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Tottenham in talks with the NFL to host American Football in new stadium

theShiznit

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2004
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According to John Oliver an NFL team threatens to leave their area every time the local council turns down one of their outlandish requests (usually to LA)

Would be a bit harsh to relocate to UK unless a new team is being set up (puts the MK Dons move in the shade)

How many games would that mean playing at the stadium?

Would certainly be some hate coming our way if we robbed someone half way around the world of their team.
 

jabbathehut

Member
Jul 21, 2011
146
157
Yes our stadium as their new home. This was discussed by the media and considered unlikely in the short term but the NFL is trying to open up as a market and I have to say we are doing lot of extra work on the stadium for only 2 games a year for ten years......maybe only 20 games.
It will be 3-5 games a year once the contract with Wembley finishes.I can't see that the NFL would invest in our stadium to continue playing at wembley long term.
 

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
41,883
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Christ. For the umpteen thousandth time, there will not be an NFL team in London at any time in the near future. Period. It definitely is Goodell's wet dream, but there is no chance it will happen. None. Not even worth discussing. Logistically it just cannot happen. The NFLPA will have a shit fit at any hint of a team in London, and the NFL's fan base will have a cow. The only country outside of the US that might get an NFL team is Canada.
 

SandroClegane

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2012
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Christ. For the umpteen thousandth time, there will not be an NFL team in London at any time in the near future. Period. It definitely is Goodell's wet dream, but there is no chance it will happen. None. Not even worth discussing. Logistically it just cannot happen. The NFLPA will have a shit fit at any hint of a team in London, and the NFL's fan base will have a cow. The only country outside of the US that might get an NFL team is Canada.
There's actually no chance that Canada gets a team now that the Bills are under new ownership. Goodell wants teams in two cities. London and Los Angeles. The owners see the dying franchises in STL, JAX, OAK, and SD. Look at the dollars they could be making as the first international team in the NFL in one of the greatest cities in the world.

It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. There will be a team based in London by the end of this decade.
 

whitesocks

The past means nothing. This is a message for life
Jan 16, 2014
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If the nfl have such big plans, you have wonder why they would only want a 61k capacity stadium when they currently could easily fill wembley twice over for these international series games.

I think the intention is to set up a nfl-europa (again) and 61k would be more than enough capacity for those games - even for the europa-super-bowl itself.
 

jabbathehut

Member
Jul 21, 2011
146
157
If the nfl have such big plans, you have wonder why they would only want a 61k capacity stadium when they currently could easily fill wembley twice over for these international series games.

I think the intention is to set up a nfl-europa (again) and 61k would be more than enough capacity for those games - even for the europa-super-bowl itself.
61k is more manageable for an 8 game season and more in keeping with the ave nfl stadium size.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
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we shouldn't underestimate the size and draw of london. US cities metropolitan areas are often measured within a 2 hour journey time. If we did the same for london you'd have to add paris and birmingham.
 

jurgen

Busy ****
Jul 5, 2008
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we shouldn't underestimate the size and draw of london. US cities metropolitan areas are often measured within a 2 hour journey time. If we did the same for london you'd have to add paris and birmingham.

I don't really know much about the NFLPA to understand why Yankspurs thinks they'd object so vehemently.. getting players over here to live and play on a good wage? Surely that would be achievable, London's size and draw (most visited city in the world) is only matched by one US city really..I'm sure the NFL want a piece of that. As Lilbaz says, add in Paris as a 2 hour catchment and you have two of the top 3 visited cities in the world in close proximity. $$$$$
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
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I don't really know much about the NFLPA to understand why Yankspurs thinks they'd object so vehemently.. getting players over here to live and play on a good wage? Surely that would be achievable, London's size and draw (most visited city in the world) is only matched by one US city really..I'm sure the NFL want a piece of that. As Lilbaz says, add in Paris as a 2 hour catchment and you have two of the top 3 visited cities in the world in close proximity. $$$$$

They mention travel times as being an obstacle. Which i don't think would be. Rugby and football players travel a hell of a lot more. Lions tours travel around the whole world.
Time differences can be overcome. In fact might be a bonus as many more countries share similar times with britain than america.
Tax might be a problem. Highest rate in america is 28%. A london franchise would have to pay players a lot more.
 

whitesocks

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Jan 16, 2014
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61k is more manageable for an 8 game season and more in keeping with the ave nfl stadium size.
On wiki only 1 nfl stadium in the US has a smaller capacity than 61k.
The average is pretty much 70k.
 

robertgoulet

SC Resident Crooner Extraordinaire
Jul 23, 2013
3,610
12,552
Christ. For the umpteen thousandth time, there will not be an NFL team in London at any time in the near future. Period. It definitely is Goodell's wet dream, but there is no chance it will happen. None. Not even worth discussing. Logistically it just cannot happen. The NFLPA will have a shit fit at any hint of a team in London, and the NFL's fan base will have a cow. The only country outside of the US that might get an NFL team is Canada.

http://grantland.com/features/nfl-targets-london-franchise/

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-londonbased-team-in-2022-notes-across-league

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...y-chief-says-government-wants-nfl-team-london

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11783444/team-london-provide-255-million-boost

http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-tottenham-stadium-deal-london-nfl-team-2015-7
 

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
41,883
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Okay, and? The NFL league office wants a team in London. Everyone knows that. It is potentially a cash cow for them. However, it just will not happen. The Grantland article laid out most of the reasons why it wont happen. Way too many logistical issues that cant be solved is a manner fair for all teams, the NFLPA and the players will likely be against it, as will the NFL fanbase here in America. In the end, its probably way more trouble than it's worth for something that could very well fail miserably.

Also, that NFL commissioned study said it would boost economic revenue for London. As does every study commissioned by every league for any stadium and any team, anywhere solely to make it more pallatable for the city to give tax breaks and maybe help fund the stadium. But fact of the matter is, they dont. They just serve as a way for the league and team to make more money. Also 8 games a year in the fall wouldnt do much anyway.

The reason why it is different for us with the new stadium is because the scheme is part of a city led regeneration of the area as a whole and not just around the stadium, where we proposed a hotel and a medical center. Not to mention that we are paying for the new stadium ourselves.
 
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Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
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Okay, and? The NFL league office wants a team in London. Everyone knows that. It is potentially a cash cow for them. However, it just will not happen. The Grantland article laid out most of the reasons why it wont happen. Way too many logistical issues that cant be solved is a manner fair for all teams, the NFLPA and the players will likely be against it, as will the NFL fanbase here in America. In the end, its probably way more trouble than it's worth for something that could very well fail miserably.

Also, that NFL commissioned study said it would boost economic revenue for London. As does every study commissioned by every league for any stadium and any team, anywhere solely to make it more pallatable for the city to give tax breaks and maybe help fund the stadium. But fact of the matter is, they dont. They just serve as a way for the league and team to make more money. Also 8 games a year in the fall wouldnt do much anyway.

The reason why it is different for us with the new stadium is because the scheme is part of a city led regeneration of the area as a whole and not just around the stadium, where we proposed a hotel and a medical center. Not to mention that we are paying for the new stadium ourselves.

Will the nfl fan base in america stop watching games if there is a franchise in london? Maybe a few thousand? Maybe a million? The european market is potentially 740m. The richest common market in the world.
 

whitesocks

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Jan 16, 2014
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7 teams had an average attendance of around 61k or less.
They could play the odd marquee match up at Wembley
Going by the current popularity, an nfl franchise in london would consistently attract far more than 61k fans. I think Wembley would gladly host those games - the FA really don't give a flying one about the pitch any more.
But the nfl would need a backup ground for when an irritating local socca game was politically difficult to move. Or those times the pitch was so torn up, it wasn't fit to play on.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
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Going by the current popularity, an nfl franchise in london would consistently attract far more than 61k fans. I think Wembley would gladly host those games - the FA really don't give a flying one about the pitch any more.
But the nfl would need a backup ground for when an irritating local socca game was politically difficult to move. Or those times the pitch was so torn up, it wasn't fit to play on.

Thought with England games etc... Wembley were already at max of the amount of events they could hold?
 

whitesocks

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Jan 16, 2014
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Thought with England games etc... Wembley were already at max of the amount of events they could hold?
Scudamore himself was talking about both tottenham and chelsea playing their home games at wembley so maybe it is not such a hard limit.
His only problem was fettering, whatever deviant practice that is.

I think councils like Brent will be near gutted in the next 5 years - if they are bunged £100k or so to keep a basic essential service going, they'll be a little more flexible, I feel.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
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Scudamore himself was talking about both tottenham and chelsea playing their home games at wembley so maybe it is not such a hard limit.
His only problem was fettering, whatever deviant practice that is.

I think councils like Brent will be near gutted in the next 5 years - if they are bunged £100k or so to keep a basic essential service going, they'll be a little more flexible, I feel.

That would be under 50k so wouldn't effect how many events Wembley could hold.
 

whitesocks

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Jan 16, 2014
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That would be under 50k so wouldn't effect how many events Wembley could hold.

If there was a chance of a money spinning franchise, and Brent for unknown reasons would not budge, then I'm sure the people at wembley would have a rethink on their current event list.
The home england friendlies could be put on a tour for one.

And if they still could not fit them in, then they could play a couple of the nfl games under the 50k restriction.

I feel the function of our stadium under a london franchise would be for fixture clashes - the US tv schedulers would not budge an inch and uk citizens might get annoyed that after all the public grants spent on the national stadium, it was not always available for key international football fixtures.

And we could provide a perfect surface for those times the wembley pitch is totally churned up.
I cant see the new stadium being the primary stadium for a nfl franchise. Sorry.

But for a relaunched nfl-europa, the capacity would be more that enough.
 
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