Sport & Fitness

William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry was always an unlikely sporting icon. The Chicago Bears defensive tackle, who famously hauled his 23 stones of less-than-solid muscle to a touchdown in the 1986 Super Bowl, was lured out of retirement by the London Monarchs in a desperate bid to revive their fortunes in the World League of American Football.

It was soon clear that the Fridge had spent most of the intervening decade living up to his nickname. Having launched at Wembley Stadium in 1991 with average gates of more than 40,000, by 1996 the WLAF franchise had moved to White Hart Lane, then to Stamford Bridge, and finally to Crystal Palace National Sports Centre where crowds were a mere fifth of those five years earlier. The Monarchs were dethroned, the World League was rebranded as NFL Europe and London’s flirtation with pro gridiron was over. Feature continues

The Monarchs were a perfect example of how hard it is for an imported sport to lay deep-lasting roots in this country. In 1987, when Channel 4 was cheerleading the American Football craze, there were 165 registered teams and every park had its group of guys kitted out in helmets and shoulder-pads talking about tight ends. Now just 36 remain, divided into nine regional divisions, with London Olympians and London Blitz flying the flag for the capital. The NFL, whose plan to stage a showpiece game at the new Wembley this year was stymied for obvious reasons, may find its former captive audience did a runner long ago.

Even though the sport has slipped from public consciousness, a committed band of devotees have kept the flame burning. What’s remarkable is that they’ve managed to maintain a high standard of play. This season, nine Brits signed for teams in NFL Europe, the highest level of the game outside North America.

Five of those came from the Olympians, one from the Blitz – clubs set to meet on Sunday in a grudge match that may confirm a decisive shift in the balance of power in UK gridiron. The Olympians were founded by a group of friends on Streatham Common as part of that initial ’80s wave of interest; since then they’ve won four European Championships and 14 domestic titles, including a run of 67 games undefeated that stretched over seven seasons. With Crystal Palace as home, they’re the best resourced outfit in the game.

The Olympians have long held more than an edge over their cross-town rivals, outscoring them 478-39 in the 12 games prior to this season. What’s more, they warmed up for May’s meeting by drubbing Bristol Aztecs 50-0. However, a new-look Blitz line-up defeated the Olympians 28-12 with quarterback Tom Britton, back from college in America, unleashing three first-half touchdown passes. ‘It’s an unbelievable relief to have finally beaten the Olympians,’ says Blitz veteran Marcin Lai. ‘We’ve suffered some really horrible losses in the past – and I’ve been there for all of them.’

The Blitz’s fortunes are in the ascendant off the pitch as well. They’ve moved from the Linford Christie Stadium on Wormwood Scrubs to Finsbury Park arena, a switch engineered in partnership with Haringey Council. ‘Our aims are simple,’ says chairman Robin Pierce. ‘We want to win games. We want to offer a stable, enduring American Football team for London, giving our whole community the opportunity to play and enjoy our sport.’ Beat the Olympians again and that ambition may come true. You never know, the Fridge might even come out of retirement once more to join them.