club2016Wayne Gumbs
   
   
Nottingham Caesars
England Nottingham, NottinghamshireDavid Ross Sports Village, University of Nottingham1984Vanden Warner
   
   
Sandwell Steelers
England Walsall, West MidlandsBroadway Ground2013Sam Astley
   
   
Sheffield Giants
England Sheffield, South YorkshireSheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium2008Toby Chesters

SFC 1 West

~ Denotes B/reserve team affiliated to another BAFANL team

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Bournemouth Bobcats
England Bournemouth, DorsetSlades Park1985Simon McLean
   
   
~ Bristol Apache
England Filton, South GloucestershireSGS Sports Field1990Pete Jones
   
   
Hertfordshire Cheetahs
England Watford, HertfordshireSun Postal Sports & Social Club1986Craig Barnes
   
   
Oxford Saints
England Abingdon, OxfordshireTilsley Park1983Andrew Day
   
   
Rushmoor Knights
England Farnborough, HampshireCove School1985Peter Fields
   
   
South Wales Warriors
Wales Llanharan, WalesThe Dairy Field2001Dean Jackson

SFC 1 East

~ Denotes B/reserve team affiliated to another BAFANL team

Team City Stadium / Home Field Founded Head coach
   
   
Essex Spartans
England South Ockendon, EssexThames Rugby Football Club1998Graeme Saint
   
   
~ London Blitz B
EnglandFinsbury Park, LondonFinsbury Park Stadium2015Anthony Coverdale
   
   
London Hornets
England Camden Town, LondonMill Hill Rugby Club2011Paul Holmes
   
   
London Olympians
England Greenwich, LondonWell Hall Stadium1984Riq Ayub
   
   
Norwich Devils
England Norwich, NorfolkThorpe High School1984
   
   
Wembley Stallions
England Harrow, LondonLPOSSA Club2013Warren Smart

Division Two

The BAFA Division Two is the third tier of British American football with 2023 holding 23 teams across 5 Divisions. Each 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, the SFC 2 Central, 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. Teams in the Central and East will play designated inter-divisional games, with these being the only cross-division games until the playoffs 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 play-offs will win promotion to Division One and then face other for the Division Two bowl game in order to take home the trophy.[26]

NFC 2 West

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Crewe Railroaders
England Crewe, CheshireBack Lane1984Jason Smith
   
   
Leigh Miners
England Tyldesley, Greater ManchesterSt George's Park2020James Higham
   
   
Lincolnshire Bombers
England North Hykeham, LincolnshireNorth Hykeham Rugby Club2005Michael Etheridge
   
   
Shropshire Revolution
England Telford, ShropshireTelford Athletics Stadium2006John Angell
   
   
Staffordshire Surge
England Stoke-on-Trent, StaffordshireTrentham Fields2008Anthony Charles

NFC 2 East

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
DC Presidents
England Chester-le-Street, County DurhamRiverside Leisure Complex1985Mark Quinn
   
   
Doncaster Mustangs
England Doncaster, South YorkshireWheatley Hills Rugby Club2002Paul Coley
   
   
Gateshead Senators
England Jarrow, South TynesideMonkton Stadium1985Gary Marshall
   
   
Humber Warhawks
England Hull, East YorkshireCostello Playing Fields2014Alex Moore
   
   
Wakefield District Raiders
England Pontefract, West YorkshirePontefract RUFC2014Zak Constance

SFC 2 West

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Cornwall Monarchs
England Pool, CornwallPool Academy2005Richard Atkinson
   
   
Portsmouth Dreadnoughts
England Portsmouth, HampshireNorway Road, Portsmouth Rugby Football Club2012Luke Head-Rapson
   
   
Somerset Wyverns
England Taunton, SomersetVictoria Park2017Lydon Ward-Best
   
   
Torbay Trojans
England Torquay, DevonFoxhole Community Centre1983

SFC 2 Central

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Berkshire Renegades
England Reading, BerkshireWoodford Park Leisure Centre1985Paul Gordon
   
   
Hereford Stampede
England Ledbury, HerefordshireLedbury RFC2016Paul Kent
   
   
Ouse Valley Eagles
England Bedford, BedfordshireBedford International Athletics Stadium2013Nick Benning
   
   
Swindon Storm
England Swindon, WiltshireSouthbrook Playing Fields2012Richard Westley '

SFC 2 East

Team City Stadium or home field Founded Head coach
   
   
Colchester Gladiators
England Colchester, EssexCorporal Budd VC Gymnasium1983Karl Bourke
   
   
East Essex Sabres
England Rayleigh, EssexDeanes School2016Grant Sammers
   
   
East Kent Mavericks
England Canterbury, KentSimon Langton Grammar School2002Glenn Lindley
   
   
Ipswich Cardinals
England Ipswich, SuffolkNorthgate Sports Centre1986Ian Girling
   
   
Sussex Thunder
England Brighton, East SussexSussex University Sports Complex1997Ian Ellis

Associate teams

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
   
   
Cumbria Wildcats
England Kendal, CumbriaTBC2022Scud Fairhurst
   
   
*Halton Spartans
England Widnes, CheshireVarious locations2014Husam Farraj
   
   
Pennine Panthers
England Colne, LancashireColne & Nelson Rugby Club2019Lee Savage
   
   
Rossendale Bucks
England Rossendale, LancashireRossendale Rugby Club, Marl Pits2021Robert Whewell
   
   
** South East Squadron
England Maidstone, KentShepway Community Centre2020TBC
   
   
** Worcestershire Black Knights
England Droitwich Spa, WorcestershireDroitwich RFC2016Ian Hughes

Defunct teams

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
England Bedford, Bedfordshire20062013Division 1Merged with the Milton Keynes Pathfinders to form the Ouse Valley Eagles
   
   
Burnley Tornados
England Burnley, Lancashire20162019AssociateFailed to gain entry from associate process, club continues at youth level
   
   
Bury Saints
England Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk20132020Premier LeagueWas promoted through the divisions but folded in 2020
   
   
Carlisle Border Reivers
England Carlisle, Cumbria20092013Division 2Following their demise, former members formed the Carlisle Sentinels (renamed Kestrels) in 2014.
   
   
Carlisle Kestrels
England Carlisle, Cumbria20142022Division 2Dropped out of the league before the start of the 2022 season.
   
   
Coventry Jets
England Coventry, Warwickshire20042018Premier LeagueAll Jets teams transferred to the Etone Jaguars Youth Academy. The former Jets adult team folded in 2019.
   
   
Dumfries Hunters
Scotland Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway20142022Division 2Folded due to low player retention numbers
   
   
Dundee Hurricanes
Scotland Dundee, Tayside20022019Division 1Resigned league status in 2018, dropped into associate process before folding.
   
   
Etone Jaguars
England Nuneaton, Warwickshire20182019AssociateAbsorbed the Jets team but folded mid-2019. Club renamed to Nuneaton and youth football continues.
   
   
Furness Phantoms
England Ulverston, Cumbria20112020Division 2Resigned from the league prior to the 2020 season. In 2021 they announced they had merged with Morecambe Bay Storm.
   
   
Gloucester Centurions
England Gloucester, Gloucestershire20072015Division 1Adult side folding in 2015 with the rest of the programme wound up in 2016.
   
   
Grimsby Scorpions
England Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire20132014AssociateMerged with fellow associate side Kingston Warhawks to form the Humber Warhawks.
   
   
Hastings Conquerors
England Hastings, East Sussex20132022Division 2Dropped out of the league before the start of the 2022 season.
   
   
Hull Hornets
England Hull, East Yorkshire20052010Division 2Former members later formed the Kingston Warhawks.
   
   
Jurassic Coast Raptors
England Dorchester, Dorset20162021Division 2Folded at the end of the 2021 season due to numbers
   
   
King's Lynn Patriots
England King's Lynn, Norfolk20162020AssociateFailed to win a place in the league and folded in 2020
   
   
Leeds Bobcats
England Leeds, West Yorkshire20142021Division 1Adult team formed in 2014, announced merger with Yorkshire Rams to become their development team in 2021
   
   
Maidstone Pumas
England Maidstone, Kent19972020Division 2Assets handed to the Kent Phoenix Youth side who in turn formed the South East Squadron
   
   
Manchester Bees
England Gorton, Manchester20192021AssociateManchester Titans reserve team, never played a competitive game
   
   
Milton Keynes Pathfinders
England Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire20062013Division 2Merged with the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders to form the Ouse Valley Eagles
   
   
Morecambe Bay Storm
England Morecambe, Lancashire20162022Division 2Folded before the 2022 season due to numbers.
   
   
Northumberland Lightning
England Ashington, Northumberland20122017Division 2Merged with fellow BAFANL side Newcastle Vikings to form the Northumberland Vikings
   
   
Peterborough Saxons
England Peterborough, Cambridgeshire20012016Premier LeagueSome former members went on to form the South Lincs Lightning in 2020.
   
   
South Lincolnshire Lightning
England Bourne, Lincolnshire20202023Division 2Formed during the COVID-19 season, were demoted by BAFA back to the associate process in 2023 before folding
   
   
Sussex Thunderbolts
England Brighton, East Sussex20202022Division 2B team for the Sussex Thunder, folded due to player numbers prior to 2022 season.
   
   
Welwyn Hatfield Mosquitos
England Hatfield, Hertfordshire20162019AssociateFailed to gain entry into the league and folded as a result
   
   
West Coast Trojans
Scotland Irvine, North Ayrshire20042018Division 1Full programme wound up in 2018. Several former players and coaches formed Inverclyde Goliaths.

Notable people

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
United Kingdom Phil AlexanderFarnham KnightsKicker for the London Monarchs, former professional association football player for Norwich City and chief executive of Crystal Palace[29]
United Kingdom Jermaine AllenLondon Olympians, London WarriorsPlayed in the NFL for Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints[30]
United Kingdom Marvin AllenLondon Warriors (2008–2011)Played in the NFL for Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins[31]
Canada Marcel BellefeuilleCrawley RaidersOC at CFL sides including Montreal Alouettes, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers[32]
United Kingdom Roderick BradleyLondon BlitzPlayed "Spartan" on ITV game show Gladiators[33]
United Kingdom Jason BrisbaneLondon BlitzPlayed in the NFL for San Diego Chargers[34]
United Kingdom Dwain ChambersFarnham KnightsBritish Olympic Athletics track sprinter and former NFL Europe player with Hamburg Sea Devils[35]
United Kingdom Charles DagnallLeicester FalconsFormer professional cricketer and BBC Radio presenter[36]
United Kingdom Aden DurdeLondon WarriorsDefensive coach in the NFL with Atlanta Falcons and played for Kansas City Chiefs[37]
United Kingdom Victor EbubedikeLondon Ravens, London OlympiansNFL Europe player with the London Monarchs[32]
United Kingdom Chris FountainManchester TitansActor who had regular roles in Hollyoaks and Coronation Street
United States Mike GrossnerNottingham Caesars, Leicester FalconsFormer NCAA coach with Western Colorado Mountaineers
United States Christian HolmesTamworth Phoenix (2016)Played in NCAA Division I for Mississippi State from 2011 to 2014
United Kingdom Stephen HutchinsonLondon BlitzPlayed in NFL Europe for London Monarchs and Hamburg Blue Devils
United Kingdom David IzinyonLondon WarriorsPlays in the CFL for the Hamilton Tiger Cats
United Kingdom Martin JohnsonLeicester PanthersProfessional rugby union player and Rugby World Cup winning captain of the England team[38]
United Kingdom Vernon KayLondon Warriors (2011–2014)Television presenter, formerly of Channel 4's NFL show
United Kingdom Lorn MayersLondon Blitz (2004–2005)Worked out for the Oakland Raiders before playing in NFL Europe for Berlin Thunder
Nigeria Efe ObadaLondon Warriors (2014)Plays in the NFL with the Washington Commanders, previously with Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills
United Kingdom Bamidele OlaseniLondon BlitzPlays in the NFL for the Las Vegas Raiders
United Kingdom Ayo OyelolaLondon OlympiansPlays in the NFL of the Jacksonville Jaguars, previously with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL
Sierra Leone Tigie SankohLondon Warriors, Kent ExilesPlayed in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, now with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL
United States Phoebe SchecterStaffordshire Surge, GB Lions WomenIntern coach in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills
United States Bradlee Van PeltLeicester Falcons (2010)Quarterback in the NFL for Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, graduate of Colorado State
United Kingdom Ricky WhittleManchester TitansActor who notably had lengthy roles in Hollyoaks and Dream Team

Winners

BritBowl

Winners of the Britbowl since the BAFA National Leagues 2010 formation

Team Season
London Warriors2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
London Blitz2010, 2011, 2012
Manchester Titans2022, 2023
Tamworth Phoenix2017

Division One Bowl

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

Team Season
Solent Thrashers2019
Bury Saints2016
Colchester Gladiators2013
East Kilbride Pirates2011, 2022
Farnham Knights2015
Hertfordshire Cheetahs2023
Leicester Falcons2018
Manchester Titans2017
Merseyside Nighthawks2014, 2015
Sussex Thunder2012
Tamworth Phoenix2010

Division Two Bowl

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

Team Season
Aberdeen Roughnecks2018
Berkshire Renegades2017
Bristol Apache2022
Bury Saints2015
East Kent Mavericks2023
Hertfordshire Cheetahs2018
Leicester Falcons2016
Oxford Saints2016
Sandwell Steelers2015
Shropshire Revolution2017
South Wales Warriors2011, 2019

See also

References

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