Bratislava Monarchs

The Bratislava Monarchs are an American football team from Bratislava, Slovakia. After establishing in 1996, in just few years the Monarchs have become one of the best organized and most successful American football teams in Slovakia. Today, the Monarchs are competing in the Slovak Football League and the Hungarian Football League.

History

Establishment

The interest in American football in Slovakia grew rapidly after the first television broadcasts of the National Football League season in 1993. The first meetings of several people who threw football began in the summer of 1994 in Bratislava. The number of new players each week increased, and at the end of the year was over 30 people. The club was officially founded on April 1, 1996, and was the very first American football club in Slovakia. Shortly thereafter, all major cities in Slovakia started with the establishment of new clubs.^[1]

The first game of the Monarchs was played in the spring of 2004 with helmets and shoulder pads, against the Kragujevac Wild Boars, which they won. During 2008, the Monarchs played in the Central European Football League, where they competed against the Belgrade Vukovi, the Kragujevac Wild Boars, the Novi Sad Dukes and the Sirmium Legionaries from Serbia, and the Ljubljana Silverhawks from Slovenia.

2011: Bratislava's first major title

The First league game in Slovakia was played in 2011 and 5 teams competed that year. This league was played with necessary equipment, pads and helmets. The Final game of the Slovak Football League was played on August 6th, 2011 at the ŠKP Štadión, where they defeated the Nitra Knights, 21-6.

2012: Bratislava's second major title

The 2012 season is well started for the Monarchs, where the opponents have been falling in the order in the Slovak Football League. The Monarchs won again in the Slovak Football League finals against the Trnava Bulldogs, 38-31. Their previous opponents, the Nitra Knights, finished third.

2013–2014: Bratislava's Bronze Medal and Fourth Place Finish

The Monarchs have started the season with a preseason game (with future Austrian Football League champions) Danube Dragons, and lost in an exciting finish 30-27. The Season continues with games in the Slovak Football League, where they finished 3rd, in which the Smolenice Eagles beat the Nitra Knights.

Despite a successful start of the 2014 Slovak Football League season, the Monarchs failed to make to the Slovak Football League finals, where the Smolenice Eagles beat the Žilina Warriors, and the Zvolen Patriots, the team that the Monarchs defeated them, emerged as the bronze medalists.

2015: The Cinderella year of the Monarchs

The Monarchs entered the 2015 Slovak Football League season with their new head coach, Christoph Dreyer. The Monarchs finally fulfilled their Cinderella story when they won their third Slovak Football League title after defeating the Trnava Bulldogs, 48-26. The Monarchs also became the first team outside Hungary to win the Hungarian Football League by beating the Budapest Wolves.^[2]

Season Stats

Slovak Football League Finals Results

Hungarian Bowl Results

References

External links

• Official website