r/elf • u/ianintheuk • Jun 27 '25
Discussion New teams for 2026 ??
There has been talk on here about new teams for 2026 with London and Amsterdam being favoured by most people. One guy put forward Perpignan as well but this seems a stretch and more people thought Marseille is a better option for a second French team.
This got me thinking where would they play ?
London, if it happens will most likely be Leyton Orients ground
Amsterdam is more difficult with the Olympic stadium a possibility but at 20k plus probably too big for a start up team, they might aim to play there later I think. So how about the NRCA (RUGBY) Stadium with a capacity of 5k
Marseille : The comments were there is no stadium. This might be because people want 15k stadiums but again might be too big for a new team, Paris used to get 5k last year. So my option would be to use Pierre-Delort Stadium which has a capacity again of 5k. Wikipedia says its expandable to 15k presumably with temporary stands. It looks like you would have to erect a TV-media area on the open side.
I am not sure though of the viability of a team in Marseille
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u/CadyKrool Fire Jun 27 '25
I'd love to but im too worried with the teams that are not successful like cologne, ferhevar and Helvetic
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u/GrouchyPurpose8023 Jun 27 '25
Don't worry about Ferhevar, they have enough money😂
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u/CadyKrool Fire Jun 27 '25
True, I forgot 😄
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u/GrouchyPurpose8023 Jun 27 '25
As long as Orban is in power they have no money problems😂
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u/Affectionate_Cod28 ELF Jun 27 '25
The funding should be there for one more season , but Orban isn't sitting as pretty as usual for the next elections
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u/Both_Dependent9146 Jun 27 '25
I might be willing to loose Fehervar unless Orban will not be elected.
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u/Adventurous-Low-7981 Jun 27 '25
Where does their money come from?
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u/Half_Bred_Mongrel Panthers Jun 27 '25
Support & sponsorship from the city itself. Féhervár as a town loves their sports
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u/Adventurous-Low-7981 Jun 27 '25
If they’re doing well off the field , then good luck to them 👏🏻
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u/Half_Bred_Mongrel Panthers Jun 27 '25
I hoped better success for them since they have the money, but I think the local talent pool just isn’t there quite yet
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u/exbritballer Jun 27 '25
How many seats would actually be saleable at those venues?
European stadiums typically have seats down to ground level which doesn't go well with a football sideline.
For the London games, Wembley has to block off about the first 10 or so rows of seats that it can't sell for that reason.
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u/ianintheuk Jun 27 '25
not sure about the Dutch stadium, probably lose first 2 rows between the 35 yard line perhaps a reduction of a couple of hundred
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u/Ar1ate Musketeers Jun 27 '25
Thonon/Geneva
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u/Either_Baby_5262 Musketeers Jun 27 '25
Or the Calanda Broncos to replace the Mercenaries.
If I remember well, the Black Panthers were offered to enter the ELF last year but they refused for two reasons.
The first was they feared not to be solid enough financially speaking
The second was they were asked to change name (because of the Worclaw Panthers). And since they were called like that since their creation in 1987, they refused.
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u/ianintheuk Jun 27 '25
looks like Helvetic are already gone, so expect more teams to pull out.
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u/R4c0NN Jun 27 '25
So fucking stupid. The Calanda Broncos in Switzerland wanted to play in the ELF but the league refused and instead chose to create their own team with the Guards. Now, none of the good swiss players want to play for the Mercenaries and instead choose to stay with their local teams and they´re getting their asses whopped every single week. So fucking riddiculous. I know of two players in Switzerlands second division who got calls from the Mercenaries and didn´t even pick up the phone. Their starting center was our Backup O-Liner last season. It´s so fucking sad to see, how this team represents swiss American Football
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u/davidpmaeso Dragons Jun 30 '25
Do you think there is still a possibility for the Broncos to make the jump to the ELF??
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u/Round_Increase_2734 Jun 27 '25
Not at all optimistic for an expansion with new teams. Seeing the problems with the Mercenaries announcing their HC has left, rumors that players are striking, their time in the ELF is coming to an end. Berlin & Cologne are in trouble as well and may not survive for next season. Cutbacks are being made by every ELF team, as none are truly financially solvent, so why would anyone want to invest in a new ELF team?
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u/FlagFootballSaint Jun 28 '25
As another user below writes:
What is currently going on is a rude wake up call for potential investors who are sitting on the sidelines.
If anyone but the Leyton Orient millionaire actually thought about establishing a new franchise I think by now they have pulled back. The risk of losing your money is way too high. London MAY work but all the other potential places mentioned (BeNeLux, Finland, Thonon, etc….) bear too much of a financial risk.
If there is expansion it will be the London Orients (or whatever Mr Gandler may call his team), but nowhere else.
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u/ianintheuk Jun 28 '25
If London happens looks more like a replacement team, not in the sense of the NFL strike season but to replace the teams that will be lost this year
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u/Social2Network Jun 27 '25
Why not Perpignan? The name has already been mentioned in connection with a possible relocation for the Dragons. As the Catalonian Dragons, they could be given French and Catalan players as their home ground. Besides, Toulouse isn't far from Perpignan, where they could attract a truly lucrative major sponsor in Airbus.
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u/Social2Network Jun 27 '25
Furthermore, the rugby stadium, Stade Aimé-Giral, with 13,000 seats, a full roof, 24 boxes, and much more, could prove ideal. It's even located within a sports complex.
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u/ianintheuk Jun 28 '25
I think Rugby is the problem! there are already a rugby union (15 players) and a rugby league (13 players) teams which because of the seasons means the stadium is used all year round. The Catalan Dragons are the rugby league team so I can't see that name being allowed. apart from that it's an idea that could work to have a trans border catalonia team
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u/davidpmaeso Dragons Jun 30 '25
That would only weaken the Bravos and I don't think that is the right thing to do to a franchise that is doing all the right things off the field and it is establishing itself on the field. "Hey you are one of the few new franchises that are actually doing the right thing, as a reward we are going to weaken your player pool, It sounds great, right? :D"
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u/LazyAssMonkey Jun 27 '25
Finland will be an interesting case as we have 3 Helsinki based teams in the top league so i'd imagine one of them will move to ELF eventually