About half of Marylebone station appeared to be NFL fans and I clocked over 20 different team's jerseys whilst getting our tube tickets. It seem strange to see so many different team colours at a one off sporting event, by the time we'd reached Wembley on the tube I'd completed a full set of 32 team jerseys and it was clear that the Patriots were going to have more fans then the "home team". I've previously written about how it'd be great to really make the IS seem like a home game for the Rams (or whoever), but this year was always going to be difficult given the popularity of the Patriots in this country and the recent history of the sides.
The Pats popularity was in further evidence as we made our way to the Green Man, which was home to plenty of fans, a large marquee and a heavily populated UK Patriots tent. I think it's fair to say that the "UK Jags" tent next year will be a bit more sparse! As usual, the Green Man was an excellent host for the Great British Tailgate Party and full of friendly faces. It also had beer at only £2.50 a bottle which seemed rather cheap for a Wembley game day. After a couple of drinks and the first half of the Merseyside Derby, it was time to make our way to the official Tailgate to meet up with some British Eagles.
For a change, there wasn't a massive queue to get into the Tailgate, there were plenty of lanes and the security checks were brief and efficient. Inside the Tailgate was another matter, the queues were so long it was making it difficult to walk around the site. It was a shame, because the range of food on offer was excellent. The same couldn't be said for the beer, and one pint of overpriced, flat, Budweiser was enough for me. By some miracle we managed to find a bench in the beer tent and met up with some of the British Eagles. It was great to put some faces to names, although I was left feeling rather jealous as Matty had a sideline and changing room pass, whilst Ali had Club Wembley tickets. Meanwhile, we had seats up in the rafters...grr.
Soon to was time to make our way to the seats in the aforementioned rafters. Thankfully Wembley has plenty of escalators, otherwise we may have missed the first half! One of the great aspects of Wembley is that you've got a great view from pretty much any seat. We were about 10 rows from the back, but the view was still excellent. Pre match band Train aren't exactly my cup of tea (Nor was the Wembley tea at £2.50!) but I have to admit they sounded good live. Not having the onfield visual extravaganza of flags and cheerleaders (presumably due to the wet field) actually helped the band connect with the audience.
Sitting behind the EndZone means you can't be 100% certain if a short run has gained 2 or 3 yards, but the sideline markings make it pretty easy to guess. Plus the PA was always quick to announce the result of the play. The opening Rams drive ended with a spectacular 50 yard touchdown pass from Bradford to Givens and it genuinely felt like a Rams home game at that point. We were out of our seats and the atmosphere was superb. Sadly, that was as good as it got, and for the rest of the first half we were treated to a Tom Brady masterclass. The scoreboard was keeping everyone informed of the Eagles latest disaster, although it sounded as if the Dolphins hammering of the Jets was the most popular score of the evening - not sure if that's a sign of the Fins popularity or evidence of how much people dislike the Jets at present!
NFL thrashings are never much fun, but at least we got to see an NFL all time great performing somewhere near his peak. Brady was greatly aided by a strong offensive line, a lively running display from Steven Ridley and some unplayable receivers. Rob Gronkowski in particular was looking unstoppable and even from the cheap seats, he looked like a cross between a lineman and a basketball player. Despite the one sided nature of the game, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half. It was my 4th IS game and comfortably the best standard of play I'd seen.
Unfortunately, the Rams weren't matching their rivals and their defence was getting a mauling. It all meant that the second half was a bit of a non event. Sure, we got a couple more Pats TDs, but they were merely icing on the cake. The Pats defence also stepped up in the second half and made a number of big plays. Poor Sam Bradford was getting swamped on a regular basis and his O line was disintegrating in front of him.
By the start of the 4th quarter, the crowd was thinning out. This is a common occurrence at NFL games and is in no way a poor reflection of UK fans. The truth is that one sided NFL games fizzle out at an early stage - we get back up QBs, conservative plays and a plethora of punts. The plus side was that it meant that 84,000 people weren't leaving at the same time so getting away from the stadium was pretty easy. We had time to catch some of the Cowboys-Giants game back at the Green Man before heading off into the night.
I'd rank the 6th IS game as my second favourite. The Chargers-Saints epic will take some serious beating and the fact it was my first ever NFL game means it was a special occasion for me. But this was up there, we met some great people, saw some brilliant play and generally had a really fun time. If you've never been to the Is then make sure you get to Wembley next year. I'm hoping to get tickets for both games - I just hope that they end up being close contests!
Next year will certainly be a big test of how far the NFL has come in the UK. 2 games is going to be a challenge, particularly with the perennially poor Jaguars being one of the teams coming over. The Vikings Steelers clash will be the easier to sell, it looks like being a tough game to call, it will be played in September, so should be decent weather, plus both teams are well supported in the UK. Ideally, all NFL games in the UK would feature match ups like this, but obviously getting 2 big sides to come over is a difficult task. After all, if you sell out in the US why move a game to the UK?
It'd be great if the game could have more of a "home" feel for Jacksonville and it's important that NFLUK and Sky hype the Jags over the next 12 months. It's great that they have committed to playing here for the next 4 years and they deserve our support in return. Unfortunately, they are up against one of the best supported teams in the 49ers and will probably be big underdogs. A lot can change in the NFL so maybe it'll end up being a close contest, but as it stands it's not the most appealing of fixtures. Of course, the die hard fans will go whoever is playing, but for the sake of converting more new fans it's vital that the game is well marketed and that the Jags put on a good show.
Personally, I'd be surprised if there was ever a franchise in the UK, but for the sake of teams wanting to come over here for fixtures we need to promote Wembley (or whenever) as being a strong home venue. Somewhere where they will have an advantage and get strong support. I'd like to see the Jags name written in both the EndZones, only Jacksonville banners on the side of the stadium and for the franchise themselves to make every effort to connect with the UK audience. Gestures to get the crowd going, spending some time in the UK, lots of PR activity etc. The Rams did a reasonable job on this front, but more can be done.
We are really lucky to have NFL games in the UK, and to have 2 here next year is fantastic. Now it's time to make the most of it and make sure it continues and gets even bigger!
The Pats popularity was in further evidence as we made our way to the Green Man, which was home to plenty of fans, a large marquee and a heavily populated UK Patriots tent. I think it's fair to say that the "UK Jags" tent next year will be a bit more sparse! As usual, the Green Man was an excellent host for the Great British Tailgate Party and full of friendly faces. It also had beer at only £2.50 a bottle which seemed rather cheap for a Wembley game day. After a couple of drinks and the first half of the Merseyside Derby, it was time to make our way to the official Tailgate to meet up with some British Eagles. 
For a change, there wasn't a massive queue to get into the Tailgate, there were plenty of lanes and the security checks were brief and efficient. Inside the Tailgate was another matter, the queues were so long it was making it difficult to walk around the site. It was a shame, because the range of food on offer was excellent. The same couldn't be said for the beer, and one pint of overpriced, flat, Budweiser was enough for me. By some miracle we managed to find a bench in the beer tent and met up with some of the British Eagles. It was great to put some faces to names, although I was left feeling rather jealous as Matty had a sideline and changing room pass, whilst Ali had Club Wembley tickets. Meanwhile, we had seats up in the rafters...grr.Soon to was time to make our way to the seats in the aforementioned rafters. Thankfully Wembley has plenty of escalators, otherwise we may have missed the first half! One of the great aspects of Wembley is that you've got a great view from pretty much any seat. We were about 10 rows from the back, but the view was still excellent. Pre match band Train aren't exactly my cup of tea (Nor was the Wembley tea at £2.50!) but I have to admit they sounded good live. Not having the onfield visual extravaganza of flags and cheerleaders (presumably due to the wet field) actually helped the band connect with the audience.
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| Welcome to the Cheap Seats |
NFL thrashings are never much fun, but at least we got to see an NFL all time great performing somewhere near his peak. Brady was greatly aided by a strong offensive line, a lively running display from Steven Ridley and some unplayable receivers. Rob Gronkowski in particular was looking unstoppable and even from the cheap seats, he looked like a cross between a lineman and a basketball player. Despite the one sided nature of the game, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half. It was my 4th IS game and comfortably the best standard of play I'd seen. Unfortunately, the Rams weren't matching their rivals and their defence was getting a mauling. It all meant that the second half was a bit of a non event. Sure, we got a couple more Pats TDs, but they were merely icing on the cake. The Pats defence also stepped up in the second half and made a number of big plays. Poor Sam Bradford was getting swamped on a regular basis and his O line was disintegrating in front of him.
By the start of the 4th quarter, the crowd was thinning out. This is a common occurrence at NFL games and is in no way a poor reflection of UK fans. The truth is that one sided NFL games fizzle out at an early stage - we get back up QBs, conservative plays and a plethora of punts. The plus side was that it meant that 84,000 people weren't leaving at the same time so getting away from the stadium was pretty easy. We had time to catch some of the Cowboys-Giants game back at the Green Man before heading off into the night.
Next year will certainly be a big test of how far the NFL has come in the UK. 2 games is going to be a challenge, particularly with the perennially poor Jaguars being one of the teams coming over. The Vikings Steelers clash will be the easier to sell, it looks like being a tough game to call, it will be played in September, so should be decent weather, plus both teams are well supported in the UK. Ideally, all NFL games in the UK would feature match ups like this, but obviously getting 2 big sides to come over is a difficult task. After all, if you sell out in the US why move a game to the UK?
It'd be great if the game could have more of a "home" feel for Jacksonville and it's important that NFLUK and Sky hype the Jags over the next 12 months. It's great that they have committed to playing here for the next 4 years and they deserve our support in return. Unfortunately, they are up against one of the best supported teams in the 49ers and will probably be big underdogs. A lot can change in the NFL so maybe it'll end up being a close contest, but as it stands it's not the most appealing of fixtures. Of course, the die hard fans will go whoever is playing, but for the sake of converting more new fans it's vital that the game is well marketed and that the Jags put on a good show.
Personally, I'd be surprised if there was ever a franchise in the UK, but for the sake of teams wanting to come over here for fixtures we need to promote Wembley (or whenever) as being a strong home venue. Somewhere where they will have an advantage and get strong support. I'd like to see the Jags name written in both the EndZones, only Jacksonville banners on the side of the stadium and for the franchise themselves to make every effort to connect with the UK audience. Gestures to get the crowd going, spending some time in the UK, lots of PR activity etc. The Rams did a reasonable job on this front, but more can be done.
We are really lucky to have NFL games in the UK, and to have 2 here next year is fantastic. Now it's time to make the most of it and make sure it continues and gets even bigger!
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