NFL in London

National Football League in London

london comedy

London-Gameday Tips

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It’s Bears vs Raiders at Tottenham stadium!
You excited?
You should be, it’s going to be a great game and the atmosphere at the new stadium is electric.
This is the first of many more games to come, and a great fan experience.
There are a few things you should know, so we put together a list of some things to be aware of.


Arsenal
Wait, you’re starting with football?
Yes, because Emirates stadium is pretty close to Tottenham, and they are playing a home game at 2pm.
What does that mean for you? It will be busy. VERY BUSY.
All of the tube stations from Highbury & Islington to Tottenham Hale will be packed with police moving the crowds.
The game ends after 4-so expect a HUGE crush of people then.
If you are travelling-try to time it while the game is on.

Weather
Welcome to Britain, and welcome to rain. It isn’t usually this wet, but Sunday looks particularly horrible. The tail-end of a hurricane will drop almost 2 inches of rain in 6 hours on Sunday. Most of the stadium is covered-but expect the wetness to seep into your bones.

Travel
As per the earlier note regarding Arsenal playing, the tube lines will be packed.
There are other options including the Overground, which will take you right to the station from Liverpool Street. Buses are the best option, as their routes carve through traffic and get you there with height. The W3 bus leaves from near The Princess Alexandra where we are hosting our after party. It’s 25 minutes direct to the stadium. Parking around the stadium is also pretty tight.

Tottenham
It’s a storied area of London, that has been undergoing loads of gentrification in the past decade. It still has its shady areas, and it is a bit rough and tumble around the stadium.
This is NOT central London-so don’t expect the same amenities. It will also close early, so once you leave the game-most of the pubs will be shutting down.

Football
Sunday is football in Britain, and by that we mean soccer.
The games kick off at noon, with the last game kicking off at 4:30. This derby between Newcastle & Manchester United will go until about 6:30. Most London sports bars will not turn this off for the NFL, even if the score is 10-0. Head to the Princess Alex, where they will have the start of the Bears vs Raiders.

Drinking
Tottenham area is cheaper than central London to drink, & you can find some nice authentic pubs close to the grounds. A sloppy Carly might cost you £3 at a Spoons if you know what we mean. Pints at the stadium are £6.50, so save your currency. Remember to not to get too drunk, it ruins your time and the experience of everyone around you. If one of your mates is too wasted, they will be ejected. Take care of your friends. As mentioned earlier if you’re looking for a post game drink, Tottenham will be shut.

Before the Game
There is no such thing as tailgating here, so most people will be drinking in the crammed pubs around the stadium, and there aren’t a lot of them. Time your journey up and where you want to gather/ meet prior. Many pubs will be jammed with football fans-so keep that in mind.
Add time to your journey on the tube, and keep in mind the weather-which is crap.
You might be better off finding a pub close’ish to the stadium and make your way there.

After the Game
London is NOT a 24 hour city, especially on a Sunday.
There are a few venues and areas that will be open late, but won’t cater to NFL fans.
The casinos in Leicester Square can hold 200 NFL fans MAX between them both, and will not play sound on the games-so keep that in mind as you probably won’t get in.
It is a pretty nasty area, so you may not want to be there anyway.
Sports Bars will shut by 11pm, but the Princess Alexandra in Crouch End will be open until 4am-so join us there!

Bags
There is a clear bag policy in effect at the stadium, so watch what you bring. What do you really need to bring anyway? Perhaps a phone charger, but the more you carry-the more you can lose. You probably won’t need your passport, as the UK isn’t as vigilant in checking for ID.

Swag
If you’re looking to buy NFL swag or London trinkets-do you really need to get them there? You can probably buy everything at home, or online & the prices will make your eyes water.
Plus you have to lug it around all night in the rain. And you might lose it.
Is it worth carrying all the crap?

Enjoy Sunday! See you at the Princess Alexandra in Crouch End for pints after!

London-Best Pubs

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Welcome to London NFL fans!
Are you ready to drink like the British do?
Well, it’s doubtful you can.
Brits quaff pints like Americans consume pharmaceutical commercials-but that doesn’t mean you can enjoy a tipple like Londoners do.

We have a few tips to help you out.

NFL Pubs
The NFL has a deal with Fullers pubs to help promote each team. These are great places to meet like-minded fans, and tip back a few cask ales. They are NOT sports bars however, so there are no TVs, and you can’t watch games there. They also traditionally close around 11pm, so if you’re looking for late beers-you might try elsewhere. Since these are London pubs-so expect London prices of around £6 a pint.
Both are in very touristy areas, so you can always slide to another expensive pub should you wish.

After-Work
Londoners love to get smashed after work. So if you’re looking to hit the pubs around 4pm, sharpen your elbows. Pubs generally stay busy until after work (7-9ish) then drunken suits hit the trains to the north, south and angry-spouse.

Tipping
No need to tip bar staff for pulling pints, unless they are REALLY nice. Generally they will just look at you quizzically. You can tip servers if they bring food & drinks to you, but as a general rule look at the bottom of the receipt to see if the tip is included, or just ask!

Bars we Recommend

So where would we recommend you drink?
Good question-here are a few of our faves in London.

Brewdog
Brewdog is an amazing brewery/ bar group started by two young Scottish lads over a decade ago. Now they have some of the hippest brewpubs in the world.
They have big locations in Camden, Covent Garden, Canary Wharf, Dalton and more.
Great beers at an affordable price, plus good food as well.
One of the best beer chains in the city.
www.brewdog.com/bars/uk

Borough Market
If you do head to the Bears bar in London bridge, then you have a whole host of bars that await you behind it. Rake, The Miller and Gladstone Arms are all nicely tucked in behind the market and have outdoor spaces. Best of all-if you’re hungry, just nip to one of the lovely local food stalls which will be tempting you with their aroma.

boroughmarket.org.uk/traders/cafes-bars-restaurants

Granary Square/Coal Drops Yard
Located next to Kings Cross Station, this new development of condos, restaurants and bars is very cool. Next to the canals, there are loads of reasonably priced places to grab a drink, sit down to a nice meal, or just hit a brew pub. This area has changed dramatically, and is not to be missed!
Very close to the station, so you can get pretty much ANYWHERE in London
www.kingscross.co.uk/coal-drops-yard

Camden
Camden has a reputation as a rock’n’roll haven for naughty. It has gentrified quite a bit recently, but you can still find some great bars and restaurants, and the area is open much later than the rest of London. Plus, pints are cheaper than the other touristy areas.
Loads of places are next to the canals, so you can sit outside and enjoy the view.
Or feel free to walk up the road a bit to Kentish Town, which has some nice pubs of its own.

Enjoy your visit! And let us know if we can help make your vacation better!
See you Sunday!

Bears vs Raiders

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Where you watching the Bears vs Raiders?
If you have tickets, good for you!
It looks to be an awesome games, especially if you’re a Bears fan.
If you don’t-would you like to watch it on a massive projector & multiple TVs in a classic British pub close to the stadium?
Crouch End is close to Finsbury Park, & a direct bus to the stadium.
25 minutes direct.
With rain, traffic, & an Arsenal game getting out at 4pm, you want to plan your route properly.
This is the best option.
Get your tickets from us to guarantee a 9pm entry.
www.eventbrite.com/o/nfl-in-london-17838428996

No ticket, no entry after 9pm.

London-To Do

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October 23, 2012 – London, UK: SKYFALL London Premiere at Royal Albert Hall.

Welcome to London!
What do you have planned?
Some sight-seeing? Take in some West End musicals? Get absolutely smashed on pints in a pub?
Why not do it all?

Since you’re just arriving here, we have a few things that you might want to try.

London Cocktail Week
Do you love booze? Great-you came to the right country.
London cocktail week is a chance to savour some tipples from some of the top bartenders in the city.
Hit a few locations and let the booze show you the way.
More info and tickets here:
https://drinkup.london/magazine/22568/what-is-london-cocktail-week

James Bond in Concert
If you haven’t been to Royal Albert Hall, you simply must!
This weekend (Oct 5 & 6th) the orchestra is getting the band back together to play along to a James Bond classic.
This weekend it’s Skyfall, and you can watch the movie all while the orchestra plays along.
Tickets might be tough-but there are loads of LEGITIMATE ticket touts around Covent Garden.
More info here:
royalalberthall.com

BFI Film Festival
Do you love movies?
Well the UK makes some of the best dang movies on the planet!
To celebrate the British Film Institute is hosting its annual film festival across the city this weekend.
Get some tickets, mingle with celebrities, and see some incredible movies before they are released in cinemas.
Tickets here.
bfi.org.uk

Comedy
London has more stand-up comedy in a week than New York, LA, Toronto and Chicago…COMBINED!
That’s a lot of laughs. Most of the established comedy clubs have some great acts, just avoid the flyerers in Leicester Square handing out nebulous claims to crappy shows.
You should probably avoid Leicester Square all together unless you want to lose money and dignity!
Piccadilly Circus has the world famous Comedy Store, which always has great international acts.
Our fave club is the Backyard Comedy Club in Bethal Green.
Great acts, reasonable tickets and you never know who might pop in to do a spot!
backyardcomedyclub.co.uk