The Beijing Iron Brothers are proud to bring the game of American football to a city with a history spanning 3 millennia and is currently the world's third most populous city. We are ready to honor the past and teach the game to China's future. The Chinese name for the team, "铁瓷" comes from a uniquely-Beijing phrase. Beginning
The Iron Brothers can trace our history back to the Beijing Guardians. The Guardians, started by Nathan Jones, were the first football team in Beijing and all of China, and were participants in the inaugural 2011 Founders Bowl when they faced the Shanghai Nighthawks, the second oldest team in China. Under Coach Chris Moore, the Guardians grew and prospered for several years. Moore strove to teach the game and team work, and his tutelage was invaluable. Rebirth:
But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. As time went on, outside priorities and attrition began to slowly chip away at the Guardians. Born from the ashes of the old Beijing Guardians team, the Iron Brothers started around May 2015, when the few remaining members of the Guardians reformed and restarted practices which initially consisted of less than 10 players playing catch. However, the arrival of coach Vladimir Emilien on 29th August 29 2015, changed everything. Under his leadership, in less than a year, the old Guardians team have been rechristened with a new name and identity, and our membership has grown from just 6 players into the 85+ players we have now. Best of all, in just a few short weeks, the Iron Brothers will be competing in our inaugural season of membership in the AFLC (American Football League of China), China's premier competitive American Football League. Future:
While the Iron Brothers first season ended in heartbreak as the team came oh so close to making the playoffs, Beijing's 1st year in the AFLC could be counted as a wild success. The IronBros are lookin to build upon the milestones they set in their AFLC debut last year and take another step forward in 2017.
2017 Schedule:
8/12: AWAY
9/9: HOME vs Tianjin
9/30: AWAY @ Tianjin
10/6: HOME vs Taiyuan
