Northern European Football League
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| First season | 2017 |
| Folded | 2018 |
| Countries |  Denmark England Finland Norway Sweden |
| Most titles | Helsinki Roosters Copenhagen Towers (1 title) |
The Northern European Football League (NEFL) was a short-lived organization involving American football in the Nordic countries and England. The league formed in 2017 following the collapse of the IFAF Europe Champions League in 2016. Former teams of this league rallied together to form the NEFL, eventually forming ties with the Central European Football League. While the league met its end in 2018, many teams would end up joining the CEFL, continuing the NEFL's legacy.
History
2017
The inaugural season of the NEFL featured three former teams of the IFAF Europe Champions League: the Carlstad Crusaders, Copenhagen Towers, and Helsinki Roosters. Joining these teams were the London Warriors from the BAFA National Leagues and the Uppsala 86'ers. The 86'ers and Roosters were placed in Group 1, while the Crusaders, Towers, and Warriors were slotted into Group 2.[1]
Group 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helsinki Roosters | 2 | 2 | 0 | 89 | 57 | +32 | NEFL Final I |
| 2 | Uppsala 86'ers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 57 | 89 | −32 |
Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlstad Crusaders | 2 | 2 | 0 | 57 | 20 | +37 | NEFL Final I |
| 2 | London Warriors | 2 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 58 | −17 | |
| 3 | Copenhagen Towers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 54 | −20 |
Final
NEFL Final I was held at Sola Arena in Carlstad, where the Roosters would outclass the Crusaders in overtime 21–15.
| NEFL Final I May 22 | |||
| Carlstad Crusaders
| 15 | ||
| Helsinki Roosters
| 21 | ||
2018
The 2018 season marked the final season of the league's existence. The league ditched its championship game and two conferences in favor of a single conference, with the top team becoming the 2018 champion and qualifying for the Superfinal. The Roosters, NEFL Final I champions, departed from the league due to scheduling conflicts, while the 86'ers and Warriors dropped out to pursue other opportunities, being replaced by the Oslo Vikings and Tamworth Phoenix.[2] The Gdynia Seahawks were also a potential candidate to join the league for 2018, but instead shifted their attention to joining the CEFL Cup.[3] The Copenhagen Towers would take home the gold after going undefeated on the season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen Towers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 115 | 60 | +55 | Superfinal |
| 2 | Carlstad Crusaders | 3 | 2 | 1 | 133 | 75 | +58 | |
| 3 | Tamworth Phoenix | 3 | 1 | 2 | 68 | 104 | −36 | |
| 4 | Oslo Vikings | 3 | 0 | 3 | 47 | 124 | −77 |
Final
A final matchup colloquially called the Superfinal between the NEFL champion and the CEFL champion, the Swarco Raiders Tirol, was held on June 30 at Gentofte Sportspark in Copenhagen. The Swarco Raiders beat the Towers 45–20, claiming the Superfinal title.
| Superfinal June 30 | |||
| Copenhagen Towers
| 20 | ||
 Swarco Raiders Tirol
| 45 | ||
Collapse
The NEFL since its founding was plagued by the 2015 IFAF leadership division.[4] Legitimacy issues surrounding the ownership of IFAF would lead to many independent American football leagues in Europe being sanctioned, including the CEFL.[5][6] This threat, combined with scheduling issues surrounding NEFL teams would lead to the league's demise following the 2018 season.[2] While the Phoenix and Vikings returned to their respective leagues, the Crusaders and Towers later joined the CEFL, cementing the NEFL as an important cornerstone in the CEFL's development.[7][8]
Membership of NEFL
| Team | Nat | Seasons | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlstad Crusaders | | 2017–2018 | ||
| Copenhagen Towers | | 2017–2018 | ||
| Helsinki Roosters | | 2017 | ||
| London Warriors | | 2017 | ||
| Uppsala 86'ers | | 2017 | ||
| Oslo Vikings | | 2018 | ||
| Tamworth Phoenix | | 2018 | ||
References
- ↑ "Northern European Football League – NEFL – Announces Schedule". 18 March 2017.
- 1 2 "Northern European Football League almost set to kick off with 4 national champs – still looking". 29 December 2017.
- ↑ "CEFL Cup, teams and schedule". 11 February 2018.
- ↑ "IFAF Congress Fallout Ripples Around the Globe". 24 July 2015.
- ↑ "IFAF war of words rages on". 30 September 2017.
- ↑ "IFAF Europe attempts crackdown on CEFL clubs, federations; Austria defies stating "not possible"". 28 February 2017.
- ↑ "European teams' alliance". 8 November 2019.
- ↑ "Quantum leap in CEFL Championship 2021". 27 January 2021.