Several players at the Surrey Stingers will be competing, this summer, in the British American Football League

The British American Football League (BAFL) is the United Kingdom's primary American Football league. The League has 3 divisions: Premier, Division 1 and Division 2, each with a playoff series and championship game to determine a winner. The Championship participants are promoted to the divisions above and the lowest ranking teams in each division are relegated. The Championship game, known as the BritBowl, is traditionally hosted at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium.

Players and coaches from the Stingers are involved at all levels of the senior game, from the Premier League, to Division 2. Some of the teams being represented include The London Olympians, London Blitz, Farnham Knights, Reading Renegades, Watford Cheetahs and The Essex Spartans.

For Stingers GB wide-receiver, Folley Ogundele, 2008 will mark his third succesive season playing in the BAFL.

What team do you currently play for?

I play for the London Olympians. We're based at The Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which is a great venue to train and play in.

Give us a little history of the team?

Well, in a nutshell the London Olympians (sometimes known as the O's) are the most successful British American Football team of all time! The team was formed in 1984 as the Streatham Olympians and were founding members of the first ever national American Football league in Britain. The Olympians hold the record for the longest winning streak in senior British American Football of 67 games. That's almost seven years without a loss! I was blessed enough to be involved in the teams last trip to the National Championship game in 2006 where we faced and defeated local rivals the London Blitz. It was an amazing experience and one I hope to repeat for many years to come. The team currently compete in the BAFL Premier facing some of the toughest competition in the UK and Europe.

What's the difference between The BAFL and the BUAFL?

When I first started, it was the experience and sheer size of the players. You go from competing against 18-22 year olds, who may have only started playing the game 5 weeks ago, to trying to beat a guy who's been playing the game since before you were born! But now I've had more experience at this level the biggest difference I notice is the organisation and professionalism, especially at a storied franchise like the O's. Players are expected to act like professionals in all aspects of the game both on and off the field. That's not to say top teams like the O's don't have fun, but more emphasis is placed on having fun via winning rather than just competing, something any serious athlete can appreciate.

What would your advice be to anyone looking to get involved in the BAFL?

I'd say go for it! Even if you've only just finished your BUAFL rookie season there's no reason for you to not give it a try. There are teams nationwide and all with differing levels of talent so there's a choice for any sort of player. Whether you just want to train and learn from a championship winning team like the Olympians, Blitz or Knights or want to try and get as much game time as possible at teams such as Reading and Watford, there are opportunities galore.

Other current Stingers playing in the BAFL this year include:

Ant Copper (2008/09 Team President) : London Olympians

Chris Mantell (2007/08 Team MVP): London Olympians

Ed Day (2007/08 Defensive MVP): London Olympians

Anil Dodah (2007/08 Rookie of the year): London Olympians

Mark Chaffer: London Olympians

Sam Greenwood: London Olympians

Francis Ezekiel: London Olympians

Andy King: Watford Cheetahs

Max Thompson: Essex Spartans

Nathaniel Wilson: London Blitz

We'll be speaking to a few of these Stingers throughout the senior season to keep you posted on their progress. We wish them all good luck on their road to BritBowl XXII.