Dresden Monarchs
Rudolf Harbig Stadion | |
Colors | Gold and Navy |
---|---|
President | Sören Glöckner |
Head coach | Paul Alexander |
Manager | Jörg Dreßler |
Championships | German Bowl: 2021 |
Division titles | GFL North: 2021 GFL 2 North: 2002 |
Cheerleaders | Blue Pearls |
Mascot | King Louie (Lion) |
Website | dresden-monarchs.de |
The Dresden Monarchs are an American football team from Dresden, Germany. They have been a member of the first tier German Football League since 2002 and play in its Northern Division. In 2021 they were GFL champions after having won German Bowl XLII. In January 2023 the Monarchs named longtime NFL Coach Paul Alexander as their Head Coach.
The club reached the German Bowl for the first time in 2013, where it lost to the Braunschweig Lions by a single point.[1] The 2021 season saw their first division title in the first tier German Football League when they placed first in the North Division with a record of nine victories, one defeat in the regular season. In German Bowl XLII the Monarchs defeated the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 28–19 to claim their first ever title.
History
Starting out
The Dresden Monarchs were formed in January 1992 and entered in the Aufbauliga Ost the following year, the lowest possible league in the region.[2]
The Monarchs, in the following years, gradually worked their way up through the league system, winning the league they played in every season from 1996 to 1999. In 1999, a second title in the tier-three
After three seasons at this level, Dresden won its division in 2002, winning all ten games, and went on to defeat the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in two games in the promotion round by a combined score of 100–0.[1] Ironically enough, one of the players on the field for Kiel during their humiliating defeat was Alexander Graf von Perponcher-Sedlnitzky who would go on to become the stadium announcer for the Dresden Monarchs later on.
German Football League playoff contender
Promoted to the
The club returned to its better performances after 2007, reaching the play-offs once more every year. A second semifinal qualification, in 2010, ended in defeat to eventual German Bowl winners Kiel Baltic Hurricanes.[1]
In 2011, the club narrowly missed out on play-off qualification, finishing fifth in the league. The first (and as of 2021 only) time they did not have a postseason (including promotion/relegation games) since their 2002 entry into the top tier.[3] In 2012, the club came third in the northern division of the GFL and qualified for the play-offs where they were knocked out by the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in the semi-finals.
Number two in the North and failing to beat Schwäbisch Hall
The 2013 season became the club's best up to that point, finishing second in its division and reaching the
In 2014, the club took part in a new European competition, the
The team finished second in the northern division of the GFL in 2015 and defeated the Stuttgart Scorpions at home in the quarter-finals of the play-offs but again lost in the road to the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in the semi-finals of the play-offs. Schwäbisch Hall would go on to lose the German Bowl against the New Yorker Lions as they had already done the previous year. Prior to the 2016 season many players left the team or announced their retirement from Football and the first game of the Dresden Monarchs 2016 season was a 21–21 draw against the Berlin Rebels in Berlin. However, the team led by Quarterback Brandon Connette ultimately recovered and proved one of the most statistically efficient passing offenses in the league, losing only two games (on the road in Kiel and Braunschweig) and tying their home game against Braunschweig before defeating an overmatched Saarland Hurricanes squad in the quarterfinals before once more going on the road to the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns. Like the two previous seasons, the Southern champions proved too tough a nut to crack for the Monarchs and the 35–26 defeat ended the season that ultimately had very similar results to the two previous seasons, all ending as the second placed team in the North falling in the semifinals to Hall.
2017 saw the Monarchs fall to third place in the North with a 10–4 record behind the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes who had posted the same record but had beaten Dresden twice. Having to go on the road in the playoffs, Dresden fell to the Frankfurt Universe 26–16 in their first "one and done" playoff appearance since 2009 (barring the 2011 season in which they failed to make the playoffs altogether).
In 2018 the Monarchs returned to the pattern of previous years, even posting the same 11–2–1 record as Braunschweig, but while holding Braunschweig to a tie on the road, they failed to win their home game against the Lions thus again placing second in the North due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. In the playoffs Dresden once more took care of business in their quarterfinals at home before being bested on the road by Schwäbisch Hall, again a repeat of the pattern of previous years. The fact that Braunschweig also failed to advance to the final and Schwäbisch Hall won it all that year was only small consolation for the once again foiled championship dreams of the Dresden squad.
In 2019 Dresden, posting a 10–4 record (three of their regular season defeats coming on the road - the lone home loss was to Braunschweig) finishing second in the North once again ended their title hopes with a semifinal defeat on the road in Schwäbisch Hall as had become almost tradition by now.
Covid-19 and first Championship
Whatever plans Dresden may have had for the 2020 season ultimately never materialized as a microscopic virus, called
The German Football League finally returned for play for the 2021 season and it should prove an even more successful one for Dresden than 2013 had been. While the lingering effects of Covid-19 - several teams were unable to start full contact team training as early in the preseason as they would've liked - made for a few upsets, the founding of the
Home Fields
The Monarchs started out playing at Bärnsdorfer Straße, a former velodrome (the former cycling track is still visible but hasn't been used for that purpose in decades) in the Äußere Neustadt borough of Dresden. The field is still their training grounds and used for virtually all youth games and as a "diversion grounds" for the senior team if Heinz Steyer Stadion is unavailable (for example during the 2013 European floods). The administrative headquarters of the club as well as facilities for team meetings or events is also located at those grounds. The field is an artificial turf playing surface with permanent American football markings and Field Goals - a rarity in Germany where most teams have to train and play on fields otherwise used for association football (soccer).
Usually one game per season is also played at
The Monarchs have a strong fan base and usually place in the top three of attendance figures in the league together with the
Honours
- German Bowl
- Champion: 2021
- Runners-up: 2013
- GFL
- Northern Division Champion: 2021
- Play-off qualification: (16) 2003–2006, 2008–2010, 2012–2021
- League membership: (19) 2003–present
- GFL 2
- Northern Division champions: 2002 (promotion to GFL)
German Bowl appearances
The club appeared in the German Bowl twice:[12]
Bowl | Date | Champions | Runners-Up | Score | Location | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XXXV |
October 12, 2013 | Braunschweig Lions | Dresden Monarchs | 35–34 | Berlin | 12,157 |
XLII | October 9, 2021 | Dresden Monarchs | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns | 28–19 | Frankfurt am Main |
14,378 |
- Champions in bold.
Recent seasons
Recent seasons of the club:[1][3][13][14][15]
Year | Division | Finish | Points | Pct. | Games | W | D | L | PF | PA | Postseason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | GFL (North) | 3rd | 14–10 | 0.583 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 306 | 290 | Lost QF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (27–30) |
2006 | 3rd | 11–13 | 0.458 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 200 | 318 | Lost QF: Stuttgart Scorpions (27–47) | |
2007 | 6th | 2–22 | 0.083 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 169 | 440 | Won RR: Hamburg Eagles (28–24 & 19–13)
| |
2008 | 4th | 12–12 | 0.500 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 192 | 272 | Lost QF: Marburg Mercenaries (21–32) | |
2009 | 3rd | 10–10 | 0.500 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 258 | 250 | Lost QF: Marburg Mercenaries (63–64) | |
2010 | 3rd | 12–12 | 0.500 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 248 | 253 | Won QF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (56–45) Lost SF: Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (0–14) | |
2011 | 5th | 12–16 | 0.429 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 405 | 237 | — | |
2012 | 3rd | 20–8 | 0.714 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 481 | 297 | Won QF: Rhein-Neckar Bandits (31–19) Lost SF: Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (14–35) | |
2013 | 2nd | 22–6 | 0.786 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 513 | 254 | Won QF: Munich Cowboys (59–14) Won SF: Berlin Adler (32–21) Lost GB: New Yorker Lions (34–35) | |
2014 | 2nd | 16–8 | 0.667 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 426 | 269 | Won QF: Marburg Mercenaries (42–22) Lost SF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (27–33) | |
2015 | 2nd | 20–4 | 0.833 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 498 | 170 | Won QF: Stuttgart Scorpions (55–14) Lost SF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (34–41) | |
2016 | 2nd | 22–6 | 0.786 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 708 | 345 | Won QF: Saarland Hurricanes (43–7) Lost SF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (26–35) | |
2017 | 3rd | 20–8 | 0.714 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 585 | 337 | Lost QF: Frankfurt Universe (16–26) | |
2018 | 2nd | 23–5 | 0.821 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 507 | 287 | Won QF: Allgäu Comets (51–19) Lost SF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (7–23) | |
2019 | 2nd | 20–8 | 0.714 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 418 | 189 | Won QF: Marburg Mercenaries (39–22) Lost SF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (13–30) | |
2020 | No season played because of the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||||
2021 | 1st | 18–2 | 0.900 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 444 | 243 | Won QF: Allgäu Comets (50–13) Won HF: Saarland Hurricanes (37–0) Won GB: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (28–19) | |
2022 | 5th | 8–12 | 0.400 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 265 | 257 | — | |
2023 | 2nd | 20–4 | 0.833 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 488 | 280 | Won QF: Saarland Hurricanes (45–38) Lost SF: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (30–36) |
- RR = Relegation round.
- QF = Quarter finals.
- SF = Semi finals.
- GB = German Bowl
Rivalries
Having played uninterrupted at the highest tier of German Football since the 2003 season a few matchups have heated up to fierce rivalries on and off the field. However, fan violence is unheard of and even during heated matchups with fierce rivals that have playoff implications there are often joint tailgate parties organized by supporters of Dresden and their opponent.
Some enduring rivalries even date to the era when Dresden played in the second tier GFL2 (1999–2002). For example the Berlin Adler were relegated to the second tier after the 1997 season and managed to return to the top flight a year ahead of Dresden after the 2001 season. Another rivalry began precisely in the promotion/relegation round of the 2002 season when the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes were sent down to the second tier by a combined score of 100–0 in the two game series. Dresden running up the score in front of a record crowd of over 8000 spectators during the second leg of the fixture added bitterness to the rivalry and Dresden-Kiel matchups have often been particularly fierce on the field, particularly when held at Kiel's aptly named diversion field "de:Moorteichwiese" (literally bog-pond-meadow) which is often waterlogged in inclement weather. Ironically one of the Kiel players during the 2002 matchups, Alexander Graf von Perpondcher-Sedlnitzky, is now Stadium announcer for Dresden and known for his emotional style.
Due to the proximity of Berlin to Dresden (roughly 200 kilometers via Bundesautobahn 13 or roughly two hours via the Berlin–Dresden railway) games between the two teams are usually well attended by fans of the other. While Berlin had been dominant early in the rivalry, Dresden became stronger as Berlin entered a slump culminating with their relegation in 2017. The rivalry includes stories such as the "cow incident"[b] ahead of the 2013 semifinal[16][17] which was mocked by Dresden supporters making mooing noises during the game and a similar cow to the one involved in the incident being placed next to the field by the club. Some Dresden supporters also take to mocking the Berlin mascot ("Adler" is the German word for "eagle") by displaying rubber chicken affixed to their outfits with a hangman's knot during games between the two teams.
Dresden also enjoys a fierce but friendly rivalry with the
Due to "Interconference Games" last being held in 2011 GFL South teams can only meet GFL North teams in the playoffs and due to the North South disparity Dresden has not lost a playoff game at home in its entire history. However, road games are a different story and in the 2010s the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns proved to be the end of the line for Dresden's championship hopes five times. Dresden finally reversed their fortunes in German Bowl XLII when they beat Schwäbisch Hall for the first time since 2010. Including German Bowl XLII the overall playoff head to head between the two teams is three victories for Dresden (2004, 2010 & 2021) and six for Schwäbisch Hall (2005, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 & 2019). With the exception of the neutral site game German Bowl XLII, the Unicorns enjoyed home field advantage in each of those matchups. The Monarchs also played the Unicorns twice in the regular season in 2007 under the "Interconference Games" rule then in place. Schwäbisch Hall won both games and Dresden only narrowly avoided relegation that year after placing last in the GFL North with a record of 1-11. Despite the lopsided win–loss record the overall score is comparatively close at 376-304 in favor of Schwäbisch Hall.[19] The current Head Coach of the Dresden Monarchs, Ulrich "Ulz" Däuber is a former player for the Unicorns and was also part of their youth coaching system before an extended stint in the US.
Notes
- ^ and due to the domination of the North for virtually the entirety of Dresden playoffs participations, northern home teams are highly favored to win their playoff games
- ^ coming home from their upset quarter final victory over the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns heavily inebriated Berlin Adler players had tried and failed to take a plastic cow into their team bus breaking off a leg in the process. This was covered by local and national media
References
- ^ a b c d e f Football History Archived 2017-09-28 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 18 January 2010
- ^ History: 1993 Archived 2011-02-08 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Dresden Monarchs website, accessed: 18 January 2011
- ^ a b GFL 2011 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 18 September 2011
- ^ BIG6 European Football League starts 2014 www.eurobowl.com, published: 20 November 2013, accessed: 5 December 2013
- ^ "Football: Dresden Monarchs - Wroclaw Panthers 14:48".
- ^ "Um- und Ausbau Heinz-Steyer-Stadion".
- ^ "Ausbau am Heinz-Steyer-Stadion startet im Oktober". 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Dresdner Heinz-Steyer-Stadion wird um- und ausgebaut". 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Stadtrat beschließt Umbau des Heinz-Steyer-Stadions Dresden | MDR.DE".
- ^ "Offizieller Start für Umbau des Heinz-Steyer-Stadions in Dresden | MDR.DE".
- ^ "Großer Umbau des Heinz-Steyer-Stadions startet". 26 October 2021.
- ^ Bowls Archived 2015-09-29 at the Wayback Machine GFL website, accessed: 9 October 2013
- ^ GFL 2008 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 18 January 2011
- ^ GFL 2009 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 18 January 2011
- ^ GFL 2010 www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 18 January 2011
- ^ "Berlin Adler: Footballer klauen Werbe-Kuh".
- ^ "Wenn Berliner Footballer eine Werbe-Kuh stehlen wollen". 25 September 2013.
- ^ "Übersicht Dresden Monarchs - New Yorker Lions Braunschweig 24:44 (GFL 2018 Nord, 10. Spieltag)".
- ^ "Übersicht Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns - Dresden Monarchs 19:28 (GFL 2021 Playoffs, German Bowl)".
External links
- (in German) Official website
- (in German) German Football League official website
- (in German) Football History Archived 2017-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Historic American football tables from Germany