UK will host Two NFL Regular Season games in 2010

[Archer]

America's National Football League will stage two games in the UK in 2010, NFL UK boss Alistair Kirkwood has revealed.

"We've got two teams that have agreed conceptually to be home teams. We're currently trying to get the opposition confirmed," Kirkwood told BBC 5 live.

London is likely to host both games, although Cardiff and Edinburgh could stage games in the future.

Kirkwood said that the teams coming to the UK will be announced by the middle of January at the very latest.

Wembley Stadium has hosted one game per season since 2007, and it has been suggested that cities other than London might hold a match if the NFL decided to play multiple games each year in the UK.

League bosses in the US have hinted there could be as many as four games per season played in Britain by 2012.

However, fans in Scotland and Wales will most probably have to wait for their chance to host a game according to the NFL UK boss.

"In the UK itself, there's only Murrayfield, Cardiff, Twickenham and Wembley that have the dimensions to play our game," added Kirkwood.

"We're keen to play outside of London, but the teams themselves feel more comfortable being in London.


Following the success of the NFL's first trip to London, in 2007, the league has committed to playing regular season games in the UK.

The New England Patriots beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in front of an 84,254 crowd in this year's event.

Fans will be able to register their interest in purchasing tickets within the next two weeks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/american_football/8412592.stm

News broke on Sunday but I couldn't find an official link till now

Not really sure what to think about the bolded part

 

[bringbackjimmy]

Hello either just put a team there or quit the crap... the faster a team fails there the faster we can get rid of this stupid idea. Your taking a game away from fans that actually care about one of the teams playing...

 

[wr50l]

Hello either just put a team there or quit the crap... the faster a team fails there the faster we can get rid of this stupid idea. Your taking a game away from fans that actually care about one of the teams playing...

It sounds like Jacksonville are coming over, so no to the bolded.

 

[MmmmBeeeeer]

Retarded. Thats all I have to say about that.

 

[Cryolemon]

As a brit, I don't dislike the idea. I can see why it pisses off the fans though. It would be cool to get a team in London though. Revive the Monarchs name maybe? That would be epic.

 

[wr50l]

As a brit, I don't dislike the idea. I can see why it pisses off the fans though. It would be cool to get a team in London though. Revive the Monarchs name maybe? That would be epic.

Claymores or I boycott.

 

[citizenerased]

Let's be honest here. The only reason that the NFL games are so well attended at Wembley is because it's a "novelty" event over there. If the NFL were to put a franchise in London, you'd be lucky to average out 30,000 fans at the end of the year.

At least that's how I see it.

EDIT: No offense to our UK contengient of NFL fans. Especially those who are Titans fans.

Exactly, I personally reckon the U.K. would struggle to sell out all 4, especially if they only played them at Wembley. If they moved them around maybe it might work - play one at Millenium Stadium and Murrayfield with two at Wembley - maybe even play one at Croke Park (If they can convince the paranoid nutters in charge to let them in - took Rugby a century and Landsdowne being bulldozed to be allowed to play there) or Stade De France.

 

[Derrville]

What id do is schedule the game with two teams that have struggled with attendance the last couple of years. I dont think the teams really matter. Just as long as theres NFL football at Wimbley, the Brits wont care.

 

[Archer]

Off topic : Am I the only person who thinks going to a game is overrated? I think it's one of the rare sports that is better on TV .

 

[wr50l]

Off topic : Am I the only person who thinks going to a game is overrated? I think it's one of the rare sports that is better on TV .

Football is much better when you know how your fantasy team is doing!

 

[krulmichael]

They want football in Europe then bring the NFL Europe back, don't be steeling America's true sport. And this coming from a guy that was born in Germany....buuuut is still more American.

 

[JeremyHight]

I honestly don't mind this. Considering there are quite a few NFL teams that cannot sell out their home stadiums, they might as well have these teams go to the UK and get infront of a crowd that actually wants to see them live.

I have been able to watch more home Lions games at my home in Nevada than I would have been able to had I continued to live in Michigan.

 

[Rayman]

Goodell has such a hard on for this. I'm sick of reading about it.

 

[Derrville]

I wouldn't know, because, well, I'm not British, but that shit only works for the first couple of years.

It's somewhat akin to the Premier League scheduling the teams that are 19th and 20th in the table for a season game every year. Sure it'll work for the first few years, but after a while, the people will start to notice that those teams play like shit.

Ya maybe but i mean look at previous Maddens. They sold millions even though the game stunk, mostly because it was an NFL product.

NFL sells and it sells well. People will pay to see NFL teams plus just because the teams have low attendance doesn't mean they arent doing well, like Jacksonville for example.

 

[mgoblue2290]

Absolutely awful idea to move a team over there. What division would they play in? Wouldn't it be unfair to have them travel to America 10 times a year(including preseason)? Players would be even further away from their families during the season and if a team like Jacksonville was to move there would they even be on board? I bet some guys would demand to be released or traded.

 

[NAHSTE]

LOL I remember when people thought this guy was good. He's a wannabe David Stern with about 1/10th the chops. Fuck this guy get him out of here already.

England does not want American Football! They have their own sport which shits all over the NFL world wide. Face the music Goodell, the NFL is boring now and you made it that way. As a live spectator sport, it's brutal.

 

[Archer]

I think anything more than two games is crazy personally ... I went to the Pats-Bucs game and it was pretty damn brutal . People were cheering when the Bucs were on O (even after claiming to support them) and asking stupid shit like "what's a first down" . I got so bored/annoyed that I sat there for the whole second half on my phone waiting for Colts score updates . I'm not saying all the UK base is uneducated on the game but they really need to introduce it slowly and get it to a level where people understand things before they throw shitty ideas like this out . Even then the distance makes a team nearly impossible .

Overall I just can't see people choosing to go watch the 0-10 London ............ play the Jags instead of going to watch Chelsea - West Ham or something to that effect . It's fine for one offs but the NFL is way down the priority list for most people here (which is sad) .

 

[Archer]

Football is an American sport and will always be an American sport. What NFL player is going to want to be traded to England? They aren't going to be able to sign anyone, and Football doesn't sell in England. Anyone remember the European football league? It went bankrupt.

Give it up Roger Goodell, England will never adapt American football.

I don't disagree with the rest but this is a bad example . Nobody wanted to watch 5th choice bums play it out for the most part . And can you blame anyone? Same reason the UFL failed in it's first season attendance wise . As little knowledge as some Europeans have on football , they can tell the difference between JP Losman and Aaron Rodgers .

 

[1ke]

Get ready UK here comes the Superbowl!

 

[Hasselbeck]

Move the Jags there, it's not like the city of Jacksonville will notice