European American Football NFL Europe Era Timeline 1972-Present

National Football League Europe Logos [Ref: 63]

National Football League International 1960-Present

Designated Home Team (Host City)Years
National Football League Intercontinental1960-1993
Chicago Bears (Toronto)1960
Detroit Lions (Montreal)1969
Pittsburgh Steelers (Montreal)1969
NFL Bleu (Paris)1972
NFL Rouge (Paris)1972
St. Louis Cardinals (Tokyo)1976
New Orleans Saints (Mexico City)1978
Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL)(London)1984
Minnesota Vikings (Goteborg)1988
Cleveland Browns (Toronto) #1993
NFL American Bowl / International Series1995-Present
Minnesota Vikings (London)1983^; 2013
St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams (London)1987+; 2012, 16-17, 19
Miami Dolphins (London)1988+, 2007, 2015, 2017
New Orleans Saints (London)1990+, 2008
San Francisco 49ers (London)1992+, 2010
Buffalo Bills (Toronto)1995+; 2008-2013 [35]
National Football League American Bowl1986-2019
Chicago Bears (London)1986
New York Jets (Montreal)1988
Los Angeles Rams (Tokyo)1989
Philadelphia Eagles (London)1989
Denver Broncos (Tokyo)1990, 1995
Pittsburgh Steelers (Montreal)1990
Los Angeles Rams (Berlin)1990
Buffalo Bills (London)1991
San Francisco 49ers (Berlin)1991
Miami Dolphins (Tokyo)1991
Houston Oilers (Tokyo)1992
Miami Dolphins (Berlin)1992
Dallas Cowboys (London)1993
New Orleans Saints (Tokyo)1993
San Francisco 49ers (Barcelona)1993
Minnesota Vikings (Berlin)1993
Los Angeles Raiders (Barcelona)1994
Minnesota Vikings (Tokyo)1994
New York Giants (Berlin)1994
Houston Oilers (Mexico City)1994
San Diego Chargers (Tokyo)1996
Kansas City Chiefs (Monterrey)1996
Pittsburgh Steelers (Dublin)1997
Miami Dolphins (Mexico City)1997
Green Bay Packers (Toronto)1997
Green Bay Packers (Tokyo)1998
San Francisco 49ers (Vancouver)1998
New England Patriots (Tokyo)1998
Denver Broncos (Sydney)1999
Atlanta Falcons (Tokyo)2000; 2005
Indianapolis Colts (Mexico City)2000
Dallas Cowboys (Mexico City)2001
Washington Redskins (Osaka)2002
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Tokyo)2003
National Football League International Series2005-2019
Arizona Cardinals (Mexico City)2005 [33]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (London)2009, 2011, 2019
Jacksonville Jaguars (London)2013-2019
Atlanta Falcons (London)2014
Oakland Raiders (London)2014; 2018-2019
Kansas City Chiefs (London)2015
Cincinnati Bengals (London)2016
Cleveland Browns (London)2017
Los Angeles Chargers (London)2018
Los Angeles Chargers (Mexico City)2019
Green Bay Packers (Winnipeg) ^2019
NFL American Bowl & International Series 1976-2019

# International Series Match. + American Bowl Match. ^ Non-International Series Preseason Exhibition match.

National Football League Europe Era (1991-Present)

TeamYears
World League of American Football (North American Teams)1991-1992
New York / New Jersey Knights
Orlando Thunder
Montreal Machine
Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks
Birmingham Fire
San Antonio Riders
Sacramento Surge
Ohio Glory (Columbus)
European League Continental Conference1993
Hamburg Blue Devils (also AFLE)
Cologne Crocodiles
Munich Cowboys
Euro Spartans (Leicester)
European League UK Conference1993
EuroBears (Leicester)
EuroRaiders (Leicester)
EuroSteelers (Leicester)
EuroMonarchs (Leicetser)
American Football League of Europe1994-1995
Stockholm Nordic Vikings
Berlin Bears
Helsinki Roosters
Frankfurt Knights
Hamburg Blue Devils (also ELCC)
Munich Thunder
Amsterdam Crusaders (also IFAFE Big 6)
Sheffield GB Spartans
Frankfurt Gamblers
Bergamo Lions
National Football League Europe League1995-2007
London Monarchs (also WLAF)
Barcelona Dragons (also WLAF)
Amsterdam Admirals
Scottish Claymores (Edinburgh)
Rhein Fire
Frankfurt Galaxy (also WLAF)
Berlin Thunder
Cologne Crocodiles
Hamburg Sea Devils
Central European Football League2006-2016
Stirmium Legionaires
Ljubljana Silverhawks
Cineplexx Blue Devils
Project Spielberg Graz Giants
Zagreb Patriots
Kranj Alp Devils
Sarajevo Spartans
Domzale Tigers
Bratislava Monarchs
Budapest Docler Wolves
Budapest Cowboys
Budapest Cowbells
Nis Imperatori
Indija Indians
Istanbul Cavaliers
Vukovi Beograd
Novi Sad Dukes
ASVO / CNC Gladiators
Kragujevac Wild Boars
International Federation of American Football Europe Big 62016-Present
Schwabisch-Hall Unicorns
Berlin Adler
Braunschweig New Yorker Lions
Frankfurt Samsung Universe
Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna
Amsterdam Crusaders (also AFLE)
La Corneuve Flash
Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
Badalona Dracs
Milano Seamen
National Football League Europe Teams Timeline (1991-Present) [Ref: 2-62]

Report

The National Football League played its first match in Europe in Paris in 1972 as part of the Intercontintal Football League promotion, between NFL Bleu and NFL Rouge, two teams of National Football League players. The following 10 years saw more matches played, including a USFL match.

The National Football League played the first American Bowl, a series of Preseason matches in London, Berlin, Barcelona and Dublin in 1983, and these continued until 1997.

In 1991 the NFL set up the World League of American Football with seven teams in North America (including one in Canada) and three in Europe. It scrapped the League after two seasons.

In 1993 the European League was a venture featuring three German teams and 5 English teams playing a limited schedule. In 1994 this league morphed into the American Football League of europe, featuring 8 teams and playing a 10-game season, with teams throughout Northern and Central Europe.

The AFL Europe was cut short after the 1995 season, as that year saw the return of the World League of American Football which was now a Europe-only League with 6 teams. It was renamed the NFL Europe League in 1998, and by the time the National Football League scrapped it in 2007 to focus on promoting the NFL in Europe it had 5 of its six teams in Germany.

The Central European Football League was set up in 2006 as a weekly, 10-game schedule league. By the time it had been absorbed by IFAF Europe in 2017, and become a regional A League playing a 2-game schedule for the previous years champions of the Central European National Leagues, in line with the Northern European Football League, under the European Football League (AA), it had teams from Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Turkey.

It was replaced as the Major League in Europe by the IFAF Europe Big 6, playing a limited-schedule, 2-game season, with two groups and a Final. Teams were from Germany, Austria, Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain.

The National Football League during this time (2007-present) was promoting the National Football League in Europe through a series of Regular Season games in London, with the Jacksonville Jaguars the designated home team for one game a year. By 2019 this had become four-games a year, with a wide variety of NFL teams playing. The American Bowl and International Series included matches in Mexico, Japan, Canada and Australia.

References

Bibliography

[1] National Football League (2014) “Past Standings” 2014 Official NFL Record & Factbook” pg. 350-399. National football League, Time Home Entertainment. 2014.

[2] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1991 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id165.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[3] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1992 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id166.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

Newspapers

[4] Berry, Lee (1993) “Spartans Humbled in Hamburg” First Down. May 15, 1993. pg. 17

[5] Berry, Lee (1993) “Germans Get Away with Blue Murder” First Down. August 28, 1993. pg. 18.

[6] Berry, Lee (1993) “Spartans humble” First Down. October 2, 1993. pg. ??.

Newspapers

[7] Berry, Lee (1993) “They said it couldn’t be done” First Down. October 16, 1993. pg. 20

[8] Berry, Lee (1993) “Nuttall mints it with Raiders” First Down. October 16, 1993. pg. 20.

[9] Berry, Lee (1993) “Semi-Conscience” First Down. October 23, 1993. pg. 20.

[10] Berry, Lee (1993) “Near-Miss!” First Down. November 6, 1993. pg. 21.

Websites

[11] Google Groups – rec.sport.football.misc (1994) Message by Ludwig Alberter – 5 September 1994 [Internet] Available from: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.sport.football.misc/oNVilaWhNSY [Accessed 21 August 2018]

[12] Google Groups – rec.sport.football.misc (1994) Message by Dominik Kubla – 5 November 1994 [Internet] Available from: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.sport.football.misc/BRx_xxVsAoY [Accessed 21 August 2018]

Sources

[13] FD Reporter (1995) “Terry Launches Second Coming” First Down, May 20, 1995, P. 18.

[14] Rowlands, Neil (1995) “It’s back to the good old Haze!” First Down, May 27, 1995, P. 22.

[15] Anon. (1995) “I’ll give any unhappy fans money back” First Down, June 10, 1995, P. 18.

[16] Myatt, Steve (1995) “Sedin Death!” First Down, June 17, 1995, P. 21.

[17] Myatt, Steve (1995) “Defensive Disaster sees Spartans crumble to 0-5” First Down, July 15, 1995, P. 18.

[18] Anon. (1995) “We can bounce back, says Tel” First Down, July 1, 1995, P. 18.

[19] FD Reporter (1995) “Sitting on the dock of a bay” First Down, August 5, 1995, P. 19.

Online Encyclopedia

[20] Enciclopedia del Football Italiano (2019) American Football League Europe 1995 [Internet] Available from: http://www.warriorsbologna.it/public/Enciclopedia/PDF/1995_afle_eur.pdf [Accessed 4 December 2019]

News Groups

[21] Google Groups | rec.sport.football.misc (1995) [FLE] Schedule of 1995 Season | Post by Domink Kubla 27 May 1995 [Internet] Available from: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.sport.football.misc/6Y8ECEnsSi0 [Accessed 8 August 2018]

[22] Google Groups | rec.sport.football.misc (1995) [FLE] Latest News and first result | Post by Domink Kubla 2 June 1995 [Internet] Available from: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.sport.football.misc/j1J9u7pcYPo [Accessed 8 August 2018]

[23] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1995 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id170.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[24] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1996 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id171.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[25] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1997 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id172.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[26] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1998 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id173.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[27] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 1999 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id174.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[28] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2000 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id175.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[29] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2001 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id176.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[30] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2002 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id177.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[31] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2003 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id178.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[32] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2004 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id179.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[33] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2005 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id180.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[34] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2006 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id181.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

[35] World League of American Football (2018) WLAF History: 2007 [Internet] Available from: http://www.worldleagueofamericanfootball.com/id182.html [Accessed 23 April 2018]

Internet Archive

[36] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2009) Scores & schedule 2006 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20090118162703/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2006/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[37] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2009) Scores & Schedule 2007 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20090118163121/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2007/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[38] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2008) Standings 2007 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20080308000949/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 6 June 2020]

[39] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2009) Scores & Schedule 2008 [Internet] Available from:https://web.archive.org/web/20090118162938/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2008/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[40] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2009) Standings 2008 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20090118162315/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[41] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2013) Scores & Schedule 2009 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20130328043843/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2009/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[42] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2009) Standings 2009 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20091105230042/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[43] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2013) Scores & Schedule 2010 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20130328043549/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2010/ [Accessed 6 June 2020]

[44] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2010) Standings 2010 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20101109060341/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[45] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2013) Scores & Schedule 2011 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20130328043252/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2011/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[46] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2011) Standings 2011 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20111111013048/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[47] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2013) Scores & Schedule 2012 [Internet] Available from:https://web.archive.org/web/20130328044149/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2012/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[48] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2012) Standings 2012 [Internet] Available from:https://web.archive.org/web/20120905031154/http://www.european-league.com/standings [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[49] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2014) Scores & Schedule 2013 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20140802210226/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2013/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[50] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2013) Standings 2013 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20131027154542/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[51] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2009) Scores & Schedule 2014 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20140821194851/http://www.european-league.com/scores/2014/ [Accessed 6 June 2020]

[52] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2015) Standings 2014 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20150121092716/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[53] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2015) Scores & Schedule 2015 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20151003060110/http://www.european-league.com/scores [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[54] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2015) Standings 2015 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20151008031521/http://www.european-league.com/standings [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[55] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2009) Scores & Schedule 2016 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20161224191946/http://www.european-league.com/scores/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

[56] Central European Football League | Wayback Machine (2016) Standings 2016 [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20161225012542/http://www.european-league.com/standings/ [Accessed 5 June 2020]

Websites

[57] Eurobowl (2015) BIG6 EFL Standings 2015 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=tabellen&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2015 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[58] Eurobowl (2015) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2015 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2015 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[59] Eurobowl (2016) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2016 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2016 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[60] Eurobowl (2017) BIG6 EFL Standings 2017 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=tabellen&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2017 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[61] Eurobowl (2017) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2017 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2017 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

[62] Eurobowl (2018) BIG6 EFL Schedule / Results 2018 [Internet] Available from: http://www.eurobowl.info/index.php?Inhalt=spielplan&Liga=BIG6&Archiv=2018 [Accessed 15 April 2020]

Images

[63] Growth of a Game (2014) NFL Europe Logos [Internet] Available from: https://www.growthofagame.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NFL-Europe-Logo.jpg [Accessed 23 April 2018]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Decy Maher and John Kane.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish, North American & World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 12 June 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.Advertisements

Leave a Reply