BAFA Timeout – Cheetahs growling into 2014
The Watford Cheetahs are due to start their National South East campaign in Week 2 of the 2014 British American Football season with a home game against the Ouse Valley Eagles.
Our series of interviews with teams continues today with a few words with their Chairman, Al Tepper.
Like so many other teams in the UK league Watford has been through a lot of change. Starting off in the late 1980’s as the Chiltern Cheetahs, becoming their current guise in 2008, they have seen highs such as their 10-0 season in 2004 which saw them promoted. To the lows of a winless season just two years later, where they slipped back down a division.
“I got involved in the game in the late ’80s, and played a season for the Ealing Eagles. I then went off to university in Canada, and only came back to the game in 2011 via the Cheetahs. I’m now the Chairman and the O Line coach.” says Tepper.
He then remarked on the steps have been taken to make this coming year a better one than the last when they went 6-4, and narrowly missed out on the playoffs, “More steps than last off season.
“We haven’t found it hard to be honest (to keep and recruit players). Make noise, run a great program (15+ coaches in the club now with three L2 coaches) and add value to the members.”
Al also believes a UK based NFL franchise would benefit the game here, and was also sure that a link with BAFA and NFLUK could also see an improvement in the game saying, “(its a case of) ‘ask not what NFLUK should do for the British game, ask instead what the British game can do for NFLUK’ Overall I think that partnership is starting to work well.”
Anyone local to the Watford area can get in touch with the club via their website www.watfordcheetahs.com
We would like to thank Al for his time and wish the Cheetahs all the best for the 2014 season.
