Bristol Aztecs claim victory and chance at creating new traditions in CEFL debut

Photo: Charlotte Murden

A small suburban rugby club may not be obviously comparable to Anfield or Celtic Park, but on a late spring Saturday evening – with the sun setting below the treelined hill over the motorway behind one goalpost – there could be stirrings of Britball’s own special European nights.

British fortunes in Europe have tended to mirror the ups and downs of Britball. The early 1990s brought success for the Manchester Spartans and London Olympians, while most recently the London Blitz won a European title, at the height of their domestic dominance, in 2011. While the sport developed on the continent to a semi-pro level, there has been only limited involvement from British clubs until the Manchester Titans entered the Central European Football League, or CEFL, in 2024.

The then two-time Britbowl champions suffered a heavy defeat in Sweden to the Stockholm Mean Machines, underlining the step up in competition when competing in Europe.

Luck and logistics, however, have played their part in bringing the 2025 CEFL to Dings Crusaders Rugby Club in Frenchay, an upmarket area on the outskirts of Bristol.

There is nothing lucky about the Bristol Aztecs' invitation to compete in the straight knockout tournament featuring 12 teams from domestic leagues, including those in Spain and European heavyweights France and Germany, who enter in the second round.

A runners-up finish for the Aztecs in last year’s Britbowl, to the London Warriors, who apparently declined the invitation, proved their credentials and secured a first-round draw.

Photo: Charlotte Murden

What should have been an away trip to three-time defending Belgian and Netherlands champions Amsterdam Crusaders became a home tie due to a clash with the giant public celebration, King’s Day.

CEFL hosts must provide one night hotel rooms for the visiting team, so meeting their own travel costs to Bristol becomes a more affordable option for the Crusaders.

“We were quite fortunate it was King’s Day and Amsterdam asked if we would be willing to host, so we said absolutely,” said Aztecs defensive line coach James Wilford.

The Aztecs had to find 50 Friday night hotel rooms, as well as make a contribution to the visitors’ travel costs, which came in at around £4,000.

The Carlstad Crusaders, confirmed as round two hosts following their own victory over Norwegian opposition, will have to make a similar contribution to the Aztecs. Carlstad’s victory was also welcomed in Bristol, where some had already booked flights to avoid inflated last-minute air fares.

Such are the logistics of an amateur team competing in a cross-continent competition, the Aztecs required a £40 contribution from its 45-man playing squad towards costs.

Others pitched in too. Mandy Thomas manned the merchandise stall next to the turnstile where husband Darren collected payment with the crowd also swelled by rugby club members who stayed after their own game earlier on Saturday.

“We originally helped out with the car parking,” said Mandy explaining the link to the club is son Louis is a wide receiver for Division One sister side the Apache: “He first came to the Aztecs and we kept in contact and Pete Jones (Aztecs head coach) asked us to help and we’re happy to do so.”

Rebecca Hoyte, wife of defensive coordinator, and Britball legend, Nigel, took charge of matters off the field for the Aztecs.

“We’re a football family,” said Rebecca. The couple’s son, Elliot, played NCAA Division One football at Boise State while dad Nigel was a “stand-out nose tackle” for Britball’s original masters, the London Ravens, and joined the London Monarchs in the NFL backed World League.

The 1980s would regularly see crowds of 3,000 or more attending Britball fixtures but Rebecca, who was general manager for the Ravens, said she still takes as much enjoyment from the game despite the much lower profile than its heyday.

Although it isn’t clear if Rebecca is joking when she explained: “I got into football so I would have something to talk about to my husband.”

While the Dings ground, with its single 250 seat grandstand in front of an impressive clubhouse may not match the prestige of some Football League stadiums, that hosted Britball more than 30 years ago, attendance is nearly double last year’s biggest crowd of 150.

The Aztecs moved to Dings in a push to attract paying spectators with crowds of 125 needed to break even meaning this European fixture has paid the venue hire for one of the Aztecs home games in the BAFA Premiership South.

Among the 270 through the gate was Andreas Schwerzel, 54, who flew from his home in Frankfurt, Germany to London to watch two teams he’d never before seen: “I travel all over Europe for American Football. I will be going on tour until the middle of September.”

Taking a keen interest from just beneath the grandstand was Albert Lambert, a stalwart of football out west and who is usually found on the field in zebra stripes.

The game is crewed by his colleagues from the British American Football Referees Association (BAFRA) but Albert, who started as a player with the Walthamstow Warriors in his native north east London in the mid 80s, had a night off.

“It’s good, not speaking as an official, but as a football fan to see something Bristol has been trying to work up to for some time and to now see them actually playing a competitive European game,” said the former Bristol Bomber who also had stints with the Swindon Steelers and Cardiff Mets.

On the field, the Aztecs offence made sure to take control following a cagey opening which saw the Crusaders US import running back L'Anthony Reasonover, a Division III All-American and European veteran, show how dangerous he could be.

But the Aztecs’ US quarterback, Ethan Gretzinger, wasted little time in connecting with former Clemson player Darius Saint Robinson, who showed the speed that earned him a spot at the 2014 Buffalo Bills training camp, to put the Aztecs up in the first quarter on a downfield pass.

Gretzinger led the team on three touchdown drives and responded to what would prove to be a consolation, if spectacular twisting, turning short-yardage run, finished with a leap into the endzone from Reasonover, with a scramble to set up a field goal for the Aztecs to lead 31-7 at the half.

The QB, who played for DIII Pomona-Pitzer in California, made way for Louis Benzey, a product of Bristol’s SGS Pride Academy college team that is in a formal partnership with the Aztecs, after one third quarter possession.

“I think the team as a whole did great,” replied Gretzinger when put to him he must have been pleased with his own performance.

The accurate and decisive QB, who was finding his receivers in stride on long balls downfield, was arguably the difference between the teams, with the Cru struggling with what was understood to be a backup under centre.

Photo: Charlotte Murden

It was Gretzinger’s third game for the Aztecs, having amassed 410 passing yards, seven TDs and one on the ground, in blow out victories over the Cambridge Cats and Rushmoor Knights in the Prem South.

Gretzinger, Saint Robinson and former CFL receiver Tim Lukas have come to the Aztecs via British university powerhouse, and four-time defending champions, the UWE Bullets who are also based in Bristol. Lukas had to sit out the game as CEFL teams are limited to just two Americans who’ve played college football.

A European fixture has given Gretzinger another insight into football this side of the Atlantic and how it compares to DIII, the level European semi-pro football is most often cited as comparable to.

Having studied for a diploma in sports management, and worked for a time in the industry, Gretzinger said he understands the various European leagues, and through the Aztecs who are stacked with British players with European experience, is aware of the talent level.

But the QB who is due to return to the UWE Bullets in the autumn said his main takeaway is the passion for football: “When guys love the game they play hard, and I think you’ll find that at any level. BAFA, uniball, all the NCAAs divisions one through three. If you love the game you’re going to play hard and I think it’s just nice to see the love of the game here in the UK and that’s what I appreciate the most out of uniball.”

Teammate Saint Robinson, who this year converted to receiver from his defensive back position that took him from Clemson to Buffalo and various European spots including four seasons in the European League of Football, won the CEFL with Austria’s Tirol Raiders before they entered the ELF.

“I was actually the MVP of this same tournament in 2019,” said Robinson in the trophy laden Dings bar: “It’s super cool, it’s kind of like come full circle as 2019 was six years ago. I want to be the MVP again. As soon as I seen we had this I was like ‘I’m going to go hard in this tournament’. It’s really cool to have international games and represent UK, and Bristol, is awesome.”

The third quarter was scoreless with little challenge from the Cru before the Aztecs added two scores in the fourth, including a 46-yard TD pass from Benzey to Thomas Bowering to ensure a 46-7 victory.

Photo: Charlotte Murden

The game went a little flat, and it wasn’t clear whether it or the Saturday night disco in the rugby club offered the most entertainment in the second half. A play list including Abba, the Scissor Sisters and Diana Ross left those in the grandstand to assume it was more likely a 50th birthday celebration than an 18th.

Billy Ashford was however enjoying the game and discussed old times as a receiver for the London Ravens with Rebecca.

The pair weren't reminiscing, however, as a loss to the Crusaders in the then Euro Bowl semi-final, at Crystal Palace in a final four hosted in London, still rankles.

“It was very close, I can’t remember the score, but it was very close and we should have won that easily,” said Billy who is convinced the Ravens lost more than a football game, which – for the record – was 31-27 defeat to a late TD.

“Colin Moynihan was the sports minister at the time and the government was ready to inject a lot of money into American Football,” said Billy: “But we heard nothing more from Colin Moynihan after that.”

A convincing victory for the Aztecs was pleasing for Billy, who now lives near Bristol, and he updated his former teammates on the score: “I wanted them to stuff the Crusaders and, as nice as I can put it, they have.”

That the Crusaders are still competing on the European stage while their hosts were two years away from being formed when their visitors defeated the Ravens in 1988 illustrates Britball has been plagued by instability while European teams have tradition and pedigree.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a team that has built strong foundations over 35 years is in position to compete on the European stage.

Among the crowd were friends Lee Watmore, John Prescott and Darren Abbott who all described themselves as “original, first generation Aztecs” having all played youth football in Bristol before joining what was then the city’s latest attempt at a senior side.

“Back in the 80s we watched the NFL and still do,” said John: “It’s fantastic and great for Bristol to still be playing the sport at a high level.”

The final whistle was a moment to reflect for head coach Pete Jones on how far the Aztecs have come, before thoughts turn to traveling to Sweden on May 10 and the more immediate challenge of a trip to the London Warriors this Sunday.

“It means a lot as head coach to have hosted and won a European game, but it’s not really about what it means for me, what I care about is what it means for the players,” said Jones.

“We’ve got some great players who have come into our programme, but also some great players we’ve developed through our programme and I know it means a lot to them.”

Saturday night proved alright for fighting in Europe for the Aztecs who have earned the right to keep building towards the aim of becoming a Britball powerhouse and potentially creating their own European traditions and legacy.