Having swept the board last time out, with an undefeated, 11-0 season, the Nottingham Caesars are ready for another shot in the British American Football Association Premier North, they gaining promotion to the top division for the first time in over a decade.

Head Coach Vanden Warner was a Caesars player back then, his love affair with the Nottingham franchise having begun back in 1990, and as boss since 2018; he’s certainly seen a lot and would love nothing more than to stabilise his Caesars as a Premiership force moving forward.

This past off-season though they’ve been a little quiet, although there have been some incomings, and a few changes on the coaching front, ex-players Micky Fisher and Will Hobbs moving from playing to coaching.

“The off-season has been a little low-key, yes, but there’s no particular reason for that happening,” admitted the Caesars Head Coach.

“We’ve retained a lot of the talent already here, and continued to strengthen, particularly in the O-Line (they’ve added Tom Anderson, Jordan Lee, and Peter Vincent, among others).

“It’s always a key position, and not just for us; teams love to have depth there and it’s a position we’ve struggled with in the past.

“Adding size, and quality, whilst also strengthening our connection with the local universities, has helped us.

“Players like Kingsley Eke (wide receiver), Bismark Yeboah (cornerback), and Alex Cooper (safety), we’ve strengthened everywhere.

“It’s been the same in the coaching department, and with Fisher and Hobbs now in coaching roles; they know what we’re about, what we’ve been through.”

Coming close to returning to the top table in recent seasons, the Caesars lost to the then Northumberland Vikings in 2023, the 2024 campaign would see them take that final hurdle, posting an 8-0 regular season, before brushing aside Scunthorpe Alpha, Yorkshire Rams, and Rushmoor Knights, with a combined score of 115-25, for an 11-0 promotion-winning campaign.

The new season sees a former foe in the opening game, at home, this weekend, when the now Newcastle Vikings roll into Nottingham’s David Ross Sports Village; alongside last season’s newcomers, the Caesars will also face East Kilbride Pirates, Coventry (formerly Tamworth) Phoenix, and the northern powerhouse that is Manchester Titans.

“This is a different kettle of fish,” added Coach Warner.

“Last season was all about promotion, building a culture and a fanbase, making us an attractive prospect for players to come to.

“We’ve been here before and we know that we weren’t really ready back then.

“So, last season, promotion was key, winning the championship was the cherry on top.

“I’ve seen sides go up, and come back down again, yo-yo between divisions.

“We don’t want to be like that though; we don’t want to just survive, we want to attack it, and make a push for the play-offs.

“That’s the aim, to give a good account of ourselves and have that push.”

Alongside the incoming players at the Caesars, and those old heads still tearing up pitches up-and-down the country, Warner’s quartet of captains for the new season will be familiar faces to all – Liam MacGovern (quarterback), Henry Scanlon (linebacker, hybrid defender), Mark Martin (tight end), and Andrew Wilkins (linebacker).

First up for the Caesars will be the Vikings, followed by a double-header against the Pirates, over the next few weeks; the game with the Vikings, a chance for revenge if you will, following that defeat at the end of the 2023 season.

Both sides have undergone changes in the year-and-a-half or so since, but the game itself is certainly a one-to-watch as well.

“I did keep what, half an eye on them last season,” explained Warner.

“You do have to take your chances though, and anything can happen though, on Any Given Sunday, you just have to learn from, and apply it.

“The last game we lost was against them, and it will be a challenge, but also an exciting prospect, for both sides.

“It’s an interesting mix of fixtures though, and the layout may take some getting used to; we’ve not sat down and discussed anything though, we just want to go out there and do the best we can.

“Above all, we’re looking forward to all the games, well, except for the travel to East Kilbride, but you just have to suck it up.”

The Nottingham Caesars 2025 BAFA Premier North Schedule –

Newcastle Vikings (H, 13 April), East Kilbride Pirates (A, 20 April), East Kilbride Pirates (H, 3 May), Manchester Titans (H, 1 June), Manchester Titans (A, 8 June), Coventry Phoenix (H, 22 June), Coventry Phoenix (A, 20 July), Newcastle Vikings (A, 10 August)

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*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @CaesarsFootball the Caesars team that won promotion last year.