Back-to-back undefeated regular seasons for the first time in franchise history, and a third unbeaten campaign overall, the Nottingham Caesars are heading back to the Northern Championship game for the second successive season.
Falling, agonisingly, to the Newcastle Vikings, in 2023, Head Coach Vanden Warner and his impressive band of merry men have ensured that this season, all roads have gone through Nottingham, posting an 8-0 record (eighteen unbeaten over the last two seasons).
Now, it’s just the Yorkshire Rams that stand between the Caesars, and the much-wanted promotion, to the British American Football Association Premiership – that’s what the aim has been for Warner et al, and the strengthening over the last off-season showed just that.
“Last season, I think, has been hanging over us,” admitted Coach Warner.
“We weren’t as prepared as we could have been in the (championship) game against the Vikings, and that proved costly.
“So yes, there’s been a little bit of a hangover from last time around, and we aim to put that right this year.”
Following on from a 10-0 2023 campaign, the Caesars have, along with several shut-outs this time around, racked up an 8-0 record in 2024, to set up an eventual date with destiny against the Rams (the Caesars also saw off Scunthorpe Alphas in a rematch of their 2023 post-season meeting).
It also means that, since the return to action after a pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, the Caesars have racked up an impressive 33-4 regular season record, and one of those losses was an inter-division match-up with Premiership North giants, Manchester Titans, back in 2021.
“The Scunthorpe clash, a rematch, we did think it would be a tighter affair,” continued Warner.
“For us though, we were more efficient and solid, and went better than we did (in the same) last season.
“It seemed that everything was happening for us, although our roster was disappointed that we gave up the score that we did.
“As for the regular season, we’re now unbeaten in eighteen (across two seasons) and with Chester Romans having been moved, and us renewing rivalries with Leicester Panthers, made for a good campaign.
“The first game against them was very good for us, plenty of points, and a shut-out (47-0 back in early May), however the second one, that was a bit of a scary time, more for our physio (Rebecca Stratful) who’d ran on to help.
“Following on from that incident, several Panthers team-mates came to our game against Scunthorpe, but they still hate us,” joked Warner.
“We did think though that we could do what we have this season and I’ve been a bit more hands on after we added a lot more strength in-depth and seem that bit more prepared.”
And do they have, rolling into the championship game on the crest of a wave having won nine straight, seeing off the Alphas affording them more confidence.
For Warner, it mattered not whether their opponents were the Yorkshire Rams or Glasgow Tigers, the Ceasars facing the former of those (Rams won 23-10 against the Tigers), and the winner of that will oppose either Wembley Stallions or Rushmoor Knights, in early September (in Coventry).
“We’d have been confident whoever it is we faced at this stage,” admitted Warner.
“It’ll be a tough game though, and we just have to see what they bring to the table, and if what we do all comes together.
“We should be confident though but, as we know, ‘Any Given Sunday’ and all that.
“We’ve been scoring points across the team, some players scoring for fun, irrespective of position.
“I’d like to win it all though, which includes the National Championship, that’s something I’ve been driven, and strived to achieve, this season.”
In their biggest game of the season, the Nottingham Caesars welcome Yorkshire Rams to the David Ross Sports Village, this coming Sunday, 25 August, with a noon kick-off, where the victor will gain promotion to the 2025 Premiership – further game information, and more, can be found on the Caesars Facebook here
IN ADDITION – It’s also been a successful season for the Caesars’ U19s squad, they also having made the play-offs for the second successive season; Seniors HC Vanden Warner added of their youth set-up: “they’ve really come on leaps-and-bounds.
“They’ve all done really well and their success should benefit the Seniors set-up in the long run also.
“Following another, fantastic season, with some great talent on show, we are all looking at building something big; their success is a huge part of that.”
For more on the Caesars Juniors, visit their Facebook here
THE NOTTINGHAM SPORT WOULD LIKE TO WISH THE NOTTINGHAM CAESARS LUCK IN THEIR UPCOMING, POST-SEASON OUTINGS – GO #CAESETHEDAY
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @70sDJPhoto the Caesars are aiming for promotion and playoff win.
