BAFA National Leagues
The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) are the primary American football domestic League competition in England, Scotland and Wales. The League is run by the British American Football Association to coordinate contact football within Great Britain. The BAFANL 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 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 London Warriors who won the 2019 Britbowl as well as the Premier Division South, they are also the most successful team having won 6 titles since the League's reformation in its current guise.
| Formerly | British American Football League (1987–2010) |
|---|---|
| Sport | American football |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Inaugural season | 2010 |
| Commissioner | Pete Ackerley |
| No. of teams | 70 |
| Country |  England (61 teams) Scotland (8 teams).svg.png.webp){kind=small} Wales (1 team) |
| Headquarters | Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England[1] |
| Most recent champion(s) | Britbowl: London Warriors Premier North: Tamworth Phoenix Premier South: London Warriors Division 1 Bowl: Solent Thrashers NFC North 1: Northumberland Vikings NFC South 1: Sandwell Steelers SFC Central 1: Solent Thrashers SFC East 1: Cambridgeshire Cats Division 2 North Bowl: Inverclyde Goliaths NFC Central 2: Halton Spartans NFC North 2: Clyde Valley Blackhawks NFC South 2: Birmingham Bulls Division 2 South Bowl: South Wales Warriors SFC East 2: Essex Spartans SFC South 2: London Blitz B SFC West 2: South Wales Warriors |
| Most titles | London Warriors (6 titles) |
| Related competitions | Britbowl |
| Official website | britishamericanfootball |
The League was formed in 2010 following the collapse of the British American Football League, which had run in a number of different guises since the 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.
History
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 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
NFC (Northern Football Conference)
SFC Southern Football Conference
The BAFANL 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 Division's 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 semi-final 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 European leagues, British American football is currently amateur as opposed to 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.
Media coverage
The Britbowl as well as the Divisional Play-off finals are live streamed 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 [12]
DblCoverage.com is the largest British American Football-focused media outlet and community hub, featuring news, league results and standings for all formats of the contact game, as well as opinion articles and editorials.[13]
Their social media pages represent the largest online community of British American Football players and fans.[14]
In 2019, Onside provided the livestream of the U19 Junior National Championship and BritBowl XXXIII for BBC Sport.[15]
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.
Teams
There are currently 70 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 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.
Premier Division
The BAFANL Premier Division for the 2020 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 Division's 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 | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Wolves | Edinburgh, Scotland | Meggetland Sports Complex | 2002 | Grey and Red | Martin Harrison |
| Manchester Titans | Gorton, Manchester | National Speedway Stadium | 2003 | Royal Blue and Gold | Jon Homer |
| Merseyside Nighthawks | Skelmersdale, Lancashire | JMO Sports Park | 1984 | Black and Red | Craig Pennington |
| Sandwell Steelers | Tipton, West Midlands | Tipton Sports Academy | 2013 | Grey and Black | Maxwell Petitjean |
| Sheffield Giants | Sheffield, South Yorkshire | Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park | 2008 | Sky Blue and Black | Toby Chesters |
| Tamworth Phoenix | Coleshill, Warwickshire | Pack Meadow | 2004 | Black and Orange | Jason Scott |
Premier South
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Aztecs | Filton, South Gloucestershire | Stoke Gifford Stadium | 1990 | Grey and Orange | Ben Herrod |
| Kent Exiles | Bromley, Greater London | Beaverwood Club | 2004 | Black and White | John Moore |
| London Blitz | Finsbury Park, London | Finsbury Park Stadium | 1995 | Navy Blue and White | Damian Anderson |
| London Olympians | Greenwich, London | Well Hall Stadium | 1984 | White and Burgundy | Riq Ayub |
| London Warriors | Thornton Heath, London | Frant Road | 2007 | Black and White | Tony Allen |
| Solent Thrashers | Southampton, Hampshire | Solent University Test Park Sports Ground | 2003 | Grey and Gold | Steve Rains |
Division One
The BAFANL Division One is the second tier of British American Football, for the 2020 season it holds 24 teams, now divided into 4 Divisions. The Divisions are grouped into a North and South Divide with NFC standing for "Northern Football Conference" and the SFC being the "Southern Football Conference". The current individual names of the each Divisions are the NFC 1 North, the NFC 1 South, the SFC 1 Central and the SFC 1 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. There is no inter-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 off's will win promotion to the Premier League and then face other for the Division One Bowl game in order to take home the trophy.[16] The team who finishes bottom of each division is relegated to Division Two.
NFC 1 North
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Roughnecks | Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Hazlehead Park | 2012 | Red and White | Vacant |
| East Kilbride Pirates | Glasgow, Scotland | Braidholm | 1985 | Black and Red | Jamie McLaughlin |
| Glasgow Tigers | Glasgow, Scotland | Nethercraigs Club | 1986 | Orange and Black | Ryan McCluskey |
| Inverclyde Golliaths | Greenock, Renfrewshire | Fort Matilda | 2016 | Sky Blue and Black | |
| Northumberland Vikings | Newcastle upon Tyne | Druid Park | 2014 | Black and Red | Bryce Stevenson |
NFC 1 South
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Romans | Chester, Cheshire | Cheshire County Sports Club | 1986 | Red and White | Levi Edwards |
| Halton Spartans | Widnes, Cheshire | DCBL Stadium | 2014 | Black and Green | Simon Wainwright |
| Lancashire Wolverines | Preston, Lancashire | UCLan Sports Arena | 1987 | Silver and Black | Lea Hall |
| Leicester Falcons | Leicester, Leicestershire | Leicester Forest East Rugby Club | 2006 | Green and White | Mike Grossner |
| Nottingham Caesars | Nottingham, Nottinghamshire | Harvey Hadden Stadium | 1984 | Burgundy and Gold | Vanden Warner |
| Shropshire Revolution | Telford, Shropshire | Telford Athletics Stadium | 2006 | Purple and White | John Angell |
| Yorkshire Rams | Leeds, West Yorkshire | South Leeds Stadium | 1986 | Black and White | Jason Shaw |
SFC 1 Central
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth Bobcats | Bournemouth, Dorset | The Bourne Academy | 1985 | Red and Black | Simon McLean |
| Farnham Knights | Farnham, Surrey | Wilkinson Way | 1985 | Sky Blue and Red | Peter Fields |
| Oxford Saints | Abingdon, Oxfordshire | Tilsley Park | 1983 | White and Navy Blue | Andrew Day |
| Portsmouth Dreadnoughts | Gosport, Hampshire | Gosport Park | 2012 | Navy Blue and Grey | Luke Head-Rapson |
| South Wales Warriors | Llanharan, Mid Glamorgan, Wales | The Dairy Field | 2001 | Green and Black | Geraint Roberts |
| Sussex Thunder | Brighton, East Sussex | Brighton Rugby Club | 1997 | Red and Blue | Ian Ellis |
SFC 1 East
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bury Saints | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk | Red Lodge Sports Pavilion | 2013 | Gold and Green | Chris Cantrill |
| Cambridgeshire Cats | Cambridge, Cambridgeshire | Coldhams Common | 1984 | Red and Black | Marco Fasulo |
| Essex Spartans | South Ockendon, Essex | Thames Rugby Football Club | 1998 | Black and Gold | Sean Benton |
| Hertfordshire Cheetahs | Watford, Hertfordshire | Sun Postal Sports & Social Club | 1986 | Yellow and Black | Craig Barnes |
| London Hornets | Camden Town, London | Mill Hill Rugby Club | 2011 | Black and Yellow | Tony Price |
| Wembley Stallions | Harrow, London | LPOSSA Club | 2013 | Red and White | Warren Smart |
Division Two
The BAFA Division Two is the third tier of British American Football with 2020 holding 34 teams across 7 Divisions. The Divisions are grouped into a North and South Divide with NFC standing for "Northern Football Conference" and the SFC being the "Southern Football Conference". The current individual names of the each Divisions are the NFC 2 North, the NFC 2 East, the NFC 2 West, the SFC 2 Central, the SFC 2 West, the SFC 2 South 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. There is no inter-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 off's will win promotion to Division One and then face other for the Division Two Bowl game in order to take home the trophy.[17]
NFC 2 North
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clyde Valley Blackhawks | Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland | Beltane Park | 2007 | Gold and Black | Gary Orr |
| Darlington Steam | Darlington, County Durham | Blackwell Meadows | 2014 | Black and White | Darren Mitchell |
| Dumfries Hunters | Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland | David Keswick Centre | 2014 | Green and Black | Luke Summers |
| Dunfermline Kings | Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland | Duloch Leisure Centre | 2016 | Purple and Gold | Alistair Choat |
| Gateshead Senators | Jarrow, Tyneside | Monkton Stadium | 1985 | Green and Orange | Gary Marshall |
NFC 2 West
~ Denotes team who withdrew from the season before it was cancelled due to COVID-19.[18]
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crewe Railroaders | Crewe, Cheshire | Cheshire College Sports Field | 1984 | Silver and Black | Jason Smith |
| ~Furness Phantoms | Ulverston, Cumbria | GSK Sports Club | 2011 | Green and Gold | Vacant |
| Morecambe Bay Storm | Morecambe, Lancashire | Trimpell Sports Club | 2016 | Black and Blue | Scud Fairhurst |
| Staffordshire Surge | Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire | Trentham Fields | 2008 | White and Blue | Jon Wyse |
NFC 2 East
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doncaster Mustangs | Doncaster, South Yorkshire | Wheatley Hills Rugby Club | 2002 | Gold and Green | Paul Coley |
| Humber Warhawks | Hull, East Yorkshire | University of Hull Sports Field | 2014 | Grey and Red | Alex Moore |
| Knottingley Raiders | Knottingley, West Yorkshire | Marsh Lane | 2014 | Black and White | Zak Constance |
| Leeds Bobcats | Leeds, West Yorkshire | West Leeds Rugby Club | 2008 | White and Gold | Chris Peel |
| Lincolnshire Bombers | North Hykeham, Lincolnshire | North Hykeham Rugby Club | 2005 | White and Black | Michael Etheridge |
SFC 2 Central
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Bulls | Hopwood, Worcestershire | Hopwood Park | 1983 | Black and White | Matthew Sheldon |
| Hereford Stampede | Hereford, Herefordshire | Greyhound Rugby Club | 2016 | Purple and Black | Paul Kent |
| Northants Knights | Northampton, Northamptonshire | Northampton BBO Rugby Club | 2016 | Burgundy and White | Matt Godfrey |
| Ouse Valley Eagles | Bedford, Bedfordshire | Bedford International Athletics Stadium | 2013 | Purple and White | Nick Benning |
| Worcestershire Black Knights | Worcester, Worcestershire | Perdiswell Leisure Centre | 2016 | Black and Green | Ian Hughes |
SFC 2 West
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Apache | Filton, South Gloucestershire | SGS Sports Field | 1990 | Orange and Black | Pete Jones |
| Cornwall Monarchs | Newquay, Cornwall | Newquay Sports Centre | 2005 | White and Gold | Richard Atkinson |
| Somerset Wyverns | Taunton, Somerset | Victoria Park | 2017 | Burgundy and Gold | John Chambers |
| Torbay Trojans | Torquay, Devon | Foxhole Community Centre | 1983 | White and Black | Sean Harris |
SFC 2 South
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Renegades | Reading, Berkshire | University of Reading Sports Park | 1985 | Red and Black | Paul Gordon |
| Hastings Conquerors | Hastings, East Sussex | Freshfields | 2012 | Black and Light Blue | |
| Jurassic Coast Raptors | Dorchester, Dorset | Dorchester Rugby Club | 2016 | Green and White | Billy Heinrich |
| London Blitz B | Finsbury Park, London | Finsbury Park Stadium | 2015 | White and Navy Blue | Anthony Coverdale |
| Swindon Storm | Swindon, Wiltshire | Southbrook Playing Fields | 2012 | Navy Blue and Gold | Richard Westley |
SFC 2 East
~ Denotes team who withdrew from the season who have folded during 2020.
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester Gladiators | Colchester, Essex | Corporal Budd VC Gymnasium | 1983 | Sky Blue and Yellow | Karl Bourke |
| East Essex Sabres | Rayleigh, Essex | Deanes School | 2016 | Orange and White | Kirk Beacham |
| East Kent Mavericks | Canterbury, Kent | Simon Langton Grammar School | 2002 | Red and Black | Glenn Lindley |
| Ipswich Cardinals | Ipswich, Suffolk | Northgate Sports Centre | 1986 | Burgundy and Gold | Ian Girling |
| ~Maidstone Pumas | Maidstone, Kent | New Line Learning Academy | 1997 | Black and Orange | Vacant |
| Norwich Devils | Norwich, Norfolk | Thorpe High School | 1984 | Navy Blue and Yellow | Andy Starling |
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 an amount 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.[19][20]
~ Denotes team who have been confirmed as a BAFA Division Two side for 2021.[21]
| Team | City | Stadium / Home Field | Founded | Colours | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley Tornados | Burnley, Lancashire | Colne & Nelson Rugby Club | 2016 | Claret and Blue | David Robins |
| Carlisle Kestrels | Carlisle, Cumbria | Sheepmount Sports College | 2014 | Green and Black | Paul Brady |
| DC Presidents | Chester-le-Street, County Durham | Riverside Leisure Complex | 1985 | Royal Blue and Red | Mark Quinn |
| Highland Stags | Inverness, Scotland | Parklea Fields | 2016 | Green and Black | Billy Mill |
| King's Lynn Patriots | King's Lynn, Norfolk | West Lynn Sports Club | 2016 | Navy Blue and Gold | Chris Wallis |
| Leicester Falcons B | Leicester, Leicestershire | Leicester Forest East Rugby Club | 2018 | Green and White | Mike Grossner |
| Manchester Titans B | Gorton, Manchester | National Speedway Stadium | 2018 | Royal Blue and Gold | Phil Chapman |
| ~Scunthorpe Alphas | Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire | Quibell Park Stadium | 2018 | White and Navy Blue | Alex Robson |
| South East Squadron | Maidstone, Kent | TBC | 2020 | TBC | TBC |
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 | Colours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire Blue Raiders | Bedford, Bedfordshire | 2006 | 2013 | Sky Blue and Yellow | Merged with the Milton Keynes Pathfinders to form the Ouse Valley Eagles. |
| Carlisle Border Reivers | Carlisle, Cumbria | 2009 | 2013 | Maroon and White | |
| Coventry Jets | Coventry, Warwickshire | 2004 | 2018 | White and Blue | All Jets teams transferred to the Etone Jaguars youth programme. |
| Dundee Hurricanes | Dundee, Scotland | 2002 | 2019 | Blue and White | Resigned in 2018, dropped into Associate Process and are now dormant. |
| Gloucester Centurions | Gloucester, Gloucestershire | 2007 | 2015 | Purple and Black | |
| Grimsby Scorpions | Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire | 2013 | 2014 | Red and Black | Merged with the Kingston Warhawks to form the Humber Warhawks. |
| Hull Hornets | Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire | 2005 | 2010 | Amber and Black | |
| Maidstone Pumas | Maidstone, Kent | 1997 | 2020 | Black and Orange | Assets handed to the Kent Phoenix Youth side who in turn formed the South East Squadron. |
| Northumberland Lightning | Ashington, Northumberland | 2012 | 2017 | Yellow and Red | Merged with the Newcastle Vikings to form the Northumberland Vikings. |
| Peterborough Saxons | Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | 2001 | 2016 | Royal Blue, Black and White | |
| West Coast Trojans | Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland | 2004 | 2018 | Red, White and Blue | |
Notable people
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.
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Winners
BritBowl
Winners of the Britbowl since the BAFA National Leagues 2010 formation.
| Team | Season |
|---|---|
| London Warriors | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 |
| London Blitz | 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| Tamworth Phoenix | 2017 |
Division One Bowl
In 2015 there was a separate Bowl final for both the Northern and Southern sections.
| Team | Season |
|---|---|
| Solent Thrashers | 2019 |
| Bury Saints | 2016 |
| Colchester Gladiators | 2013 |
| East Kilbride Pirates | 2011 |
| Farnham Knights | 2015 |
| Leicester Falcons | 2018 |
| Manchester Titans | 2017 |
| Merseyside Nighthawks | 2014, 2015 |
| Sussex Thunder | 2012 |
| Tamworth Phoenix | 2010 |
Division Two Bowl
Each year there is both a Northern and Southern Bowl winner.
| Team | Season |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen Roughnecks | 2018 |
| Berkshire Renegades | 2017 |
| Bury Saints | 2015 |
| Hertfordshire Cheetahs | 2018 |
| Leicester Falcons | 2016 |
| Oxford Saints | 2016 |
| Sandwell Steelers | 2015 |
| Shropshire Revolution | 2017 |
| South Wales Warriors | 2019 |
See also
References
- https://britishamericanfootball.org/Contacts#.X48A89BKiUk
- "Britball Firsts". Britball Now. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- "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.
- Dobson, Cathy (27 April 2010). "Two Sarnia war heroes to be honoured". Sarnia Observer. Archived from the original on 2017-10-03. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- 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.
- "Military Football in the UK". Britball Now. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- "1984 Table of Merit". London Blitz. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- "All Time British American Football Tables – 1984". Britball Now. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
- "BAFANL Adult Contact Standings". BAFA National Leagues. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- https://www.bafra.info/rules/ncaa/index.htm
- https://recruit.thepodyum.com/articles/633-ranking-the-best-football-leagues-in-europe?fbclid=IwAR3_mh3N2vU5jAtM1G3AwJdq2xRxopkv_GH9gorldCwOyCjfa6GKub0TUCY
- http://dblcoverage.com/event/britbowl-xxxi/
- http://dblcoverage.com
- http://Facebook.com/dblcoverage
- "Britbowl XXXIII games to be live streamed by BBC Sport". British American Football Association. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
- "BAFANL League Expansion – Update". Double Coverage. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- "BAFANL League Expansion – Update". Double Coverage. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- https://www.facebook.com/FurnessPhant0ms/photos/a.677256142319330/3045558908822363/
- Establishing a club
- BAFA Announces New 2017 League Alignments
- https://gridironhub.com/article/scunthorpe-alphas-confirmed-as-full-members-of-bafa-national-leagues/
- <http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Where.html/ref>
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Jermaine Allen || London Olympians || Played in the NFL for Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints - http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Where.html
- http://www.britballnow.co.uk/History/Where.html
- https://www.planetrugby.com/the-greatest-number-four-lock/