FanPost

Dolphins V Raiders - A view from the other side of the pond

Charlie Crowhurst

At around 2,600 miles, the away trip for the Dolphins to meet with the Raiders is one of the longest in the NFL, but the week 4 match up will see the ‘Phins travel another 1,800 miles to play the game in London.

Somebody in the NFL really likes collecting air miles.

So with the two teams facing each other at the home of football soccer, what should we be thinking - Are the 3 games this year in Wembley a side show, the NFL flexing it’s muscle whilst spreading it’s wings or the start of something altogether bigger in taking a franchise outside America? My hope is that it’s simply the middle of those but whilst we wait to find out lets just enjoy it for what it is – a chance for the limeys to see a game and obviously another +1 in the W column. For fans traveling to it I thought it would be worth jotting down some tips on what you should expect, some things that are going on and hopefully how to get the most out of it.

First of all you have to remember how minority a sport it is over here -Soccer dominates followed by probably rugby and cricket. Madden 15 is currently the 57th selling PS3 game on Amazon UK, with not only FIFA 15 above it, but also FIFA 14 (last year’s version) and FIFA 13 (2 years old) significantly more popular. On the plus side for the game though, exposure is growing (we have 2 games a week live on our pay-TV service as well as highlight shows), London is arguably the most cosmopolitan city on earth (every week I see sights that pale Legion of Doom style pads and people simply walking around with bits of cheese on their heads) and most importantly the fans that are into their football are generally REALLY into their football. The games are not so much events for London as a chance for fans from all over the UK to get together and revel in being a member of the secret NFL club. Colors are worn proudly, rivalries are (almost) forgotten and a lot of effort goes into turning the games into a showpiece, and the Fans and NFLUK should be applauded for the job they do.

London Itself

This place is massive, and is more like a collection of cities rolled in together than one place as there are many different parts and identities to it. It can also be expensive, but you would have guessed that already. Central Hotels vary and you can pay as much as you wish but be careful of a lot of supposed 4* places that may be slightly cheaper than the big boys but are dives in dive areas – there are a lot of them around. You probably need to stick to named chains to be safe. Look out for Premier Inn and Travel lodge – these have basic but clean and reliable good rooms and some are in really central locations and will be about $100 - $150 a night. Look to stay in a central area though, you will be moving around a lot and just wont be sensible to stay outside of Zone 1.

First thing to do in London is to get yourself an Oyster card. It’s an NFC travel card that allows you to get around on the (incredibly good) underground and bus system – it really is the best way to get around London. Make sure to include zones 1-4 if you are using it to get to the game. The tube is easy to use to get to the game but will be busy after the end (but still manageable as long as you are OK with crowds). You can put a weekly pass on the card for Zones 1-4 for about $60 and that should cover a lot of the getting around. (Daily is about $12).

If you get time, do the tourist stuff. Houses of Parliament, St Pauls, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Downing Street. Even as a local I can appreciate how amazing and unique some of these places are.

Game weekend

NFLUK does a good job of making the most of our time in the spotlight. The highlights are the fan rallies organized to get everyone together. Last year one was held on Regent Street, one of the most famous roads in London, and over ½ million people attended. This is back on Saturday 27th to be a curtain raiser for the Dolphins game and is certainly not to be missed. I loved going to it last year – yes, there are a lot of cheezy stalls and mini-games but the atmosphere it created with so many NFL fans from the UK and the rest of the world was fantastic. Coaches and players are there (yep, even a few cheerleaders) but it is the other fans that make it worth going to, and there were as many people there with American accents as British last time out.

There are too many places to even start talking about for entertainment leading up to game day, all I will say is that the best American sports bar in London (IMO) is the Sports bar and grill in Marylebone, avoid the overcrowded sports cafe in Piccadilly, and do not underestimate the importance of (and thanks you will get for) taking your better half to Harrods for shopping or the west end for a show / dinner. It really can make the difference. Am not going to say London does it best, but it does it in it’s own, frankly incredible, way.

For the game itself, there is an organized tailgate next to the stadium leading up to kickoff – at the start of the international series games this was a good place to go but over the past couple of years has become increasingly commercial. If you want overpriced trinkets you will be in your element but otherwise it does leave the question of what to do before the game. Having a few beers before hand is normally high on my list so I make my way to a place called the Green Man pub (note this is a pub, not a bar, there is a definite difference) This is about 10 min walk from the stadium up a steep hill but every year it is packed with fans for the few hours before kick off, so at least you know everyone there is on the same page (well apart from the guy last year dressed head to toe in a full Jags outfit, INCLUDING receiving gloves – nobody understood what he was doing). The stadium is in a bit of a cultural wasteland so done expect too much from that area. Either have somewhere in mind like the Green Man, go buy some stuff at the official tailgate or plan not to get to the ground too early.

The stadium is beautiful. Rebuilt in 2007 to hold 90,000 all seating, it really is worth a visit on its own. I have never been to a NFL game in the states so can’t directly compare but the atmosphere is a little…… different. Almost everyone there is a big fan of NFL, but almost everyone there supports teams that are not actually playing that day. The ground will be a mix of colors and despite efforts made to try to encourage support for the "home" team it will be about as neutral as it gets. The ‘Phins and Raiders are two of the better supported teams over here so there will be some people there for them but the majority of the crowd will just be wanting a good, exiting game. People in the crowd will be passionate and know their stuff, but you are not going to get that hostile "home" feel and yes, depending on how the game goes the atmosphere will either be for the better or worse because of it.

A game in the UK really is special, and I think most of us appreciate how fortunate we are to have them (all 3 this year sold out pretty quickly). It combines an amazing city with a great spectacle, so even if you think the atmosphere at the game can’t match a "real" game, the experience really is right out on it’s own. London almost defines the cliche of getting out what you put in, so lap it up. Far to much to talk about specifically (even in this essay of a fanpost) but anything specific feel free to ask

Oh, and if you see a tall, balding, bearded guy in a throwback Marino jersey, come and say hi. See you there

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Phinsider's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of The Phinsider writers or editors.