The Monarchs go with age and experience in an attempt to fulfill their championship dreams.

Retirements:
CB George Lenz - London's leaky defensive backfield gets a shakeup, as Lenz retires at just age 30. Lenz played primarily at free safety during his three years with London, after playing his first five seasons with the Battle Creek Barbarians. Lenz recorded 44 tackles and an interception in his final season, leading management to look for more defensive help in free agency and the draft.

Coaching changes:
The executioner's blade finally falls for former defensive coordinator Jason Smith, who had served in the position since 2034. While the Monarchs are coming off back-to-back 13-3 seasons their defense has underperformed, especially against the opponent's aerial attacks. While some of those struggles can be attributed to below-average defenders, management felt that a new direction might change the team's fortunes - hopefully for the better.

When looking for defensive help, where better to turn than to the most feared defense in the Moguls League, the world champion Brooklyn Tigers? London snags Brooklyn defensive line coach Jerome Wesson to be their new defensive play caller. Wesson excels in pass rush and run stopping technique, as well as coaching DBs to reach their peak ability. Management is putting their faith in Wesson to bring a match of young and old defenders together to lock down opponents and keep London's in the hunt for another deep playoff run.

Free agency:
GM Nigel Worthington IV was surprisingly successful luring free agents to the team this offseason, which in turn impacted his strategy entering the 2042 draft.

DT John Thomas - looking to bolster the defensive line, Thomas joins the Monarchs after playing his first twelve seasons for Cincinnati. Thomas had one of his best seasons in 2041, recording 23 tackles, 5 sacks and a fumble recovery. While obviously nearing retirement Thomas will most likely play sparingly, but could provide a bit of a spark.

CB Ronald Nguyen - the older brother of this season's #1 overall draft pick CB Charles Nguyen of the Upside Down Sicilians, Ronald is hoping to continue building his own legacy that began as an Arizona Thundercock. Nguyen had a career-high 3 interceptions for Arizona in 2041, including a pick six in a loss to the Bangles, to go along with 70 tackles and one sack. The 26 year old is expected to play a role across the London secondary to improve their poor pass defense for the next several seasons.

RB Derrick Henry - another veteran closing in on the end of his career, Henry was signed to add more quality depth to London's strong rushing attack. Henry rushed for 650 yards and a touchdown for the Shadow Dancers last season, adding 23 catches for 200 yards and a score. With postseason injuries to starting RBs Von Popa and Tony Vinson derailing London's playoff run last year, one more quality running back provides insurance.

FS Kirk Hardy - a man without a position, the former first round pick of the Kayfabe joins the Blue and Gold. Originally drafted as a DE before switching to safety, management will see if he is able to lose enough weight to fill a backup role as a pass defender, or perhaps even make another positional switch to linebacker.

DT Cameron Couch - Couch signs another cheap two year contract to come back for his eleventh season with the Monarchs. While several injuries limited him to just eleven games last year, Couch has shown enough for management to keep his faith in him for now.

CB Larry Buckman - another stab at improving London's secondary lands the 31 year old Buckman from the Terror. Buckman recorded 78 tackles, an interception, and most importantly 24 passes defended for Terre Haute last season. Secondary coach Willie Benson will be charged with finding the best spot for Buckman as either a cornerback or safety for the two years of his contract.

SLB Milton Whitener - another short timer, the 31 year old appeared in all sixteen games for the Devils in 2041, recording 44 tackles and an interception. While having no chance to displace any of the Monarchs starting linebackers, the hope is he will provide quality depth whenever his number gets called.

RT Paul Rolfes - what's old is new again. Drafted by the Monarchs in 2033, Rolfes spent the last six seasons with the Teabag Party/Tigers, starting four games for Brooklyn in 2041. Specializing in pass blocking, the slow Rolfes will try to catch on with his original team as an inexpensive backup across the offensive line.

TE George Payne - another Monarch nearing the end of his career, Payne remains a steady if unimpressive cornerstone of London's offense. Payne notched 47 catches for 370 yards and a touchdown last season, adding a touchdown against the Argonauts in the wild card round. With no better options available via free agency, management was comfortable with retaining the veteran tight end.

WR Clinton Houser - a somewhat dangerous receiver when he makes the catch, Houser was invited to join London after spending the last four years with the Devils. Houser recorded 37 catches for 463 yards and 2 touchdowns for Tazmania last season, but will have to battle several young pass catchers to ensure his spot on the final roster.

MLB Clayton Hewitt - London outbid several teams to land Hewitt, who played the last three years for the Argonauts. While never starting for Wilmington, the 30 year old has shown talent as a pass defender, and will add more depth to strengthen the Monarchs defensive side.

C Jacob Brown - London dips into the Argonaut well once again, snagging the veteran offensive lineman. Brown appeared in nine games and started Wilmington's wild card loss to the Monarchs in 2041, and will provide another short-term option to anchor the middle of London's offensive line.

2042 draft:
With the myriad of veteran free agent signings, plans for a busy draft changed drastically. Entering the draft with nine selections, London had just two open roster spots available. Instead of keeping the picks and being saddled with dead cap from cutting expensive rookie bonuses or just signed free agents, management looked to shop the excess picks.

1-29 FS Mario Bradley - after contemplating trading the pick for a future first rounder, the Monarchs roll the dice on the speedy defensive back from Florida State. While playing as a cornerback in college, Bradley appears better suited as a safety, and if his low coverage potentials pop at training camp he will be a key component of London's expected defensive improvement.

2-2 WR Toderick Malone - trading picks 2-29, 3-18 and 3-29 to the Cincinnati Bangles, the Monarchs jump up to select the hybrid WR/RB. While not as fast as some of the receivers favored by other teams, management is expecting Malone to gain some speed as he reaches his excellent potential as a sure-handed receiver.

London continues passing along draft picks in another trade, this time sending picks 4-29, 5-23 and 5-29 to the Wisconsin Blizzard for the rights to the Brooklyn Tigers 2043 third round pick. Without a first round selection in next year's draft, management felt bypassing this season's subpar class for the future was the better option.

6-29 WLB Wilbur Kayline - after waiting four full rounds between selections, the Monarchs are once again on the clock. After being rumored to be the Thrashers choice at pick 5-1, London has the same radical idea as Arkansas to convert the undersized defensive tackle. Without amazing speed or strength, Kayline does possess excellent pass rushing talent and surprisingly pass coverage potentials for a defensive lineman. While it will take some time for Kayline to lose weight, if the project pays off he could become a valuable defender.

7-29 WR/FB Trevor Carthy - another player who'll need to hit the cafeteria to become useful. Drafted as a wide receiver, Carthy's strength and run blocking skills seem to translate better to the backfield. If results are unimpressive in training camp Carthy will most likely be cut immediately to free up roster space.

Speaking of roster space, the Monarchs still needed to cut two players to reach the sixty player limit. The unfortunate victims are WR Steven Calle and DT Nigel Hoyte. Calle did not appear in a regular season game after signing with London last season, while Hoyte has not impressed in limited playing time after being a 4th round pick in 2040. With an overstuffed roster at most positions already, management will have many more difficult decisions to make to craft the 2042 roster.

After allowing some amateur American teams named the Vikings and Saints to stage a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium recently, London now prepares for high quality football to finally return to the capital city. With the goal of claiming the AFC South division title for the third straight season and marching through the extremely tough playoff gauntlet, London fans know that time is growing short to claim a Super Bowl title with a now aging roster. Check back for an update after training camp.

The opinion of London scouts that the 2042 draft class had little to offer mostly come to pass in the second straight poor draft for the Monarchs.

1-29 FS Mario Bradley +7/-5 now 49/79 - while retaining his elite speed, most of his simply average coverage potentials are near maximum. Will probably still be used as a starter at some point, but appears unlikely to become a lockdown defender.

2-2 WR Toderick Malone +6/+1 now 43/73 - still has a way to go to reach his 100 catching potential, but all the other skills look pretty solid. After signing several veteran WRs this offseason, Malone may not get a lot of playing time until 2043.

6-29 WLB Wilbur Kayline +2/-3 now 33/60 - the position switch experiment seems to have failed for the former DT, with nothing amazing coming from training camp. Instead of playing him to see if there's anything to salvage, Kayline has already been cut.

Another conversion project 7th round pick FB Trevor Cathy (+1/-3 now 33/59) was also cut prior to training camp to open up space to sign former Demons WR Jose Vargas. The 31 year old Vargas appears to still have some skills as a receiver, and hopefully Coach David Kirby can find a useful role for him for the two years of his contract.

The Monarchs now head into the preseason, where they will host the Kleinmachnow Orangecrush on August 9. Look for an update close to the regular season.

2042 preseason wrapup:

A banged up crew of Monarchs mark an undefeated preseason.

The London Monarchs notched the second undefeated preseason in franchise history, logging an impressive showing with a +60 point differential and the highest scoring offense in the Moguls league (115 points). While most of the damage came in a 44-3 win over the OrangeCrush, London's maligned defense did perform admirably holding Kleinmachow, Chicago and Seattle without offensive touchdowns. While the offense did have to mount a furious three touchdown fourth quarter comeback to squeak out a 28-27 win over the Xtreme in week two, for most of the preseason new defensive coordinator Jerome Wesson seemed to have lit a spark under his defenders. Free agent acquisition RB Derrick Henry led the team in rushing with 157 and three TDs, and looks to be needed for a bigger than expected role in the backfield. RBs Obafemi Ayanbedejo and Victor X. Ebubedike suffered foot and leg injuries that will take time to heal, so Henry will be slotted in behind starters Von Popa and Tony Vinson until all the running backs return to full strength. With preseason injuries to starting C Shelby Goff, DT Cameron Couch, WLB Marlon Brown and first round rookie FS Mario Bradley among several others, the offseason emphasis on signing additional players for depth on both sides of the ball seems to have been especially prophetic. While preseason wins don't count for much, the only other time the franchise went undefeated in the preseason was 2022 - when the team won its lone Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Those extra player signings did lead to some difficult decisions on who to cut to get down to the final 53 man roster:

DT John Thomas - the 34 year old recorded just two tackles and didn't show anything to move up the depth chart and will try to extend his Moguls career with another franchise.

FS CJ Fontaine - the second year defensive back never appeared in a regular season game for London, and free agent FS Kirk Hardy's impressive preseason showing (11 tackles, 1 sack 14.3% completion percentage against) won over the coaching staff.

SS Frank Wilkerson - the speedy 29 year old played sparingly after signing with London in 2040, and with younger better pass defenders on the squad Wilkerson was deemed expendable.

RDE Billy Wells - after being claimed off waivers from Los Angeles The Red Dragon after preseason week two, the pass rusher notched a sack against Seattle in the preseason finale, but couldn't hang onto the final roster.

WR Clinton Houser - another victim of the numbers game. Management could not justify keeping eight wide receivers, and despite playing extensively as a rusher and receiver with many starters sitting out the Seattle game to avoid injury, a fumble may have sealed the 30 year's fate with London.

RT Paul Rolfes - the final cut, Rolfes has the rare honor of being cut twice by the Monarchs. Despite appearing in all four preseason games, several penalties and a sack allowed to the Seahawks made his claim as a pass blocking specialist ring a bit hollow and he was asked to turn in his playbook for a second time.

London made an additional roster move to reach their final roster, shipping CB Troy Seim and a 2043 6th round draft pick to the Bandits for Santa Fe's 2044 4th round pick. While Seim recorded six interceptions after being acquired from Chicago at the 2038 trade deadline, his role in the Monarchs' defensive backfield had diminished in the last few seasons, and instead of cutting him outright, GM Nigel Worthington IV felt getting a future asset was the better option.

London headed down the west coast from Seattle to Los Angeles to open the oddly named Del Fuego Phoenix stadium with a 34-3 beatdown of the newly relocated Los Angeles The Red Dragon in week one. London's preseason offense kept clicking, as the Royal Blue and Gold exploded for 24 first quarter points on touchdown passes from QB Preston Jones of 53 yards to WR Jon Horton and 51 yards to RB Von Popa, as well as a 19 yard interception return from veteran CB Antoine Tedesco. A third quarter 48 yard touchdown pass from Jones to Horton provided another highlight, as the Monarchs held Los Angeles under 200 yards of total offense. The win marks their sixth straight victory in the series, and eleventh straight regular season win overall dating back to last season. London continues their three game season opening road trip with showdowns against the Thundercocks and Dildozers before finally returning to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the home opener against the Santa Fe Bandits in week four. Look for an update later in the season.

All good things must come to an end. The Monarchs' fifteen game regular season winning streak was snapped in a 28-14 loss to the San Francisco Demons in week six. In a close battle for three quarters, the Demons controlled most of the day before pulling away with a pair of touchdowns by WR/RB Raymond Kelly in the final period, one through the air and a broken tackle 31 yard TD run just after the two minute warning to seal the game. Playing for pride, London was able to add a meaningless touchdown pass from QB Preston Jones to RB Derrick Henry in the final ten seconds to make the loss a little more respectable.

The defeat marks the first loss for the Royal Blue and Gold since week six 2041. Despite the loss London remains atop the AFC South division with a 5-1 record, leading the Roswell Invaders by one game. The Monarchs will look to get back to their winning ways by returning to their home turf - but not their home stadium - when they travel across town to the Rookery in week seven to face off against the London Ravens.

Midseason report:
Record: 8-2 1st place in AFC South

Is this the Monarchs' final shot at a title? Plenty of qualified teams stand in the way.

Just beyond the halfway point of the 2042 season, the London Monarchs currently hold a three game lead over the Roswell Invaders in the race for a division title, while tied with the defending Super Bowl champion Brooklyn Tigers for the best record in the AFC at 8-2. After opening the season with five straight victories, London fell to San Francisco in week six before bouncing back to reclaim bragging rights in the city with a win over the crosstown Ravens. A discouraging 13-3 home loss to the always frustrating Rocky Mountain Bronx in week eight had some fans (and management) worried that the squad might have been overachieving. However, a come-from-behind 24-20 road win over the Wilmington Argonauts, perhaps their longest standing rival in Moguls slightly eased the concern. The Monarchs overcame four turnovers in week 10 by using a 68 yard game-winning touchdown catch by rookie WR Toderick Malone in the fourth quarter to record a solid if uninspiring 19-12 victory over the Bronx that avenged their loss two weeks earlier and earned a split with their division foe.

The Royal Blue and Gold are once again searching for an identity on offense. While favoring a ground attack for the last several years, London's rushers have taken a slight step back this season. While Von Popa currently has 612 yards rushing and a score along with third year pro Tony Vinson notching 426 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, London appears unlikely to match their eighteen rushing scores from last season. QB Preston Jones has been efficient all season, delivering another workmanlike performance with 1746 yards (11th in league) and 13 touchdowns (tie - 8th), and appears to still have a few years of above average if not elite level quarterback play left in the tank. Jones' favorite target, WR Jon Horton, is looking to improve his performance for the remainder of the season. Horton still leads the team with 361 yards and 6 TDs, but his 56.8% receiving percentage so far is his lowest since his rookie season of 2035. One milestone to watch for, Horton needs three touchdowns to pass long time star WR William Ortiz for second place in receiving touchdowns in franchise history (48), and tops since the team moved to London in 2027.

Perhaps burying the lead, the biggest factor in the Monarchs' good fortune this season has been a much-improved performance by the team's defense. First year defensive coordinator Jerome Wesson has turned a group of many veterans into a squad that steps up at opportune moments. While still not forcing many turnovers, the defense has been much better at limiting big plays by their opponents and keeping games close enough for the offense to rise to the challenge and go for the win. An improved pass rush has aided the cause, with three sacks per game good for 9th overall in the league. LDE Tom Dovo (8 sacks) and RDE Chris Thompson (7 sacks) lead the way, with veteran DT Cameron Couch's five sacks putting him on pace to possibly set a new career high (7 - 2037, 2040). In another milestone alert, the thirty one year old Thompson needs just two sacks to set a new franchise sack record (69 - DT Robert Appleton (2017- 2032) LDE Landon Sims (2017-2029)). While no individual defender is overwhelming the league, most of the Tough Blokes have performed exceptionally well as a unit so far this season.

After furiously firing out trade offers across the league to add any talent for the stretch run, GM Nigel Worthington was only able to complete a single transaction. The Monarchs sent a pair of 2043 third round picks to the San Francisco Demons in return for RDE Raymond Winans before the week 8 trade deadline. With a serious injury in week five to backup LDE Casey Cangelosi leading to his release, and veteran LDE Minh Rawls likely to leave via free agency or retire, management felt bringing in a younger speedy defensive lineman would help the team's long term outlook, and he will likely play a larger role beginning next season. Management's faith in Winans may be paying off, as he recorded a sack vs. the Argonauts in just his second game for London.

London's schedule for the remainder of the year appears to be fairly difficult, luckily with five of six games to be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Week 11 features a home game against the hottest team in the AFC, the Las Vegas Wraiths. After starting the year 0-3, Las Vegas is currently on a conference-best seven-game winning streak. Things get no easier the following week, with the undefeated Los Angeles XTreme coming to town. The schedule maker did the Monarchs no favors with a late season matchup against the world champion Brooklyn Tigers, who appear to be as dominant as ever, with the highest scoring offense in the league (313 points) and second largest point differential (+201 points). Brooklyn has won five straight games against London, including two of the last three conference championships, and any shot for the top seed in the playoffs will have to come through a statement win against the Tigers. With both games against Roswell yet to be played, the quest for London's third consecutive division title is by no means a lock, and the confounding Los Angeles The Red Dragon are always willing to create a....unique gameplan to prepare for in week 15. Look for an update later in the season.

Midseason MVPs:
Offense: QB Preston Jones 1746 yards passing (11th) 13 TDs (tie - 8th) 6 INTs 6.00 YPA (10th)
Defense: MLB Danny Lockett 59 tackles 1 INT 13 passes defended

London management is wallowing in shame after losing to Brooklyn for the fourth straight postseason and will post a 2042 recap at a later date.

2042 final report:
Regular season record: 11-4-1 (AFC South champion, #3 playoff seed)
Playoff record: 1-1 (lost in Divisional Round)

In what is becoming an annual tradition, the London Monarchs once again failed to reach the promised land, with yet another humiliating playoff defeat to the Brooklyn Tigers. After a late season slide with close losses to the then-undefeated LA XTreme and a blown fourth quarter lead in a loss to the Tigers plus a frustrating tie at Roswell, London was able right the ship and defeat Los Angeles The Red Dragon and cruise to a 30-6 victory at home against the Invaders in week 16 to claim the team's third straight AFC South title.

The Monarchs faced off against the Arkansas Thrashers in the wild card round, and pulled out a 24-16 victory for the team's third playoff win against Arkansas in the last four seasons. That set up the latest showdown against the Brooklyn Tigers - with the usual result. Brooklyn used a powerful running game and pass rush to dominate London in an embarrassing 28-6 divisional round loss, the seventh straight between the two clubs since 2039. Brooklyn's swarming defense held London to less than 150 yards of total offense, while recording five sacks in the contest. Brooklyn's rushing attack notched touchdown runs by Bruce Hall and former Monarch Archie Daniels, sending the visitors back across the Atlantic after their fourth consecutive postseason loss to the Tigers. While remaining competitive against most teams in the Moguls league, London has been unable to find any solutions against the Tigers, losing most games to the eventual AFC Champions in blowout fashion. With such lopsided results, it's hard pressed to call the Tigers-Monarchs battles a rivalry, but the teams are expected to meet again as division champions when the 2043 schedule is released.

The Monarchs team will most likely look very different next season, as management expects a number of retirements on the aging roster. While the team's defense was especially efficient in 2042, new faces will likely be sprinkled in either via the draft or free agency. Management is honest enough to admit that this year's team was likely the last squad with a legitimate chance to compete for a Super Bowl title, but is hopeful to remain competitive for the next season or two before embarking on a full blown rebuild. Look for the next chapter in the London Monarchs story in 2043!

Offensive MVP:
WR Jon Horton 51 receptions 762 yards (8th in league) 8 TDs (tie - 3rd in league)

Defensive MVP:
MLB Danny Lockett 100 tackles (led team) 3 INTs (2nd on team) 16 passes defended 1 forced fumble

2042 final report:
Regular season record: 11-4-1 (AFC South champion, #3 playoff seed)
Playoff record: 1-1 (lost in Divisional Round)

In what is becoming an annual tradition, the London Monarchs once again failed to reach the promised land, with yet another humiliating playoff defeat to the Brooklyn Tigers. After a late season slide with close losses to the then-undefeated LA XTreme and a blown fourth quarter lead in a loss to the Tigers plus a frustrating tie at Roswell, London was able right the ship and defeat Los Angeles The Red Dragon and cruise to a 30-6 victory at home against the Invaders in week 16 to claim the team's third straight AFC South title.

The Monarchs faced off against the Arkansas Thrashers in the wild card round, and pulled out a 24-16 victory for the team's third playoff win against Arkansas in the last four seasons. That set up the latest showdown against the Brooklyn Tigers - with the usual result. Brooklyn used a powerful running game and pass rush to dominate London in an embarrassing 28-6 divisional round loss, the seventh straight between the two clubs since 2039. Brooklyn's swarming defense held London to less than 150 yards of total offense, while recording five sacks in the contest. Brooklyn's rushing attack notched touchdown runs by Bruce Hall and former Monarch Archie Daniels, sending the visitors back across the Atlantic after their fourth consecutive postseason defeat. While remaining competitive against most teams in the Moguls league, London has been unable to find any solutions against the Tigers, losing most games to the eventual AFC Champions in blowout fashion. With such lopsided results, it's hard pressed to call the Tigers-Monarchs battles a rivalry, but the teams are expected to meet again as division champions when the 2043 schedule is released.

The Monarchs team will most likely look very different next season, as management expects a number of retirements on the aging roster. While the team's defense was especially efficient in 2042, new faces will likely be sprinkled in either via the draft or free agency. Management is honest enough to admit that this year's team was likely the last squad with a legitimate chance to compete for a Super Bowl title, but is hopeful to remain competitive for the next season or two before embarking on a full blown rebuild. Look for the next chapter in the London Monarchs story in 2043!

Offensive MVP:
WR Jon Horton 51 receptions 762 yards (8th in league) 8 TDs (tie - 3rd in league)

Defensive MVP:
MLB Danny Lockett 100 tackles (led team) 3 INTs (2nd on team) 16 passes defended 1 forced fumble