Sports fans the world over often have the same story when it comes to explaining support for their chosen team. Some grew up a hop, skip and jump from the stadium. Some were given no choice by their parents, dressed in team apparel from the moment they could crawl and frogmarched to the ground to see a game at the earliest opportunity. Some developed their affinity due to early peer pressure – with everyone else in the playground wearing the same kit and cheering the same team. This is largely not the case for UK NFL fans. Located a few thousand miles from where the league is based, the reasons for where British and Irish fans place their loyalties are wide and varied, but can be split into four main groups.
The 80’s Original Fan
The NFL made its first real dent on the UK fans’ sporting psyche when it began to be televised on Channel 4 in the 1980s in the form of a weekly highlights show, along with screening the Super Bowl which attracted in 1986 a staggering viewing audience of 4 million. The glamour and glitter of the league seemed to be a primary draw and many fans who started following the game back then still do so today, aided by access to viewing games both on TV and the internet that they could have only dreamed of thirty years ago. It goes to follow that a lot of the teams dominant during that era still enjoy high levels of support in the UK today – with the likes of the 49ers, Bears and Redskins enjoying strong fan bases.
The Personal Link Fan
A great many UK NFL fans got embroiled in the sport through a personal brush or association with the team in question. Every year young Irish students take advantage of summer work placements in the US, which inevitably leads to affection toward and in many cases allegiance to the local sports teams. Those despatched to New York often come back with a blue or green jersey in their suitcase and a desire to get back to MetLife Stadium ASAP. Some Brits will go to visit American family members and before they know it find themselves embroiled in a crowd of screaming fans, bedecked in face paint and wondering why they hadn’t done this sooner. Some holiday makers simply decide to take in a game as part of their American holiday experience, without realising at the time they’re indoctrinating themselves into the life of NFL fandom.
The Millennial Fan
The newest and most booming generation of UK NFL fans are those who have started following the sport in the past few years, since the turn of the century when the sport began to again gain traction through Sky Sports and then through the International Series games at Wembley. This increased exposure saw many teams who enjoyed success since 2000 such as the Giants, Steelers and Patriots gain many fans this side of the pond, whose dominance in various facets of the game and individual styles resonated with viewers looking for a way to connect with this amazing sport. Likewise, many people’s first experience of live NFL was at a Wembley game and those who may have been relatively neutral going in picked a side and to this day have stuck with it – gaining the likes of the Saints, Dolphins and in particular the Jaguars a healthy extra chunk of UK fans.
The Random Fan
Finally, there’s the group of fans who don’t really fit into any of the other categories. They may be a Cowboys fan because they used to like watching Dallas. Or they may be Ravens fans because they had a thing for Stacy Keibler (who used to be a Baltimore cheerleader). Or perhaps they like the Broncos because Homer Simpson once made fun of them and they like an underdog. Regardless of how they got on board the rolling fanwagon, their support is just as dedicated and true and they provide further colour to the great tapestry of British and Irish fans.
UK NFL fans are indeed a varied bunch, but on the whole possess a depth of knowledge and level of devotion to rival any of their counterparts across the Atlantic, with their fandom set to be rewarded for the foreseeable future with a steady dose of London games and the chance to see their team in person just a plane ride away.
Who’s your team and why do you follow them? Let us know below!
I started following my team back in 1972 ..trying to find something different on the radio I listened to a fading in and out station called AFN Cologne. A man was speaking English but with words I had never heard before. Yinz and Yoi and double yoi. I listened for about 1/2 an hour re tuning the dial to try and keep the signal. the following week I wen to the library to find out more about American football and found a book called “Rules of the Game” and sort of worked out what it was about. Listening the next week the game did not sound so good. 2 Days before Christmas I was at my Grandparent the station signal was much better and the Stillers Harris caught the ball which had bounced off an opponents helmet. the broadcast terminated before the result was known. I decided I liked the Steelers. The next week they were not playing and it did not sound so much fun. So that was my mind made up. I followed them via the in Brief scores in the newspaper or gleaned a little from ITV’s World of Sport. My first visit to the US I obtained a button badge and pennant in 1980 so by the time your piece mentioned I was already a Steelers Fan. In fact I worked on a Boy Scout Camp in Chicago in 1981 and met a young man about to join the local team (Bears) & told him he was playing for the wrong team as I was a Steelers Fan!
The highlights shows and “First Down” Newspaper were a staple during the season.
From then till now if anyone asks “What football team do you support?” My reply has always been the Steelers!
San Diego Chargers for me. I was one of those who was hooked by the Channel 4 highlights show. This was in the “Air Coryell” era, when Dan Fouts was slinging passes to Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler and Kellen Winslow. They could light up the scoreboard. They were easily the best team to watch, even if they never won the big one. And since then, I’ve followed them through thick and (mostly) thin.
I must confess to still split loyalties between bills and raiders. Watched with my dad in early 90s then rediscovered the sport in 2009. Initially after watching the NFL360 team guides I went for the packers, but they almost had success too soon. As a Cov city fan I am not used to success. I drifted to the bears (which would obv be frowned upon by a packer fan) in the background though I always had raiders as my 2nd team with bills climbing the rankings. Bills were also my dads team but he died 5 years before my renaissance with the sport so I’ll never know the reason why. 2011 and raiders were def my fave. Lions were now my NFC north team. ( shocking packers and bears fans) primarily as Detroit is a city somewhat like Cov. Motor city hitting hard times and light blue. But it was raiders for me but the bills kept making a hard push and mid 2012 the switch happened. I have 90% of the time since them classed them as my fave. Conflicted by the raiders visit to the UK and winning a signed Menelik Watson Jersey I have sometimes drifted back to the raiders but in the end the bills are for me. My honeymoon in 2014 took in Niagara Falls so I can also say I’ve near enough been to buffalo. I have merch and jerseys from 7 teams so I’m still a bit of a nomad but it is all just part of my love for the sport. Go Bills….. Raiders!
Back in the 70’s listening to AFN amd highlights on TV of Superbowl IX. My name is Bradshaw so it wasn’t going to be any other team. Wave that Terrible Towel.
I got into the sport in 1985 thanks to an old school friend, but didn’t follow any particular team until 1987 when I was lucky enough to afford a vacation to Toronto visiting my family, and whilst I was there I decided to take a weekend trip into the States to watch a game.
I ended up choosing the Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers game in Cleveland via a sports travel company.
I really enjoyed that weekend and when I came home, I contacted the Browns and asked if they had a UK based fan club, and if not, can I set one up.
They said they didn’t have one, so I set up the UK Browns Backers group which is still running today. I was also lucky enough, as their UK president, to spend a full week with the team when they came over to London to play in the American Bowl game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1989.
In 1995 when Art Modell decided to move the team to Baltimore to become the Ravens, I wasn’t sure if the Browns were ever going to come back to the league, so I decided to change my allegiance to the Seahawks.
When the Browns eventually came back into the NFL in 1999, I couldn’t decide who to support the most, so I decided to follow both the Browns and the Seahawks and have done so ever since.
Started supporting NY Giants in December 1993 when I was 7 years old. I was staying at friends house and his dad recorded the nfl on vhs as it is shown late at night here in the UK or had family in miami send tapes over. The first game I saw was Giants @ Dolphins. My friend and his dad were Fins fans so I rooted for the other team and the Giants won. I enjoyed the game and have been watching and supporting Big Blue ever since.