London Bids to Host NFL Super Bowl in 2014
England Submits Proposal to Hold American Football’s Showpiece Event
It was originally thought that London would bid to host the Super Bowl in 2013, but the successful venue for that event will be announced soon with New Orleans, Miami and Phoenix in the running. London’s proposal would see them getting the Super Bowl in 2014, 2015 or 2017. The 2016 match is the 50th anniversary and Los Angeles is the strong favourite to stage the game that year.
NFL Super Bowl, Britain’s Interest in American Football
Purists may wonder at London’s credentials to hold this most American of events, but football has been widely available, both on TV and live, in the UK for quite some time. Football was first broadcast on a regular basis on the fledgling channel 4, when it started back in 1982 and was its flagship sport for a decade. These days, the Sky network shows a number of games live each weekend during the season.
Spectators who were switched on to the sport by that early coverage got the chance to see some of their new heroes when annual pre-season games were held at Wembley from 1986-1983. Stars such as the William 'the Fridge' Perry and Walter Payton thrilled packed audiences, before younger up and coming stars took over.
When the NFL inaugurated the World League of American Football, (later renamed NFL Europe), the London Monarchs also drew large crowds to Wembley, especially in 1991 when they won the World Bowl. NFLE was used as a farm league for the NFL, so European audiences got to see players such as Brad Johnson who later joined the Redskins as a quarterback and Kurt Warner who would go on to lead the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl.
The National Football League International Series
The last two seasons has seen the NFL play a regular season fixture at Wembley stadium, 'The International Series.' In 2007, the New York Giants met the Miami Dolphins and last season the New Orleans Saints met the San Diego Chargers in a thriller. The last game was watched live by over 80,000 spectators, a significant turnout given that different teams play each year, so there is no, ‘home team’, for the fans to support. It was also broadcast both on Sky and also on BBC.
The NFL has made no secret of its wish to internationalise American Football, and there have been persistent rumours of an NFL franchise based in London. However, given the logistics of teams crossing the Atlantic on a weekly basis, this would be extremely difficult. Currently, the teams playing in London have a bye week after the match, which wouldn’t be feasible on a regular basis.
Legendary Wembley Stadium
If awarded, the Super Bowl would be held at Wembley Stadium. Rebuilt recently, the 90,000 capacity stadium has been at the heart of English sport since it first hosted the FA Cup final in 1923.
Other famous events held at the stadium include:
- 1923 'White Horse' FA Cup final
- 1948 Olympic Games;
- 1963 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) v Henry Cooper;
- 1966 FIFA World Cup final;
- 1985 Live Aid;
- 1992 Rugby League World Cup Final;
- 1999 Wales v England rugby union international;
- 2007 1st FA Cup final in the redeveloped stadium.
Getting the Super Bowl would be another feather in Britain’s cap. London will host the 2012 Olympics, while England is bidding for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
NFL Superbowl London 2014
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