- Norway American Football Federation
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League Logo
The Norway American Football Federation (NoAFF) is the largest American football league in Norway, consisting of eleven teams from Norwegian cities and universities. The league is divided into two levels of competition and four age categories: Senior, Under 19, Under 16, and Under 13. It was founded November 3, 1987 and is a member of the Norwegian Olympic Committee and European Federation of American Football (EFAF).
During the league's regular season, each team plays 6 games over a 10-week period generally from April to June. The league's teams are divided into an Eastern and Western Division, and at the end of each regular season, the two best teams from each division play in the NoAFF playoffs, a 4-team tournament that culminates with the NoAFF Final.
Contents
History
The early years of American Football in Norway
American Football in Norway began in 1957 when Marines stationed at the American Embassy in Oslo, and teachers from the American school in Bærum began coaching American football to players from two high schools in Oslo, Ullern and Riis, who played their one game per season, on the field wore ice hockey and whatever other protection they could get their hands on to play the game.
During 1967, Henry L. Jones, USMC, arrived in the country and continued the long tradition of Marines coaching football to Norwegians. That same year, Edgar Williams of the Philadelphia Inquirer, in Oslo on vacation, wrote an article about the Norwegian schools’ rivalry and titled it: “Two Marines from Delaware Valley were rival coaches in Norway’s ‘One – Game Season’.” Months later, after the article written by Williams appeared in newspapers in America, football equipment began to arrive from states where mostly Scandinavians lived in USA.
Jones left Norway, lived in the United States before coming back to Norway in February 1975. During 1983, he coached the Trolls (the oldest team in Norway), who stayed undefeated throughout the 1980s. In addition the African American organized the Norwegian American Football Federation (NAFF) and became its first president and national head coach.
NAFF played its first international game in Stockholm, Sweden, and won 38-0. An article of the game appeared in the Norway’s second largest newspaper Dagbladet, on January 28, 1985. In Stockholm, Sweden, again, for the first Scandinavian Cup in American football, to be played by Sweden, Finland and Norway, NAFF became the champion. An article of the Cup appeared in SAGA, Norway’s English language newspaper, on September 19, 1985.
Challenging the Coventry Bears American Football Club in England, on May 9, 1986, NAFF became victorious.
The Norwegians tasted football defeat for the first time when St. Olaf College from Minnesota was invited to Oslo during 1986, and the final score was 65-0.
The football players from Norway traveled to Minnesota to play St. Olaf College again. NAFF lost again 65-0, the college boys intentionally decided not to run up the score on their visitors. An article of the game appeared in the local newspaper called The News, Northfield, Minnesota, on July 21, 1988.
St. Olaf College arranged for NAFF players to visit the Minnesota Vikings training camp and be able to socialize with the professional players of American football.
NoAFF
In 2002, the NoAFF elected Eigil Norén as the inaugural member of its Hall of Fame, and also named its 15th anniversary All-Star team.
Two years later, the NoAFF elected its first non-Norwegian president, American Blake Miller.
Also in 2004, Norway chose not to attend the Nordic Senior Championships of American Football, prompting the Swedish American Football Federation (SAFF) (representing the host country) to file a formal complaint with European Federation of American Football (EFAF). The complaint was later rescinded by SAFF President Tommy Wiking.
NoAFF Senior Division I Final Results
Year Winning Team Losing Team 1986 Trolls Vikings 1987 Trolls Vikings 1988 Trolls Vikings 1989 Trolls Vikings 1990 Vikings Trolls 1991 Vikings Lynx 1992 Vikings Trolls 1993 Trolls 62 Vikings 19 1994 Trolls Vikings 1995 Trolls Vikings 1996 Trolls 22 Vikings 18 1997 Trolls Vikings 1998 Vikings 20 Trolls 14 1999 Vikings 28 1814s 14 2000 Vikings 69 1814s 21 2001 1814s 24 Vikings 7 2002 Vikings 24 Trolls 21 2003 Trolls 41 1814s 31 2004 1814s 55 Trolls 48 2005 1814s 21 Trolls 7 2006 1814s 34 Vikings 19 2007 1814s 30 Vikings 27 2008 1814s 46 Vikings 0 2009 1814s 60 Vikings 40 2010 1814s 19 Vikings 12 2011 Vikings 48 1814s 20 Current NoAFF Senior Affiliates
- AFC Show
- Bergen Storm
- Eidsvoll 1814s
- Hamar Ruins
- Kvernbit Knights
- Moss Pirates
- Nidaros Domers
- Oslo Vikings
- Os Wolverines
- Vålerenga Trolls
- Åsane Seahawks
- Kristiansand Gladiators
- Nordstrand Bandits
- Flint Raiders
Current NoAFF Junior Affiliates
- AFC Show
- Hamar Ruins
- Kristiansand Gladiators
- Bergen Storm
- Nidaros Dragons
- Vålerenga Trolls
- Nordstrand Bandits
- Oslo Vikings
- Eidsvoll 1814s
- Åsane Seahawks
Former NoAFF Affiliates
- Arendal Wildcats
- Asker Lynx
- Bærum Blue Devils
- Christiania Rebels
- Fredrikstad Eagles
- Furuset Panthers
- Kolbotn Kodiaks
- Kristiansand Raiders
- Larvik Lions
- Lillehammer Wolfpack
- Otra Raiders
- Romerike Romans
- Sandnes Oilers
- SK Hellerud Panthers
See also
External links
- Official website (In Norwegian)
Categories:- American football in Norway
- Norwegian sports organisations
- American football governing bodies in Europe
- American football leagues in Europe
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