History
The Vikings were founded in 2014. They completed their associate period, playing games against the Yorkshire Rams, East Kilbride Pirates and fellow associate team, the Leeds Bobcats. [1]
In the summer of 2014, they announced a partnership with the nearby Northumbria University's American Football team, the Mustangs, which saw a number of Viking coaches join the Mustang staff. [2]
They were accepted into the league in 2015, and were placed in the newly formed BAFANL Division Two NFC North. [3] The Vikings played divisional rivals the Glasgow Tigers in their first competitive match, coming away with a comprehensive 46-8 win. [4]
Following the 2017 season in which the Vikings were beaten in the Division 1 play-offs, they announced that the club had merged with Division 2 side the Northumberland Lightning and that the club would be known as the "Northumberland Vikings" from the start of the 2018 season. [5]
In 2023, the Vikings ran an undefeated regular season earning a bye-week in the first round of the playoffs. After a decisive victory at home against the Chester Romans they hosted the Nottingham Caesars at home for the Division 1 North Final. Down narrowly at the half, the Vikings were able to overcome the deficit and claim victory and promotion into the Northern Premiership for the 2024 season.
Berkshire Renegades are an American Football team currently competing in the BAFANL SFC 2 Central. play their home games at the University of Reading in Reading, Berkshire.
The SGS Bristol Aztecs are an American football team based in Filton, South Gloucestershire, England, who operate in the BAFA National Leagues Premier South, the highest level of British American football. They are the south-west's only Premiership team. They operate from the South Gloucestershire and Stroud College in Filton, and they represent the City of Bristol which is where the team was formed.
The London Blitz are an American football team based in Finsbury Park, North London, England, who compete BAFA National Leagues Premier Division South, the highest level of British American football. They were formed in 1995 and operate from Finsbury Park Athletics Stadium. They are one of the Britain's most successful teams and are five-time BritBowl winners as well as European Champions following their EFAF Cup triumph in 2011. They have also seven divisional titles to their name.
The South Wales Warriors are a British American Football team based in Llanharan, Mid Glamorgan, Wales. They play in SFC 1 West for the 2022 season. The team was formed in 2001 after the Tiger Bay Warriors had disbanded due to the departure of head coach Rob Mota, along with key staff and players, by the remaining players and staff; the staff used equipment, resources and shirts from the folded Tiger Bay Warriors for economical purposes.
The Leicester Panthers are an American football team based in Leicester, England, that competes in the BAFA National Leagues Premier Division North, the top level of British American football. Their current home ground is at Aylestone Park F.C., having previously played at De Montfort Park and Leicester Forest RFC.
The Yorkshire Academy Rams are an English American football club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They are currently playing in BAFANL NFC 1 Central.
The Peterborough Saxons were a British American Football team based in Thorney, Cambridgeshire. They played in the BAFA Nation League's Midlands Conference Division One for the 2016 season but dropped out the League after one regular season game. The senior team was first formed in 2001 as the East Midlands Saxons and entered senior competition the following year. Particular seasons of note are 2008, 2012, and 2015, where the Saxons have won a significant number of games, achieved the play-offs or final, and achieved promotion. The Saxons folded in 2016 following an opening day defeat to the Nottingham Caesars.
The Gloucester Centurions were an American football team based in Gloucester. They competed in the National South League of the BAFA National Leagues.
The Hertfordshire Cheetahs are an American football team based in Watford, including a senior kitted team (contact) competing in the BAFA National Leagues (BAFANL), Under 16 and under 19 kitted teams (contact) a women's kitted team and The Hertfordshire Cheetahs Flag Football 11U, 14U, and 17U Flag football (non-contact) teams playing in the BAFA Youth Flag Football League. Currently all teams train and host their home games at Sun Postal Sports & Social Club, Bellmount Wood Avenue, Watford, WD17 3BN. The senior team was first formed in 1986 and entered a senior competition the following year, making them the third-longest continuously competing team in the United Kingdom behind only the Birmingham Bulls and Glasgow Tigers. During their history, the Cheetahs have reached the Divisional Playoff final on four occasions: in 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2018.The 2018 final was their first championship victory beating the Portsmouth Dreadnoughts for division 2 honours. After winning the Thames Valley div 2021 SFC1 West 2022 the Cheetahs won it all in 2023 SFC1 West SFC1 Conference and finally took National honours against the Northumberland Vikings in over time. After a 13-0 season they earned promotion to the Premier league in 2024
The Nottingham Caesars are an American football team based in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, who operate in the BAFA National Leagues NFC South 1, the second level of British American football. They are based at the David Ross Sports Village at the University of Nottingham in Beeston, Nottingham . The team is affectionately known by its players and fans as "The Big C" and was formed in 1984 initially as the youth team of the Nottingham Hoods before later splitting off to form its own adult side.
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.
The Carlisle Border Reivers were an American Football team playing in Division 2 North of the BAFA Community Leagues. They were based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team folded in 2013.
The Aberdeen Roughnecks are an American football club based in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 Scotland, the second level of British American Football. The team operate from the Sports field within Hazlehead Park that they nickname "The Rig". They were formed in 2012 and after progressing out of Associate status they debuted in the 2014 season. The club have paid homage to the previous Aberdeen-based side the Granite City Oilers and have considered themselves a continuation of the Oilers.
The Morecambe Bay Storm were the final operating name of an American Football club that were based in Morecambe, Lancashire who played in the BAFA National Leagues. The club traces its roots back to 2011 when the Walney Terriers joined the BAFANL. In 2016 Morecambe Bay formed as a separate club in the same regional division, while the Terriers became the Furness Phantoms in 2017. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Phantoms dropped out of the 2021 season before announcing a merger with The Storm in time for the 2022 season, however several months later the merged team also folded. The Storm and the Phantoms had both been divisional rivals until the merger.
The Sheffield Giants are an American football team based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, that competes in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 South, the second level of British American football. They were formed in 2008 as the Sheffield Predators but re-branded to the Giants in 2016 in a nod to the Steel City Giants who folded in the 1980s. In 2012 they were crowned Division Two Bowl Champions after defeating the Peterborough Saxons at the Don Valley Stadium.
The Halton Spartans are an American Football team based in Widnes, Cheshire, England, who compete in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 Central, the second level of British American Football. They are currently homeless. Formed in 2014 as the Runcorn Spartans the club were elected to the League the following year and went on to win the NFC 2 West title in 2019 earning promotion to Division 1.
The Sandwell Steelers are an American football team based in Walsall, West Midlands, England, that competes in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 South, the second level of British American Football. They operate from Walsall Rugby Club and were formed in 2013. The Steelers earned promotion to Division One in their second ever season an have won 3 Division titles in their 5 years as a BAFA League team. In 2019 they were promoted to the Premier Division North beating Northumberland Vikings in the NFC 1 Bowl game. The club also operate a selection Youth, Junior and Women's American Football teams.
The Leeds Bobcats were a British American football team based in Leeds, West Yorkshire who played in the BAFA National Leagues. The club was formed as the Bobcats in 2008 as a youth football team following ties with the Celina Bobcats from Texas. A Bobcats senior team began playing associate Football from 2011 onwards until being granted BAFA status in 2014 in order to debut in the 2015 season. The club has since grown from strength to strength from then onward making it to the playoffs in their second season.
The Scunthorpe Alphas are an American football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England that competes in the BAFA National Leagues NFC 1 North, the second tier of British American football. The club play their home games at Quibell Park Stadium and were formed in late 2018 by a consortium of coaches and former players who had previously played together at other local sides. In formation the Alphas became the second American football team to represent Scunthorpe following the Steelers who folded in 1990.
