NFL in London

National Football League in London

Bills Jags Tottenham

Week 5 Picks

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Holy schmoly, another NFL London game with Jags and Bills plus our Week 5 Picks podcast?
Did Christmas come early?

With the NFL giving us another great game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, the guys look at all the other games that are popping this weekend, with a full slate of top notch games following the 2:30 game.

To listen to the podcast, just have a click here, and let all your NFL picks get suitably questioned by the half-assed analysis of Ryan and Wade.

London Game Notes

Hope everyone heading to the game has a great time, and the weather looks so good, global warming is okay for a weekend such as this.

There is no transit strike on for Sunday (hooray), so folks should have an easy-peasy journey to the game.

Arsenal is playing Manchester City at 4:30pm on Sunday, which means that north London is going to be a pickle to get around post game.
The match should finish after 6pm, so expect a double flush of fans looking to hit the rails post game.

Week 5 Picks

You’ll get most of the fun bag shenanigans on the podcast, but for the folks looking for a few hot tips as the turtle head rises from the steam-shute, we got you covered.

Here are a few of the games that the guys think might be some traction action.

-2 Titans (2-2) vs Colts (202) +43

This is a hot steaming pile of nothing game, that even the flies don’t want to be a part of, but one of these teams has to come to London next weekend.

The Titans have no O-line and the D secondary is giving up big yards, so how are they going to stop the Colts with a running QB?

The Colts too have a slew of injuries that beset both sides of the ball, but Jonathan Taylor is back? Is that good?

Both guys think that this is a stinker, but has some fantasy gold in the nuggets of dung.

Ryan likes the Titans to rise above the Indianapolis team at home, and Derek Henry a win.

Wade smells the rot on the glove, but likes the tandem of Richardson and Pittman to put up the points.

Ryan-Titans 24 Colts 21
Wade-Colts 20 Titans 18

Texans (2-2) vs -2 Falcons (2-2) +41.5

CJ Stroud and the Texans have been causing enough fire to justify a smokehouse BBQ session, as the D has also responded by keeping games tight with tough opponents.
Nothing to lose, but something to prove.

Atlanta is coming home after a sad sack loss to the Jags in London that made many of the players question why they even got a stupid passport in the first place
The Falcons and the Ridder scheme isn’t working, so how do they get off the run?

Ryan likes the Texans to win here, as his habit of betting on the Falcons in the past brought him nothing but trouble.

Wade is taking the Falcons at home only because the Texans aren’t very good against an inside run unit that can gash them for yards.

Ryan-Texans 21 Falcons 17
Wade-Falcons 23 Texans 19

That’s it for our Week 5 Picks podcast, make sure that you listen to the whole thing on all of the good audio channels aside from ours.

Hope everyone enjoys your Week 5 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Stadium, and please do make sure to send us photos of all the fun you’re having.

Tailgreeter Thames River Cruise

Last call for the Thames River Cruise sponsored by Tailgreeter as well.

If you want to join the cruise that leaves from Festival Pier at 9am, returns at 1pm, and has you to the game by 2:30pm kick-off, just click the link here.

Make sure you use the promo code NFLLONDON to get a FREE drink!

Here’s the link if you want to join in!

https://tailgreeter.com/tailgate-the-thames-buffalo-bills-vs-jacksonville-jaguars-in-london

 

 

Tottenham Game Spots

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We’ve got another 2 London NFL games coming up, so we thought we would offer you up some Tottenham Game Spots for before and after the game.

Many London stadium going folk know that the newbie Tottenham Stadium is a little rough around the edges neighbourhood-wise, but like the once-ominous Wembley Stadium, the hood is on the rise.

Still, it’s widely accepted that Wembley overs a better experience OUTSIDE the stadium, while Tottenham Hotspur Stadium offers a better time INSIDE the gates.
Tottenham has spent a lot of money and thought on the fan drinking and eating options, so if you’ve never been inside before, you should be impressed.

A few early game day info:

  • Rail and tube strikes will persist throughout the week-Wednesday and Friday suck
  • Weather forecast is 25c (80f) and cloudy-perfect October conditions
  • Rugby World Cup Weekend-England, Ireland Scotland play Saturday-few games Sunday
  • Tottenham Stadium is congested to leave-consider a few local drinks before heading out

Tottenham Bars

Many of the bars around Tottenham are ‘blue and white’ faithful, meaning they are traditional Spurs drinking establishments.
This won’t matter to NFL fans unless you steam in covered in full Arsenal gear and acting like a Gooner.

BeaverTown-Corner Pin

If you’re looking to quaff fancy beers with whiffs of bergamot, BeaverTown is the £7 pint for you.

Located right across from the stadium, this ‘craft’ (Heineken) brew pub is a convenient place to try out some of Beavertown’s more unique samplings.

It’s easy to find, and has a lovely little garden, but gets as heaving as Tik Tok eating contest after an hour.
Plan to get there early.

https://beavertownbrewery.co.uk/pages/corner-pin

The BeeHive

This place is also buzzing with activity on game day, thanks to a spacious beer garden and independent pub feel.

Tucked away, yet still close to the stadium. The Beehive is a traditional sports pub, which means fans can scoot there after the game to get their fix of NFL and Redzone.

It always helps to book ahead if you’re going to bring a big group there.

https://beehiven17.com/

Antwerp Arms

A recently renovated community pub, The Antwerp Arms is bustling on gameday, as they have not only a solid menu, but sports on TV.

Those NFL fans looking for a Real Ale pub will be pleasantly pleased with the selection on offer tap wise, and the large patio is a great place to unwind on what looks to be a pretty sweet day.

Booking ahead is wise as this place gets very busy.

https://www.antwerparms.co.uk/

Elbow Room

Across the street from the Antwerp Arms is the Craft Union pub Elbow Room.

The pub has a great selection of beers, as well as TV to catch the sport on. It isn’t a pub that has food, but many of these places will allow you to bring in something from the kebab shop, provided you are respectful.

Elbow Room is open until 11pm, which gives you plenty of time to get sauced before you ride the rails home.

https://www.craftunionpubs.com/elbow-room-tottenham

Ferry Boat Inn

Further afield than the previous pubs but worth the view is the Ferry Boat Inn located on Lockwood Reservoir in Tottenham.

With a massive patio overlooking some water, the Ferry Boat Inn doesn’t feel like you’re in London at all.
50 tables plus, a jovial atmosphere, while curious mutts approach you at this dog friendly pub.

While the Ferry Boat Inn doesn’t have TVs to whet your NFL whistle, it is a great place to get away and chill before or after the mayhem of the stadium.

https://www.pubanddining.co.uk/ferry-boat-tottenham

Hackney Brewery

Across the water, but still a nice stroll away is the massive Hackney Brewery Taproom.

Filled with glorious taps of beer, plenty of outdoor seating, and even it’s own hotdog stand, the Hackney Brewery is an independent spot that the locals love.

If you have a big group, this is an amazing place to meet before the game to sneak in a few lovely, and affordable pints.

Sadly this place won’t be showing any of the NFL games, but it’s open until 11, and fans can soak up the afternoon sun on the patio while easily making their way to Northumberland Park station which is less than 10 minutes away.

Heck, you could even rent some of those electric bikes near the station and make it an even easier journey.

https://www.hackneybrewery.com/

Other Areas

The good thing about Tottenham, is that it is close to loads of other cool areas that you might want to try as party places before or after the game.
Here are some other local Tottenham Game Spots.

Wood Green

It’s not as stabby as it once was, which is a good thing for Wood Green. It’s also walkable to the stadium, giving a nice 20-30 minute journey through some side streets that also have their own pubs.

Wood Green is easily accessible via transit, and has a McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and some of the finest Turkish food your drunken belly could easily slop up.

Finsbury Park

Down the road from the stadium is the even more thriving area of Finsbury Park, which has seen an influx of students to make the place cool again.

There are plenty of late night haunts to pull you in, from sports bars, to pubs and even Rowan’s bowling lanes which are an iconic part of the area, and also open late.

Highbury and Islington

Hip with the kids, but getting sketchier since covid is the main high street action of H&I.

If you’re looking to amble and find plenty of later Sunday options, this is a potential destination, as it has places like the American rock bar Slim Jim’s open until the wee hours.

Old Street

Near the even hipper area of Shoreditch is the roundabout Old Street, which has some nifty little joints to check out.

RoadTrip is open very late on a Sunday, and even shows plenty of NFL games on their indoor and outdoor TVs. Sports Bar & Grill Old Street is also quite big, and suitable for those who want NFL galore.

Hope that this helps you on your trip to Tottenham Stadium for the next two games.

Don’t forget, you can also get a FREE beer by signing up to the series of Thames Cruises hosted by Tailgreeter.
Here is the next one.

Tailgreeter Thames Cruise-Bills vs Jaguars

https://tailgreeter.com/tailgate-the-thames-buffalo-bills-vs-jacksonville-jaguars-in-london

 

 

 

Best Places in London to Watch NFL

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Another season is about to kick off and reward us all with football greatness, but where are the Best Places in London to Watch NFL?
Well, we’ve got you covered with our list for 2023.

As a group who have been promoting and hosting live NFL viewing parties over the past 18 years across the capital, we have quite a bit of knowledge of the sport viewing landscape.

Any punter will tell you that after Covid, the whole bar and entertainment industry took a punch on the chin.
Independent pubs shuttered, quality staff found other work, and the price of pints continued to rise.

As promoters, we look to offer people the best value and service when it comes to hosting NFL nights.
Sure, we might hold things to a North American standard, but why shouldn’t we, when he have always attempted to deliver that threshold across all of our events.

So these are just our independent thoughts on almost 20 years of watching and promoting the NFL across the UK.

1. Home

Home?!?! What a lame answer to start this list off!

Well, not really if you’ve seen the price of a London pint recently, as they near ever closer to the £8 range.
When we first started promoting the NFL in London, pints were still in the £3 range, and pitchers were £10.
Those were the days!

It’s not just the crazy price of booze at London pubs and bars, but there is also the Rugby World Cup and Premier League to throw wrenches into the works of NFL viewing.
With many times and dates over-lapping with the NFL, UK-centric bars are more likely to NOT put on the NFL, with so many Sundays in contention.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup will take place MOST Sundays until Week 7 of the NFL, with games airing between 4-10pm GMT.
If you’ve never experienced a RWC during the NFL season, then you’ll quickly find out that rugby trumps American football in the UK.
They might SAY they are showing NFL, and then bartender changes the channel.
Too bad.

With DAZN taking over from Gamepass, there also hasn’t been a commercial license on offer, which means it could be illegal for many bars and pubs to show the NFL, taking us back to 2013.

Independent pun chains have also been swallowed up over the past few years, gobbling up former sports bars, and then cutting costs, taste, and fun when they rebrand it into a corporate image.
Sadly these chains are very inflexible, and demand that promoters must increase attendance week on week.
Not worth it when half the customers have to pop over to McDonald’s because the food is so dire.

When’s the last time you threw a truly awesome, NFL party?

The best NFL nights are when you have hook a few devices up to Gamepass, and invite over some friends, foes, or just fellow fans you met on social media for a few bevies and a game.

You’ll not only save lots of money, but maybe make some new friends in the process!

2. Famous Three Kings

This Fulham sports bar has a legendary status in the city, as it always seems to be the ‘go to’ place for sports viewership.

Located in West London in the posh bit of town, the Famous Three Kings has been a perennial favourite for sports fans looking to stare at loads of TVs across a cavernous pub.

Although part of a large chain, the food isn’t as abysmal as those burgers with the pre-grilled marks on them that you find in some chains.

Like many London sports bars, it closes at 10pm on Sundays.

Find out more here.

https://www.crafted-social.co.uk/famous-three-kings-west-kensington

3. King Sports Bar-Empire Casino

Leicester Square has also changed in recent years, going from a glitzy West End destination, to a urine soaked playground for the drug addled and destitute.
Great place for a night out.

The King Sports Bar at the Empire Casino benefits from not only having loads of TVs on the go with NFL action, but also being open 24 hours for your viewing, and gambling pleasure.

NFL fans will be happy to have a place to watch the games, and be centrally located enough to be able to snag a night bus home.

The food is rather mediocre, which is why it’s good to have a lot of late-night food options to explore.

https://www.thecasinolsq.com/kings-sports-bar

4. Bodeans-Soho

Bodeans is the original Canadian BBQ joint, that has a long, and storied history in Soho.

Famous for their burnt ends, Bodeans also has two floors of TV action, with NFL and Saturday College Football on tap.
Speaking of on tap, they also have a ridiculously good selection of beer and top North American food.

Of all of the London pubs, Bodean’s has the best NFL food bar none.
However, they do close at 10pm, so you won’t be able to watch the late games.

https://bodeansbbq.com/soho/

5. Sports Bar-Marylebone

One of our OG locations back in 2008, the Sports Bar Marylebone found fame due it being across from the Landmark Hotel, where many of the teams, players and cheerleaders have stayed.
The fact that Jerry Rice could walk in, sit down beside you and order wings made it a crazy place to go.

Time has seen the Sports Bar & G bought by new owners, who dropped down the food quality, but marked up the prices, so authenticity is lacking in the food, and their pints have rocketed to top end London prices.

The bar does benefit from being on the train to Wembley, making it a good place to start and finish after the game.

https://www.sportsbarandgrill.co.uk/marylebone

There are loads of other places that say that they will show NFL, but will also refuse to put it on when people show up, or just turn it off at the whim of a manager.
We can’t recommend any of these places, as we have worked with many before, and they are horrible.

Promote Your Venue

If you’re a venue looking to promote your NFL nights, let us know!