Yesterday saw Wembley play host to the 10th international series game. The 10th NFL regular season game played at Wembley stadium and probably the best one to date. This game is the second of three games which are being played in London testing the appetite for American football in the UK. So what is the future for the American football in the UK?

The game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons answered some of the questions regarding how much football can the UK take and what is the ceiling. Yesterdays match undoubtedly created an atmosphere which favoured the home team something the NFL have wanted to create in all the games. The “rise up” chants echoing round Wembley stadium and Falcons flags waved help make create the Georgia stadium away from Atlanta.

Prior to yesterday’s game thousands of American football fans congregated on Trafalgar Square for what is becoming the annual fan rally. Along with the award winning NFL on Regent Street held prior to Raiders verses Dolphins match last month, the UK public has demonstrated there is an incredible thirst for all things football. These events have been well attended by not only the British loving American football fans but also Americans. Fans who travel over to the games visit these events, American press and even the teams, all commenting on how amazing they are and our passion for the game.

London has now played host to multiple NFL games, three this season all of which have had 80,000 people attend. What’s the next step for American football in the UK. Head of NFLUK Alistair Kirkwood announced yesterday that London will again host 3 more games next year. The challenge will come in the fact that two of these games will probably come back to back. This will again test the British public’s appetite for the game and see if they can fill Wembley out again.

My prediction is the Jaguars will play host to two of these games in back to back weekends. The Jaguars fan base is growing in the UK and the organisation has shown a real drive for playing games in London. This will give the Jaguars opportunity to base themselves in London for two weeks, develop a training facility and reach out to the community.

The big question which was asked as bit of a joke just 5 years ago has now become an elephant in the room for the commissioner. At every single event and game this week the question regarding an NFL franchise based here in London was being asked. The UK have shown it can host multiple football games a season and still sell Wembley out and the logistics of sending teams over the pond has become less of a problem.

Next season Wembley stadium itself has a busy schedule with the Rugby world cup so playing host to 5 games was always going to be an issue. However if all follows the pattern that has been well laid by Kirkwood and the British American football fan base the 2016 season should play host to 5 NFL games. Many teams have shown an interest for coming to play over hear and help not only grow the brand of the sport but also their team including Green Bay Packers. If this proves to be a success the commissioner will no longer be able to ignore the question of placing a franchise in London it will have to answer the question full on.

The one area which still needs further development and when achieved will probably launch American football up there with soccer, cricket and rugby in the UK is the discussion of football away from football events. Still the back pages of newspapers this morning hardly mentioned what was one of the greatest sporting comebacks ever witnessed within Wembley or one of most dramatical endings to a football came this season. The British press needs to do a better job of covering the event which is growing every game.

I finish on a comment Arthur Blank the owner of the Atlanta Falcons made at the fan rally on Saturday. London should not have a NFL franchise…. It should have two in the very near future.

Mike