Green Smoke

By Nic

Ealing Fields… Say that name with reverence, for they are back-to-back flag football champions. 

You may recall an article that I wrote back in May 2023 about the inaugural London NFL Flag Football Championship that took place on a beautifully sunny afternoon in Ealing itself, where the Ealing Fields’ girls took the trophy with style. Well, guess what? They’ve done it again. Two-time champs!

The second season kicked off back in March, just ahead of International Women’s Day at the home of AFC Wimbledon in southwest London. This time, approximately 250 girls from 21 participating schools joined in the session and were accompanied by the Jets’ linebacker, Quincy Williams, along with Sky Sports regulars Neil Reynolds and Jason Bell, and the Jet’s very first International Fan of the Year, Frazer Campbell. Following the on-field drills, they chilled out inside with games and entertainment, and it was a lot of fun. 

The set up was that of a combine with Great Britain Women’s Flag stars Ellie Thorpe, Kellie Barrett, and Kate Bruinvels, inspiring the next generation ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. The Jets have thrown their weight behind this incentive wholeheartedly and said, “We are delighted to strengthen our commitment to the UK youth this year and expand the Girls Flag League. As a franchise, we are committed to growing female participation in sports at every opportunity. NFL Flag provides a sustainable way to achieve this while teaching young girls life lessons that will have an impact far beyond the football field. We have seen Jets fandom in the UK grow over the past few years, and we hope that these girls can drive a new wave of female fans in the years to come.” 

Fast forward six weeks to May, and we’re back at Cherry Red Records Stadium for an action packed finals day in glorious sunshine, and the teams in the Jets’ conference had former running back Tony Richardson cheering them on too. At the festival event, Ealing Fields defended their title with a 28-6 victory over St. Mary Magdalene and will now face off with the winners of the Chicago Bears conference, Northwood, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later in the year and be special guests at the London Games. Off-field, the girls, their family, and friends, were able to experience a traditional American tailgate, with food, a DJ, hair braiding, and classic garden games such as cornhole and giant Jenga.

Flag football is brilliant to watch and must be fantastic to play, I’ve seen the skills of these players grow as one or two returned from the previous year. If you have girls aged 12–14 who are at a London school, then make an inquiry. Who knows? Maybe they’ll be wearing Gang Green next year and lifting that trophy high too.