London Blitz vs Copenhagen Towers Preview

It’s all systems go as the London Blitz prepare for their first game of the season on Saturday 13th April as they face Danish side Copenhagen Towers at a Finsbury Park, North London.

BAFANL Week One Predictions

BAFANL Premiership North

Doncaster Mustangs vs. Nottingham Caesars

The new look Premiership North gets underway this weekend when last season’s number three seed Doncaster take on the Premiership new boys, the Nottingham Caesars.

It was an up and down season for the Mustangs last year as their season started with a 1-0 forfeited loss to EKP due to reasons out of their control. The Mustangs then went on to win six of their next seven games (one win courtesy of the Bergamo 5) before ending the season losing their final two games and ultimately forfeiting their playoff quarter final against the London Blitz to end the season 6-4-1 including the playoffs.

With a new HC in town, the Mustangs will be hoping for to go one better than last season and claim the Premiership North title.

Talk about being thrown in the deep end for the Caesars. A year after their 7-3 season in Division 1, the Caesars find themselves competing in the Premiership following the latest league re-alignment.

Unlike last season, the Caesars will be missing a few key players when they start their campaign this weekend thanks to the postponement of the BUAFL finals. With the likes of Danny Miller and Marcus ‘Patches’ Boswell sidelined, the Caesars may struggle to repeat their explosive start to the new season.

Prediction: Doncaster to start the season 1-0 with a four score victory over the Nottingham Caesars.

James Goddard’s Protein Project – Time To Shred.

Hi guys,

Now that I have introduced myself I am going to start talking you through my weeks in terms of nutrition and training, relating it as much as I can back to Football. I’ve got a whole wealth of knowledge at my fingertips with the Maximuscle PTs and nutritionists, and I want to share that with you.

This week of the Maximuscle Protein Project sees a shift in my goals from bulking, post season size complex, to cutting and maintenance. This meant my gym work and diet plan changed accordingly. In the gym our exercises turned from big weights, low reps and lots of sets to a steadier, cardio-inducing regime. One exercise I wanted to share with you guys was the daemon Tempo Squats! This exercise promotes muscle growth through "time under tension" and is excellent for power, explosiveness and speed which will translate directly on to the football field. Be warned though, they burn!

Here’s what you do:

1.       Slowly squat down to a deep position counting 3 seconds on the way down

2.       Pause at the deepest part of your squat (at least 90 degrees) for one second

3.       Explode out of your deep squat as hard and fast as you can

4.       5 sets of 5 reps with 1 minute rest

Athletes are built here...

Further Progress with UK Women’s Flag Football - Hybrid Vs Cougars

Sunday 7^th April 2013

On what seemed like the first weekend of actual spring weather (with no snow in sight) the Coventry Cougars faced the Hybrid team in an all-female fuelled tournament at Coventry Memorial Park. Honours were shared as the well-organised Cougars won 30-0 in the first game, but a quick change in tactics on offense meant the Hybrid avenged their loss, winning 20-6 in the second.

Becca Haw MVP makes a tackle for the Cougars

The Hybrid side mixed the talents of four different teams; Coventry Jets, Coventry SU, Portsmouth SU and the Warwick Wolverines. With several players from the EWP (Elite Women’s Project) representing in both teams the matches were set to be a good watch!

AFL Week 4 Preview

Saturday 13th April

Raiffesien Vikings (1-0) @ Swarco Raiders (1-0) - 13:30 GMT

Last year's two finalists lock horns for the first time this season and there's no doubt that it's going to be a juicy affair as the Raiders will be looking to exact revenge for last year's loss in the final whilst the Vikings will be looking to put pressure on their closest rivals by dealing them a loss at home in Innsbruck.

Both teams have now been off for two weeks and thus have had plenty of time to prepare for what the other team has to offer, but seeing as both team's opening games were done deals early on in the game, I don't think either side has tipped their hand yet and really shown what they have in their playbooks. Hopefully, these two weeks off have allowed for both sides to add a little extra spice into their play calling this week. 

Possible the biggest home fixture of the year for the Swarco Raiders.
© Florian Schellhorn from www.footballpics.info

The Vikings will be looking to their high powered offence to get the job done on the road whilst the Raiders will be wanting their defence to perform a lot better than last year's final when the shipped 48 points. As with any matchup between two quality teams the final result is likely to come down to who capitalises most off of turnovers when handed that extra possession. Both team's offences have the ability to put up points in a hurry as demonstrated in week 1, but can they keep the ball safe when it matters?