Frisbee for Footballers: Teams

If AUDL (American Ultimate Disc League) teams were English Premier League Teams!

The AUDL only began in 2012 so it is extremely new compared to the English Football League but it is growing fast. There were only 8 teams in its inaugural season but it has already expanded to contain 23 teams split into East, West, Mid-West and South regional divisions. The winning teams from each division play a semi-final before the winners then compete for the Championship.

The semi-professional AUDL is the English Premier League of Ultimate Frisbee and yet nobody in Britain knows about it aside from die-hard frisbee fans. To help people understand the teams currently playing in the AUDL, here is a list of 10 of the top sides, linked with the English Premier League team who they are most similar to!

1. Indianapolis Alley Cats = Arsenal

Formed in 2012, they are one of the oldest clubs in the AUDL. Arsenal similarly are one of the oldest clubs in the football league having been formed back in 1886. Like Arsenal, the Alley Cats used to be title contenders but have dropped off the title-chasing radar in the last 5 years. They actually finished runners up in their first ever season but lost out to the Philadelphia Spinners who have since folded. Another similarity between the teams centres around the stadiums. Arsenal moved to the Emirates from Highbury in 2006 and the Alley Cats are moving their home matches from Roncalli to Grand Park for similar reasons: to expand their capacity and improve hospitality services at their matches.

2. Madison Radicals = Manchester City

Playing in blue is not the only thing to link these clubs. The Madison Radicals won the title last season just like Manchester City and prior to that were regularly runners up in recent years. Before first title triumph, both these teams threatened to really hit the big time with a slew of cup wins and reaching the top 4. The Madison Radicals won 5 regional division titles before their first Championship win but finally made the biggest step up last year and won it last year in 2018. This certainly has echoes of Man City winning the FA Cup and becoming regular features of the Premier League top 4 a year before their first title in 2012.

3. San Jose Spiders = Manchester United

The San Jose Spiders are one of the most succesful clubs in the AUDL’s history, like Manchester United are in the Premier League. The Spiders have won 2 of the 6 available championship titles but in more recent times have not come close to winning the title. They last won the Championship 2015 with their first title coming the previous year and like Manchester United, will be looking to make a push back into the top 4 and challenging for the title after a few rough years.

4. Dallas Roughnecks = Chelsea

Chelsea were at one time a mid-table type of side and previously unheralded as potential champions. It all changed for Chelsea with the arrival of Roman Abramovich as chairman and they quickly ruffled feathers throughout the top clubs by buying up players and winning trophies. Dallas similarly came out of nowhere in 2016 to win the Championship in their first ever season playing in the AUDL. Since their title win, Dallas have been in indifferent form, finishing as both runners up and out of the running for the title just like Chelsea who seem to have one good season competing for the title before capitulating for a season, sacking their manager and starting again.

5. Toronto Rush = Liverpool

Like Liverpool, Toronto Rush are one of the oldest teams in the league (Liverpool founded 1892, Toronto Rush in 2013) and similarly play in red. The team is one of 3 from Canada and the similarities between Liverpool and Toronto as northern teams upsetting the southern teams is all too striking. Both teams have been extremely successful during their histories (Toronto won five consecutive Eastern Division titles, made three appearances in League Championship Finals, and won one AUDL title in 2013) but the titles have dried up in the last few years with both clubs finishing as runners up last season.

6. Seattle Cascades = Tottenham Hotspur

7. New York Empire = Everton

Both these teams hail from a big city with a long-held tradition of the sport they play, (NYE founded in 2013, Everton in 1878) yet neither can really be considered truly big clubs in their respective divisions. New York Empire have reached the semi-finals of the Championship twice so are regularly in the top half of the 23 teams in the AUDL but cannot boast of a title or title challenge in their history just like Everton.

8. Tampa Bay Cannons = Watford

The yellow and black kits mark the most striking similarity between these sides but their general mediocrity is what really links them. Occasionally making a decent cup run like Watford reaching the FA Cup semi-final in 2015-16, Tampa Bay also made the regional play-offs against Raleigh Flyers but cannot boast of anything bigger than that. A good club but with little silverware to show for it.

9. DC Breeze = Newcastle United

Two old clubs in their respective leagues (DC founded in 2013, Newcastle in 1892), these teams have a number of similarities. A history of competing for titles has all but dried up in recent years with DC reaching a number of regional division finals but never going further than that, and Newcastle previously a powerhouse of English football now struggling to avoid relegation. Toronto Rush is the nemesis of DC Breeze, having lost to DC twice in consecutive seasons in division finals and this corresponds to Liverpool’s dominance over Newcastle throughout their history with a 47.85 win percentage against them.

10. San Francisco Flame Throwers = Leicester City

0 league titles, 0 runners-up positions, this team came out of nowhere to win the title but have faded away. Remind you of any team in particular? This description could easily and accurately apply to both Leicester City and SAN Francisco Flame Throwers. Leicester completed the most astounding title win the Premier League has ever seen in 2016 and the San Francisco Flame Throwers came out of similar obscurity to win their maiden AUDL title in 2017. A slight difference in fortune has followed the title wins for each club however. Leicester haven’t continued to challenge for the title but have succeeded in solidly maintaining their Premier League status whereas the Flame Throwers have actually folded altogether since then!

Thanks for reading! I hope this taught you a bit about the biggest and best teams in the Ultimate Frisbee world! If you want to watch some of them play just follow this link to see some of the best highlights from AUDL matches! AUDL Youtube Channel