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The NFL said today that the 15,000 tickets it made available for the October 26 game in London sold out in half an hour.
“Once again this demonstrates the huge interest in the sport in the UK,” said Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of the NFL’s United Kingdom office. “Fans here are excited to be able to see two teams of this caliber playing in the UK, and with a full Wembley Stadium, we expect the atmosphere to be electric when the Saints and Chargers take the field.”
The league previously put 40,000 tickets on sale for the game, and those sold out in 90 minutes.
The announced attendance of last year’s Giants-Dolphins game at Wembley Stadium was 81,176. The NFL says it will play at least one game a year in the UK for at least the next three years.
June 27th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I’m sure about 40,000 tickets for NFL games in America sell out in about 30 seconds…
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
i’m sure the brits go to this annual game for the sake of the gathering, not because they’re huge nfl fans.
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Rating: 3.25 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
If we had their economy I could sell out too said Wayne Huizenga.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
They would sell out in 30 seconds unless you are in Jacksonville or Atlanta (unless they are winning) NY or New England (if the pats start losing ) .
I’m glad to see the interest in Europe but feel for the Chargers/ saints Fans who lose a home game.
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
They probably think David Beckham is playing…
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
It’s an away game for the Chargers, the Saints are the ones getting screwed out of a home game. So much for helping the city out after Katrina by taking yet another game out of NOLA.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
It’s an away game for the Chargers. The Saints are the ones getting screwed out of a home game. As if they didn’t lose enough home games during Katrina, the NFL is helping out once again by taking yet another game out of NOLA.
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Maybe this year they will prepare the field for an NFL game, and not let the local high school soccer teams have a tournament directly preceeding it. Just a thought.
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June 27th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
There are many other reasons to ‘gather’.
People come from all over the uk to watch that game, I will travel for 8 hours then pay for a hotel, just to catch some nfl action and to support the game’s progress in the uk.
We have our own league (google it, its the BAFL, I coach a team).
This game will be the second game of 3 games I will goto this year, making 2 trips to the usa this year, which I do every year and I am not alone.
Get upset with the league if you disagree with them exporting your games and robbing american fans of home games, but dont doubt that there are a lot of very passionate football fans in the uk.
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Rating: 3.6 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
j-ram….
Well then how bout you stick with traveling to the U.S (we need those British Pounds HERE!!!) to watch the games.
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
As a Dolphins fan who lives in Tampa and flies to Miami for all home games,other then the preseason. Which i donate to the boys/girls clubs.
I was at the game in London last year and unless you were there don’t judge the UK fans,they were loud and they were very proud of the fact that the NFL was there. Wimbley was a beautiful stadium, it was packed with Dolphin/Giant fans. As must of us if not all of us took the Tube(subway) there, there were many a young UK lad asking us all kinds of questions about the game. They were dressed in Giant/Phins gear. It was fun and anyone that can afford to go should go, it’s well worth it and they Britsh people were ever so polite and nice to us Americans. They only question that has never been answered is why the roof was open and as we all know it does rain alot in the UK.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
It’s nice to see the games sell, but I’m struggling to understand the definition of “passionate” considering NFL Europe folded—after the league had already been whittled down to just six teams, with five in Germany and one in The Netherlands. Is this really just a novelty event in London? Or, did Europeans really appreciate the difference between top NFL players and marginal NFLE players?
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
I hear Joey Sunshine, Bryant Gumbel and Sean Salisbury are begging the BBC for a chance to call the game….
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June 27th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I totally agree with j-ram. There are fans in other parts of the world you know
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
This shows that the Brits just might get their own team someday, if they are putting 70,000 to 80,000 in a stadium, when the Jags (by the way SB contenders) cant even sell out their own smaller stadium. I know some think it cant be done because of time difference, and what not and that is simply B.S. you can get haigh speed passenger jets to transfer teams, and with sattlite the logistics of t.v. can be figered out, the only question would be if it’s worth it in profit and if they keep selling like this it is obviosly worth it, maybe we can even start up one division in each conference for international teams the AFC europe, with London, Madrid, Berlin, and Frankfurt. Forget France they are to weak for the NFL. And then you can have NFC North America with Mexico city, Toronto, Calgery, and throw the L.A team in there. It would make the league much more interesting.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Guys, I think it is unfair to criticise the UK fanbase. I am one of those 15,000 people who bought a ticket today, and I went to the game last year and it was a great occassion. I play Football over here in the UK, and I know that we get critcism from many players/coaches/spectators for the standard of our game. Fair enough it is far,far, far from the standard it is in the US, but dont forget the extra funding etc. you get over there.
As for us not being proper NFL fans, I actually take that comment personally. You have no idea how much I look forward to staying up all night on a saturday watching college ball, and then a sunday to watch the NFL and then going into college(im only 16) half asleep because of MNF. It’s not just the NFL I do that for either, its MLB, NHL, NBA all sports.
Lets just day hypertheatically speaking that you guys are big, big soccer fans. Now, you would love nothing more than for the premier league teams to come over and play a game in the US. I understand the passion of the Saints fans, I really do as I was in New Orleans last year during pre-season and this team is the center of that city, but the NFL these days is all about making dollars. I don’t know how much you guys pay for a ticket for just one game over there but I paided £100 which is about $200 for this game, plus I live a 300 miles away from London so the travel cost will have to go on top.
So what I’m trying to say is, that yeh some people will be going to the game just for the crack, but for us die hard NFL it is something really really special.
p.s j-ram which team do you coach man?
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Are the Giants going to give back money if they take away a home game to the fans that purchased a seat license?
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
I think it’s great to have a fanbase in Europe and to give them a pre-season game to attend is no big deal. I’ll watch it on the tube…
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 27th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Give the blokes a break. I doubt many of them are “faking” after laying down the money for a pre-season game…
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 28th, 2008 at 12:36 am
I know how the British American football fans feel. I know that I get up early on Saturdays to watch Premier League games and watch soccer games in Spanish. I would love to see the NFL get more of an international prescense. A competitive American Football World Cup and the disappearance of the phrase “lack of talent”.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 28th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Maybe you Americans (greatest country in the world as everyone knows) should start realizing that people over here are not as dumb as you think and that we actually don’t live under rocks (and we actually do have electricity over here …).
NFLE was at least two classes below NFL standards. Even NCAA is way better competition than NFLE. And NFLE in Germany, as shoddy as it was, sold out the stadiums. I mean, how many Americans would you find between April and August who would watch football games of people with the only thing they are competing for is a spot in the practice squad of a NFL Team. And how much do you think would the TV stations be willing to pay for that. After I watched three games per week during the NFL regular season, I am pretty much fed up with football mid February. And that lasts until August.
I will be attending the game (from Germany). I think it’s really not hard to find a huge number of passionate fans over here. Though we probably won’t be driving out SUVs to new Wembley and start tailgaiting there.
And BTW it was an educated decision from the owner of the Saints to give up a home game (probably for some other incentive), so start blaming him and not the guys over here.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 28th, 2008 at 6:17 am
I coach on the cumbria mariners.
and fartfacekilla, I dont dictate NFL policy, the game will come here wether or not i go and oh yes I am going.
NFL europe failed because it was not the real thing, plain and simple. I would rather have saved to go to one NFL game than watch a dozen NFLE/World league. And yes I have been to both. I have followed NFL for over 20 years and know many british and european fans who far surpass that.
Check out clanram.com, a scottishmans rams fan site with over 4500 members, started in the uk in 1995, going on the net in 1998, with many fans from all over the world.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 28th, 2008 at 6:21 am
wudzy32, I coach on the mariners. (new team based in north england, accepted into the league last month)
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June 28th, 2008 at 8:56 am
I find it really frustrating how American fans say things like “I bet they think beckham is playing” or “how passionate can they be when NFL Europe Folded”
I live in Wales (UK) and I have been watching American football for the last 6 years and love it, I follow the Bengals and I watch every game and pay a hefty fee to view on our Satellite Service.
I also went and watched last years game and I have also got a ticket to watch this years game at £80 ($160) so I think its fair to say the people going to watch this aren’t laying out $160 + all the travelling expenses another $200 easily for the sake of it, especially in this economic times.
NFL Europe folded because we aren’t stupid, why follow a Mickey Mouse league that never has the same players playing for them from year to year barely and is nothing but a waste of time which the NFL themselves finally worked out.
Fans here are hardcore and if we had a UK Franchise playing the NFL I could guarantee the stadium would sell-out all the time.
I mean in the US if a team does badly nobody shows up after a year or 2. UK fans are much more loyal as the “soccer leagues” show. Teams here haven’t won anything for 40 - 50 years yet get close to capacity stadiums year in year out. And before you say it, I know its Soccer and it’s the sport of this country, but I as an NFL fan feel as passionate about the NFL as a soccer fan would feel about his or her team.
So please don’t be-little us with you’re ill informed opinions.
Thanks
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 28th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
“It’s nice to see the games sell, but I’m struggling to understand the definition of “passionate” considering NFL Europe folded”
We are passionate for the NFL and College Football not the 3rd rate rubbish that was NFLE ….
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)