Yeah, it's super old but this was published in the Kent University student newspaper - inQuire - in October 2011.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-18 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears marked the
end of a torrid day for the Glazer family. First they witnessed Manchester United falling 6-
1 to rivals Manchester City, before flying down to London to watch their original sports
franchise, the Buccaneers, lose to Chicago.
The long flight didn’t seem to slow down the suffocating Bears defence, led by star
linebacker Brian Urlacher, or running back Matt Forte, who finished the game with 145
yards rushing and a touchdown. The Bears had their way with the Buccaneers for the
majority of the game, but Quarterback Josh Freeman, who debuted two years ago in the
Buccaneers first Wembley game, attempted a trademark comeback win, throwing for two
touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
However, celebrations had to be put on hold as Freeman threw a fourth interception in
the game’s dying moments to seal a Chicago victory. Despite the fact that this was
officially a Buccaneers ‘home’ game, Chicago experienced a considerable level of supportfrom the not-so-partisan crowd; a testament to the team’s popularity in the 1980’s when
the NFL first experienced a surge in popularity in the UK. A labour dispute in the summer
between the league and the player’s union meant that tickets for this game went on sale
much later than previous years, and this was reflected in this being the first International
Series game not to sell out the stadium Despite this, on Sunday night one would be
forgiven for thinking that Wembley was a full house; with both teams receiving rapturous
applause and jeers throughout the game. But arguably the biggest reaction from the
crowd was reserved for a man who ran on to the pitch, removed his shirt, and high-fived
players before being tackled by security.
But the inevitable question that is always, but perhaps no longer needs to be, asked is
‘what happens next for American Football in the United Kingdom’? Sunday night marked
the fifth regular season American Football game at the home of ‘British Football’,
Wembley Stadium. That first game was between the New York Giants and the Miami
Dolphins in 2007 and was marred by a poor pitch, bad weather, and a game that could
be described to outsiders as ‘boring’. Five games later and the experimental, ‘showcase’,
nature of the NFL’s venture across the pond has been removed, and replaced with the
feeling that a game in Britain is ‘situation: normal’. Gone are the calls from the US media
and fans for the NFL to stop ‘robbing’ teams of a home game, with the mood now
reflecting an NFL that has embraced the UK fan base and is very much here to stay.
Recently NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced plans to stage two Wembley
games per year until 2016 as well as an NFL-led coaching clinic for UK youth players. In a
move to consolidate these initiatives, an all-party parliamentary group for American
Football has been set up to promote the sport in the UK. This will help develop the sport
at a grassroots level, doing much to add to the work already started by BAFACL and,
through BUAFL, university teams: of which the University of Kent Falcons are one. So it
can be seen that the NFL international series games, although a highly entertaining and
enjoyable spectacle for British fans, is no longer the ‘be-all-end-all’ of attempts to
promote American Football in the UK. The NFL has provided a pedestal to promote their
game and will surely reap the benefits of a passionate UK fan base, but this has helped
the game immeasurably in the UK and is a positive sign for the continued development
of the sport.
