The Manchester Titans American football club is set to make history as the first English team to join the Central European Football League, kicking off their 2024 season on April 20th in Stockholm.

It marks a significant return for British clubs in European competitions, with the last representation dating back to 2015 with the London Blitz.

Manchester boasts a proud legacy, highlighted by the now-disbanded Spartans’ victory in the Eurobowl back in 1990.

The Titans were founded in 2003 and have grown to include 250 members at all levels and include a team in every age group of men’s and women’s American football in Britain.

They play at the National Speedway Stadium in Gorton; however, it is unlikely they will get to play at home in their first European campaign due to their seeding in the tournament.

The CEFL is a similar concept to the UEFA Champions League except teams go straight into the knockout rounds, it was originally formed for Central European teams but has since grown.

The Titans will be playing Stockholm Mean Machine and are the first-ever representatives from Britain in the tournament’s history according to the CEFL website albeit London Warriors were due to play in the 2020 tournament before it was cancelled because of Covid-19.

The match against Stockholm will be played on the 20th of April in the Swedish capital, and the club is trying to raise sponsorship money ahead of the start of the season.

Most clubs in Europe are Semi-Professional and thus it has been a struggle for British teams when facing European teams in previous competitions.

Sean, a freelance videographer, predominantly chronicled the winning campaign in the BAFA National League last season, creating a documentary on the club’s success.

He spoke of the problems British clubs face when playing in Europe:

“We are a completely amateur league in the UK, so we are not allowed to pay players to play for us, something that has gathered a lot of criticism from the previous BAFA CEO.”

If the Titans get through this first-round match, they will travel to face the reigning European champions La Courneuve Flash from France in May.

The long-term goal would be to go professional and join the European League of Football and compete at the highest level of American Football in Europe currently.

“The level of the performance at the last Britbowl between the Titans and the Warriors showed that the UK deserves to have a European team in the professional ELF.”

Both Titans and Warriors are vying for entry into the European League of Football, seeking to bolster the UK’s presence in professional American football on the continent.

“Essentially we are the two most dominant teams and have two of the biggest followings.”

“It’s a tangible effort where we want to get the UK its own professional team and grow the sport a little bit more that way.”

Established in 2020, this new tournament serves as a revival of the NFL Europe era, capturing the essence of its predecessors.

The Titans are in a good position to attempt going Pro, 18 of the 45 members of the Great Britain team play in Manchester and the national team includes two coaches from the Titans, offensive senior quality control Luke Carlton and Defensive Backs Coordinator George Foster.

For now, the Titans will have to be content with the CEFL but considering it has been nine years since a British club last set foot in Europe the excitement around the club is palpable.

The Titans are reigning champions of the UK having won the previous two Premier Division titles in 2022 and 2023 beating the London Warriors on both occasions.