Given the fact that Nottingham as a city already boasts two association football teams in the form of Nottingham Forest and Notts County, with the former having won numerous top-flight titles and the European Cup, you would be forgiven for wondering whether or not the city actually had room for another football team.
When the ‘football’ being talked about is of the American variety, however, there is certainly plenty of space for a team to exist. That is where the Nottingham Caesars come in, having been formed all the way back in 1984 as the youth team of the Nottingham Hoods.
The History of the Nottingham Caesars
In 1984, an American football team already existed in the city of Nottingham, with the Nottingham Hoods playing games in the city. At that point, a decision was taken to form a youth team, which continued to be part of the Hoods until 1992. That was the point at which an adult team spun off from the Hoods, playing games as the Nottingham Caesars in direct competition with the cross-city Nottingham Hoods. The Hoods enjoyed some success, such as a conference championship title in the year that the Caesars were formed, thanks to imports like Mike Grossner and Vic Quirolo.
In 1994, however, the Hoods stopped playing, which saw the Caesars’ hopes boosted as a result. Within a year, the team had posted its first undefeated season thanks to ten wins and zero losses, enjoying moderate success ever since. They won three consecutive Conference championships, which led to success in the off-season and a trip to the BritBowl, where they faced the Redbridge Fire. Sadly, that match ended in a 26-7 loss to the Fire, which sparked something of a downturn in fortunes over the next few years as they were relegated out of the Division One Northern Conference in 2001.
Struggles
The team bounced around various divisions in the years that followed, which was as much to do with overhauls to the way the sport was played in the United Kingdom as anything else. Nevertheless, they made it to the semi-finals off the post-season in 2008 before losing out to the Tamworth Phoenix. The league reshuffle meant that they were promoted, playing in the BAFL 1 South West Conference before struggling with the level in 2009, winning just twice. They had even less success a year later, winning just once when they defeated the South Wales Warriors at home.
That win, coming on the last day of the regular season, was enough to keep them in Division 1, with an upturn in fortunes following in 2012. An influx of rookies meant that they finished the regular season with a record of seven wins and three defeats, making the playoffs. There, they fell to the Berkshire Renegades in the quarter-finals. The following season, they were moved to play in the Northern Football Conference, finishing with four wins, five defeats and one tie in 2015. A year later and success returned, thanks to the fact that they made the playoffs of the newly created MFC 1.
They enjoyed success against the Peterborough Saxons, the Doncaster Mustangs, the Ouse Valley Eagles and the Birmingham Bulls to finish the season with a record of six wins and four defeats. They made the playoffs, losing to the Edinburgh Wolves in a close game. A big overhaul came in 2020, thanks to the arrival of Grant Lawless as the club’s new Coordinator, who brought some new coaches with him. Sadly, though, the season ended up being cancelled because of the global health crisis of the time, but they were well set for a more successful 2021.
Return to the Premiership
The off-season of 2023 saw some solid work from the Caesars, including a recruitment drive that resulted in the arrival of new players and coaches. That not only boosted the roster but also saw a cultural shift within the team, seeing ‘the Big C’, as the team is referred to, enjoy its first undefeated regular season since 1995. They took those ten wins into the playoffs and defeated the Scunthorpe Alphas in the semi-final, but lost to the Northumberland Vikings in the final. More coaches and players arrived ahead of the 2024 season, however, to pave the way for more success.
The new team culture was built on ‘hard work and vibes’, seeing the Caesars go undefeated once again in the regular season. Their record of eight wins heading into the playoffs saw them get a bye to the semi-finals, once more having to defeat the Scunthorpe Alphas to make the final. They won that game 45-6, which meant they were in the Division 1 North promotion match, going up against the Yorkshire Rams and winning 21-10. That meant that the club was back in the Premiership for the first time in more than a decade, as well as making it to the Division 1 National Final, BritBowl XXXVI.
The final pitted the Nottingham Caesars against the Rushmoor Knights, who were effectively their southern counterparts. The Knights had also gone undefeated, meaning that the BritBowl was something of a battle of the immovable object and the unstoppable force. The game was therefore trailed as a nail-biting climax to the season between two powerhouses. Instead, the Caesars absolutely demolished their opponents, running out 49-9 winners thanks to the talents that they had in place across the defence, the offence and their special teams, being crowned champions for the first time.
Having previously played home games at the Harvey Hadden Stadium in Bilborough, the Nottingham Caesars now play their games at the David Ross Sports Village, which is based at the University of Nottingham and is shared with the GB Lions.