Not sure the NFL will be sustainable long term here in London, the current deal sees teams coming over for an exhibition of sorts, a Jags team playing here 8 times a year and losing 5 of those games isn't going to rake in capacity crowds
is there really enough demand for NFL to have a team playing regularly in London?
There is demand for more games but IMO there's not enough to sustain a whole separate franchise. Everyone who is interested in the sport has already starting following a different team and that wouldn't change just because there's now a UK based team.
If you started playing all Jaguars games at Wembley eight times per year, you'd still get fans of 32 different teams attending rather than two (home & away). That's why the current revolving line up (a handful of different teams take turns to make the trip every year) makes a lot more sense.
Call it the London series or something like that if you want to try and add importance to the games specifically for the local crowd.
is there really enough demand for NFL to have a team playing regularly in London?
It'll happen eventually. The NFL aren't playing games in London and Mexico every year for the sake of it. It's dependent on TV markets / advertising. There's already three NFL franchises in Florida - Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jags are expected to move eventually, the question is just where to.
Hope it means FA cup semi finals go back to neutral grounds. Lost a bit of magic reaching Wembley since the change
FA are tied into a 30 year commitment to hold semis at Wembley so I guess that's still got about 19 years to run. it'll depend whether he wants to let them out of the contract and give up the guaranteed money spinner of 38 more capacity crowds
Not sure the NFL will be sustainable long term here in London, the current deal sees teams coming over for an exhibition of sorts, a Jags team playing here 8 times a year and losing 5 of those games isn't going to rake in capacity crowds
Except they're a pretty decent side now and almost made the Superbowl last year.
is there really enough demand for NFL to have a team playing regularly in London?
There is demand for more games but IMO there's not enough to sustain a whole separate franchise. Everyone who is interested in the sport has already starting following a different team and that wouldn't change just because there's now a UK based team.
If you started playing all Jaguars games at Wembley eight times per year, you'd still get fans of 32 different teams attending rather than two (home & away). That's why the current revolving line up (a handful of different teams take turns to make the trip every year) makes a lot more sense.
Call it the London series or something like that if you want to try and add importance to the games specifically for the local crowd.
Everything that's wrong with modern sport summed up in half a sentence.
is there really enough demand for NFL to have a team playing regularly in London?
It'll happen eventually. The NFL aren't playing games in London and Mexico every year for the sake of it. It's dependent on TV markets / advertising. There's already three NFL franchises in Florida - Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jags are expected to move eventually, the question is just where to.
Mexico is different, as that's within the US sporting area. It's like the idea of playing baseball at the Olympic stadium. I quite fancy the idea of seeing a game once a season, but wouldn't want to go regularly.
Crown Jewels. there was a London Franchise many years ago (30) - and it failed - attendances were good to begin with for the novelty factor and then dwindled to next to nothing - why should it be any different this time around.
ridiculous i know we a few fans here but the cost and logistics of having a London NFL team is ridiculous a gimmick that would soon wear off, the fa nothing surprises me with them club after club are fucked over, the national team constantly falls short, the premier league is full of foreign talent because fuck all is invested in grass roots, the prawn sandwich brigade aren't football fans. the gap between the premier league and football leagues is constantly widening.
is there really enough demand for NFL to have a team playing regularly in London?
There is demand for more games but IMO there's not enough to sustain a whole separate franchise. Everyone who is interested in the sport has already starting following a different team and that wouldn't change just because there's now a UK based team.
If you started playing all Jaguars games at Wembley eight times per year, you'd still get fans of 32 different teams attending rather than two (home & away). That's why the current revolving line up (a handful of different teams take turns to make the trip every year) makes a lot more sense.
Call it the London series or something like that if you want to try and add importance to the games specifically for the local crowd.
This is key. I think games will continue to sell out under the current rotation of teams but having 1 team play 8 games (albeit 8 different opponents) will see crowds drop after a couple of years.
I assume the profit will be ploughed back into grass ro...ots foot...b, oh ok!
It is (potentially).
"This deal will fast-track their ability to dramatically improve facilities with the money – upwards of £500million - earmarked for the creation of up to 1,500 artificial pitches across the country."
is there really enough demand for NFL to have a team playing regularly in London?
There is demand for more games but IMO there's not enough to sustain a whole separate franchise. Everyone who is interested in the sport has already starting following a different team and that wouldn't change just because there's now a UK based team.
If you started playing all Jaguars games at Wembley eight times per year, you'd still get fans of 32 different teams attending rather than two (home & away). That's why the current revolving line up (a handful of different teams take turns to make the trip every year) makes a lot more sense.
Call it the London series or something like that if you want to try and add importance to the games specifically for the local crowd.
Everything that's wrong with modern sport summed up in half a sentence.
Well I mean that's been the American model for decades and we're talking about an American sport here. Nothing to do with modern sport.
is there really enough demand for NFL to have a team playing regularly in London?
It'll happen eventually. The NFL aren't playing games in London and Mexico every year for the sake of it. It's dependent on TV markets / advertising. There's already three NFL franchises in Florida - Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jags are expected to move eventually, the question is just where to.
Mexico is different, as that's within the US sporting area. It's like the idea of playing baseball at the Olympic stadium. I quite fancy the idea of seeing a game once a season, but wouldn't want to go regularly.
I think it'll happen one day. The NFL has more of a recent history with London than it does Mexico.
I didn't realise it was the FA's to sell - wasn't it built with public money as the 'National Stadium'?
I don't think so. My recollection is that a German bank paid for it and the FA are in the process of paying off the mortgage. I'll come back if I find out more.
Edited: There was an element of public money from the lottery fund mainly but most of the money came from West LB it seems. (There was a certain irony to Wembley actually being owned by the Germans as the England football team has been in their pocket for 50-odd years too!)
But that loan facility has been refinanced and the outstanding loan (as at year end 15/16) was £300mn to a consortium of Barclays, HSBC and Santander. Some of that may have been repaid since of course. But I presume all the press coverage of the offer to buy Wembley is failing to mention that the FA will not get quite as large a wedge as the headline figure suggests?
Don't Spurs already have a decent length deal to host NFL games at the new WHL? That being the case, are we going to see 2 London teams, 1 London team, plus continued expansion of the London series, or is Khan trying to buy Wembley with no NFL related business plan in mind?
Not sure the NFL will be sustainable long term here in London, the current deal sees teams coming over for an exhibition of sorts, a Jags team playing here 8 times a year and losing 5 of those games isn't going to rake in capacity crowds
NFL will never take off over here imo, just like football will never take off in China. They’re trying to buy a football culture and the NFL throwing a few games our way for those that like NFL won’t make it commercially viable
Not sure the NFL will be sustainable long term here in London, the current deal sees teams coming over for an exhibition of sorts, a Jags team playing here 8 times a year and losing 5 of those games isn't going to rake in capacity crowds
First of all how dare you
Second of all, it won't happen for the time being, at least. Shad is investing in the renovation of Everbank/TIAA Bank Field. Part of his statement to Fulham fans is quoted below:
"As you likely know, in addition to the privilege of serving as Chairman of Fulham Football Club, I am also owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League in the U.S. The Jaguars have played regular season home games at Wembley Stadium in each of the past five NFL seasons and will continue to do so at least through the 2020 season. The games the Jaguars play at Wembley are essential to the financial stability of the Jaguars in Jacksonville, which is one of the smallest markets in the NFL. If my ownership interests were to include Wembley Stadium, it would protect the Jaguars’ position in London at a time when other NFL teams are understandably becoming more interested in this great city. And the stronger the Jaguars are in London, the more stable and promising the Jaguars’ future will be in Jacksonville."
Comments
Not sure the NFL will be sustainable long term here in London, the current deal sees teams coming over for an exhibition of sorts, a Jags team playing here 8 times a year and losing 5 of those games isn't going to rake in capacity crowds
If you started playing all Jaguars games at Wembley eight times per year, you'd still get fans of 32 different teams attending rather than two (home & away). That's why the current revolving line up (a handful of different teams take turns to make the trip every year) makes a lot more sense.
Call it the London series or something like that if you want to try and add importance to the games specifically for the local crowd.
there was a London Franchise many years ago (30) - and it failed - attendances were good to begin with for the novelty factor and then dwindled to next to nothing - why should it be any different this time around.
I think games will continue to sell out under the current rotation of teams but having 1 team play 8 games (albeit 8 different opponents) will see crowds drop after a couple of years.
"This deal will fast-track their ability to dramatically improve facilities with the money – upwards of £500million - earmarked for the creation of up to 1,500 artificial pitches across the country."
Edited: There was an element of public money from the lottery fund mainly but most of the money came from West LB it seems. (There was a certain irony to Wembley actually being owned by the Germans as the England football team has been in their pocket for 50-odd years too!)
But that loan facility has been refinanced and the outstanding loan (as at year end 15/16) was £300mn to a consortium of Barclays, HSBC and Santander. Some of that may have been repaid since of course. But I presume all the press coverage of the offer to buy Wembley is failing to mention that the FA will not get quite as large a wedge as the headline figure suggests?
Second of all, it won't happen for the time being, at least. Shad is investing in the renovation of Everbank/TIAA Bank Field. Part of his statement to Fulham fans is quoted below:
"As you likely know, in addition to the privilege of serving as Chairman of Fulham Football Club, I am also owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League in the U.S. The Jaguars have played regular season home games at Wembley Stadium in each of the past five NFL seasons and will continue to do so at least through the 2020 season. The games the Jaguars play at Wembley are essential to the financial stability of the Jaguars in Jacksonville, which is one of the smallest markets in the NFL. If my ownership interests were to include Wembley Stadium, it would protect the Jaguars’ position in London at a time when other NFL teams are understandably becoming more interested in this great city. And the stronger the Jaguars are in London, the more stable and promising the Jaguars’ future will be in Jacksonville."
No NFL franchise in London - for a while, anyway.