NFL in London

National Football League in London

Dolphins London 2021

Week 6 Preview

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Another awesome NFL game is headed to London, as the Dolphins and Jaguars do battle at Tottenham Stadium this Sunday.

The battle of Florida awaits, as does over 60,000 excited fans, as we break it all down in our Week 6 Preview podcast.

Wade and Ryan look at the upcoming match between Miami and Jacksonville in north London, as well as breaking down each week 6 game to make their score predictions for all the games.

Make sure you have a listen, a laugh and a cuddle for this one, as it has all the feels that you’re looking for.

Among some of the other things discussed in this episode includes:

London Games

It was a crazy week of NFL in London last week, and judging by what we’ve heard, you guys had fun, as well as some issues.

It’s London, and the NFL, so be prepared to be shocked by prices, forced into queues, and be subjected to a strict bag policy.
Let’s not forget that only a year ago we were dreaming of live events, so please plan ahead when you’re coming to the games.

Beer might be £1.99 up north, but you’re in London now baby. Get that £8 note ready.

London Travel

If you’re looking to join us at the Sports Bar & Grill Old Street after the game, the easiest way is via Liverpool Street Overground or trains.
It’s 40 minutes direct, and only a 10 minute walk from Liverpool Street to Old Street to get to the pub.

As per the NFLUK and the TFL

The Victoria line will be very busy before and after the Game and fans are advised to travel from Liverpool Street station, if possible, with services to and from Northumberland Park station offering twice the capacity of services to and from White Hart Lane station.

An additional 80 stopping services will call at Northumberland Park, starting at 11.30am and finishing at 8.40pm, ensuring that even in the event of overtime, there is adequate capacity to return fans to Liverpool Street.

After Parties

Looking to party after the game NFL style?
We got you covered!

The Sports Bar and Grill Clapham will be open before, after and during the games for all your NFL fun.
Located just on the high street, this lovely sports bar has cold beer, hot wings, and cool customers.
The pub is open until 11pm on Sunday.

Late night hawks will want to pop over to the Sports Bar & Grill Old Street, which not only boasts over 50 TVs showing the NFL, but it’s also open until 4am!
Plenty of time to get stuck in for some football shenanigans all night long!

Folks are booking their tables quickly, so get yours to avoid disappointment!

Fans looking for a way to avoid the crush of traffic to the game should consider the Princess Alexandra in Crouch End.
This traditional pub is not only open til 12:30am Monday mornings, but it’s a quick ride to both the stadium and central London.

Hit the Alex before the game, then grab the W3 bus directly to the stadium.
Just repeat and rinse on the way back, and you’ll be in the pub with a pint in your hand quicker than you can strip a hot wing of its meat.

London Game

Florida man fights Florida man in front of British people, could be the headline in this affair, as Tua returns to battle Trevor Lawrence.

Hardened NFL fans might point out that the two teams only have 1 win between them after 10 games, but casual fans are just happy to have the NFL back!

Ryan likes the Jags to get the W here, with Trevor Lawrence pulling out all the stops to get the home victory.

Wade thinks that the return of Tua plus the cloud over Urban’s head will be too much. Mike Gesicki will steal the show, as the Dolphins move on to claim their second win of the season.

Ryan-Jags 30 Dolphins 24
Wade-Dolphins 21 Jags 18

If you are going to the game, make sure that you join us after at one of the many parties we have going on.

It’s going to be a Sunday Funday!

Week 1 Tips

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Sunday Funday is finally here, which means it’s time to get NFL serious, as we give you our Week 1 Tips.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull exhaust themselves every week breaking down every game, using enhanced super computers, tapping into dark crystals, and channeling dark energy from NFL players of old.

Week 1 is always a bag of cats as you have no idea what happens when everything gets loose, and it’s time to take the field.  It’s hard to predict how the offseason went, how new players have fit into the system, and who is hiding their injuries.

That being said, here are our top picks for the week.

Ryan

Texans (+4) -Houston, we have a problem…Ryan is betting on you for week 1. He thinks that Urban Myer and his group of kids is going to struggle against a nameless Texans squad.

Bengals (+3)-Ryan is Burrowing his bets on Joe in this tough match against the Vikings. With Zimmer being a mess at play calling, he is sure that Cincinnati kids will be able to rally together to overthrow the Minnesota menaces.

NY Giants (+3)-Who the heck would back Daniel Jones in his first game of the season? Ryan would! He loves Saquon and the boys to stuff if down the throat of Fangio and his fanboys in a low scoring affair.

Saints (+4) The Saints might not come marching in, but they will put up a homestead against the ready to rumble Packers. Despite a hurricane rocking the Saints away from home, they will be full Jameis’d for this affair, and Kamara will add to the woes of Green Bay. He doesn’t see the Saints winning, but covering-yes.

Raiders (+4) Late night NFL fans will be watching this Monday night contest with bleary eyes, as it doesn’t start here until the wee hours of the morn. Ryan is big on the bad boy Raiders to grab a win from the flightless Ravens at home.

If you’re smart enough to follow Ryan’s lead, you could rip home a lovely profit of, on a £10 bet.
Betting a tenner will win you £317.27 using Ryan’s tips above.
You ready to get lucky?

Wade

Despite besting Ryan in betting against the spread for the past few years, Wade is always cautious heading into week 1.
He does have some games that he has an inkling he thinks will go all wrong.
These include:

Cardinals (+3)-Tiny Kyler and his Cardinal Babies struggled last season to find their footing, but they should be fully planted for this contest. This will be a DFS bonanza, as both teams trade long balls all day long. The Titans traditionally start slow, and this game will demonstrate that.

Colts (+3)-Carson Wentz is back, said no one trying to intimidate another person ever. The Colts were a dominant team last season led by a ridiculous O line and fast D. There’s no reason that doesn’t change for week 1 as they battle a weak Seahawks D. Look for a home town celebration.

Eagles (+3)-Philly wasn’t so special last year as they struggled with a rotation at QB. By the time Jalen Hurts took over, there was a bit too much pressure for the youngster to succeed.
With a whole new support squad, this team can score, which is what they will do against the Falcons.

Dolphins (+3)-Mac Jones has the football, everyone be afraid! Bill Belichick has spent some time building his new squad out of clay, but that doesn’t mean that they will hold up to the toughness of the NFL. It’s one thing to do well in preseason. Miami starts the season strong, and Flores will have some mind games ready for little Mac.

Bengals (+3) -Not to win, but to cover. The Bengals can score if Joe Burrow has his head (and body) in the game. Minnesota is weak in back D, which should give the Bengals plenty of chances to torch them deep. A close game for sure.

Taking Wade’s picks, with a £10 wager will win you £310.66, a nice chunk of pocket change to start your Monday.

Come join us Week 3 at the Sports Bar and Grill Old Street to get a chance to WIN a set of tickets to the Miami Dolphins vs Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Stadium.

Have a great Sunday!

 

Empire Fantasy Football

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With the NFL only days away, everyone is frantically getting ready for what the season ahead holds.
Will the season go on without any hiccups?
Will the extra week of games add to more injuries?
How will my fantasy season go?

Let’s face it, Fantasy Football is the lifeblood of NFL fans during the season.
Diehard fans bleed their teams, often splattering this information to anyone who will listen.
‘Is Zeke trying to screw me?’

Thankfully, this season there is something new to fill the void in your fantasy football life.

Empire Fantasy Football is a new way to play along with the NFL, in a season long contest like no other.

Billed as the ‘World’s Biggest Season Long Fantasy Football League’, Empire taps into a massive gap in the football betting market.
Too often UK players have lamented about the lack of season long fantasy options, and now we have a solution to smooth that gap.

Here’s the basic intro video to give you an idea of what Empire is:

The Basics

First off, Empire Fantasy Football is a new product, and with that comes a new learning curve.

Empire bills itself as a single format league where you compete against an unlimited amount of players.
This makes the game bigger, and better given that you are taking on the world each week, opening up the global appeal.

Players are given 200 ‘credits’ to start the season, on which they can draft their rosters.
You must have 2 QBs, 3 RBs, 3 WRs, 1TE, and 6 Bench players.
Buying and selling of players occurs throughout the season in The Market, and you can get more credits by wagering on other weekly games.

Winning is a 50/50 chance, with the top half of managers being declared the ‘winners’ each week, and adding to your season record.

Credits for weekly betting can be used in the Market to add or drop players.
Savvy bettors will like the reactive process of being able to use your knowledge of the NFL to win big.

The top player of the season will win $1000 USD, and some pretty big bragging rights.

Gameplay

Obviously we don’t know how the gameplay works yet, as the NFL season hasn’t started.

The layout of Empire Fantasy Football is pretty straight forward, and the positioning map makes it easy to be able to see who you need, and for what role.

A search function would be nice, instead of scrolling through the list trying to find those value picks.
Given that the game is beta, this function should surely be added down the line.

Once your line-up is set, now comes the waiting game, as you follow along to see how your team fared during week 1.
We’re not there yet, so we will be keen to test this out week on week.

It’s always great when a new NFL product arrives on the market for fans.
The simplicity of Empire Fantasy Football makes it an easy addition to any weekly activity for NFL fans.
It’s also great that fans in the UK can compete with other fans from around the world, and a chance to show off our NFL knowledge.

To play along with Empire Fantasy Football League, just sign up here.

https://www.empireff.com/

 

 

2021 London Tickets

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The NFL is back in London, and all feels right with the world! 

The league announced this week that the 2021 London Tickets would be going on sale this week  for the two October games.
The Jets face the Falcons in an autumn donnybrook in north London first, followed by a gator roll into the battle of Florida, with the Jaguars and Dolphins in the final game.
What are you doing October 10th and 17th? 

First off, we have nothing to do with the ticket sales, and hosting of the game itself.
All of this is handled by the NFL, so make sure you do your due diligence before buying something off the internet.
Do NOT buy tickets off of third party sellers, we can’t stress this enough.
We have heard horror stories of fans getting bamboozled by shifty sellers online, do make sure that you’re not snagging tickets off of dodgy sites, Craigslist or Facebook.

NFL Tickets

This is the official link to the NFL tickets for the game.
If you have any issues, questions or concerns-please reach out to them, and they should be able to help you.
https://www.nfl.com/uk/ticket-prices

Premium Tickets

If you’ve got the dosh like Richie Rich, or corporate connections-you might be lucky enough to get your hands on Premium Tickets.
According to the NFL, these will be the first to go on sale on August 10th at 10am GMT.
If you’re looking to have a ‘quality’ time at the games, than these tickets might fit your pocket.
Ranging from £259-£799 ($330-$900), these tickets will provide you Insta-jealous photos for all your friends, as well as the potential to hob-knob with the NFL UK elite. 

Tottenham Holders

Tottenham Hotspur Season Ticket Holders jump to the front of the queue here, as they have first crack at tickets when they go on sale on Thursday 12th August at 10am, until Monday 16th August at 10am. 

It’s been a tough few years for season ticket holders, so this is a nice reward for live-sport starved fans who need that NFL fix.
If you are a Spurs season ticket holder, don’t hesitate, as these tickets will be gone quickly. 

Wembley Holders

The OG of NFL UK stadiums, Wembley is still relevant in the 2021 games.
If you are a Wembley ticket holder, purchase single game yickets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium go on sale from 10am on Wednesday 18th August until 5pm on Friday 20th August.

Don’t delay in getting yours now!

The Rest if Us

If you don’t have season tickets to Tottenham or Wembley, you will probably be looking at general audience tickets, which go on sale will take place from Wednesday 25th August at 10 am GMT (5am EST).
Don’t be a greedy goblin and buy a bunch of tickets to resell them, it’s not cool & people hate you.
COVID might limit the amount of tickets initially offered, so keep checking the official NFL website on any releases.
We will also let you know if we hear of anything.  

Vax Status

If you’re looking to attend the NFL games in London, you’re going to have to get vaxxed.
While it’s not confirmed yet, it’s a general policy of sport in the UK, and good practice given the gravity of the games.
Anti vax folks might be dismayed, but this is the price of freedom of your veins. Your body your choice, their stadium, their choice.
International travellers will have to provide proof of vaccination as per current UK rules.
These rules constantly change, so make sure that you look at the UK government advice on COVID, as well as any pertinent info from your country if you are looking at visiting England.
There is always the chance of temperature checks, masks requirements, and what not, so be prepared and be cool.
You finally get to watch an NFL game again, chill-axe, vax up and go with the flow. 

In Stadium

Keep it lean.
Whenever you’re going on a sporting trek, the crap you bring with you has the potential to be a drunken liability later.
An umbrella, jumper, hat, sunglasses, phone charger, vape, phone, all become a scavenger hunt later, and a hassle for the rest of the night.
Pack smart, or even designate a buddy as ‘bag holder’ so that the most sober has the responsibility.
General stadium policy is a clear plastic bag, with no outside food, booze, or drugs.
If you really need it, you can always buy it.
Just not the drugs.
Alcohol will probably we available in the galleria, but maybe not the seats.
Again, these things change ALL THE TIME, so just follow the stadium.

That’s all we know for now. Follow our social media for more information and the latest news.

 

London NFL 2021

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Ding dong, Covid is dead!
The birds are singing, the pubs are ringing, and all signs are pointing to normal.
So what does that mean for the 2021 NFL games in London?
Hopefully…normalcy.

If you haven’t been living in a bubble for the past 2 years, then you’ll know that it has been a wonky-donkey wave.
The 2020 London NFL games were cancelled, as were a holy host of sporting events, and even leagues that couldn’t weather the viral storm.
As the clouds clear, it looks like we might have a better indication of what might go down in London for the October 2021 games.
We are not the NFLUK, just a bunch of fans…so our word is a fart in the wind when it comes to legitimacy.
That being said, let’s look at London NFL 2021.

Covid Great Britain

Great Britain has navigated this Covid storm better than most.
With over 60% of the population double vaxxed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a timetable for July 19th for life to return to normal.
This means no more social distancing, limits on numbers of people at a table, and late night venues can open up again.
Best of all…no vaccine passports required!
Normal might be normal again!
While these might not be the rules where you live, those are the impending rules in the UK.
As far as foreigners entering the UK, provided you’re double vaxxed, it’s thought that there will be no issues.
So far so good, but watch this space.

Tottenham Watching

Tottenham and the NFLUK will set their own rules when it comes to letting people into the stadium, but it’s thought that they will follow current conventions in place.
Every NFL stadium is planning on full crowds for the 2021 season, so there’s no reason to think that Tottenham won’t do the same.
The only bugaboo for fans might come from those who aren’t quite ready to sit 3 cm from a stranger who is screaming spittle into your warm Stella.
While many of the football matches are alcohol free in the stands, that could change once October rolls around.
The area surrounding the stadium isn’t known as much of a ‘party zone’, so time will tell what requirements for pubs and bars in the area will impose on visitors.

Late Night London

London is not a late night town.
Unlike New York which is dedicating itself to a 24 hour future, London is mostly shuttered after 11pm, even earlier due to Covid.
Sunday evenings are particularly dead in the capital, and that will probably continue as the trepidation of this ‘new normal’ sets in.
Watching the NFL on a Sunday night for the 9pm (4pm EST) games has gotten more difficult in London, as few pubs are willing to stay open past 10pm.
Areas like Leicester Square have only gotten dirtier, with more gangs and stabbings…so we’ll avoid that area for 2021, as people have already been poked enough.
We are working on a few options for after the Sunday games at Tottenham, and will keep you updated.

Things We Are Keeping an Eye On

As we have learned time and time again over the past few years…nothing the government promises us is locked in stone.
Variants are popping up quicker than ‘Loki’ clones, jabs can only do so much, and the virus continues to surprise us like a pyrotechnic gender-reveal.
Things like booster vaccines, on site testing, temperature checks, and social distancing could all make an ugly return like Josh Gordon, but how much they factor into play needs to be seen.
Book your tickets and be positive, that should be worth something.

We are neither the NFL, nor health experts…so what do we know?
Once we hear the real truths, we will let you all know what the word is.
Hope to see everyone in October.