Fans show their support prior to the NFL game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 08, 2023 in London.Photo:Peter Nicholls/Getty
Peter Nicholls/Getty
I just came back from your typical trip to London: taking photos in front of Buckingham Palace, eating fish and chips at a pub, touring the Tower of London and singing “Shout” every time the Buffalo Bills scored a touchdown.
Given that my husband is a lifelong Bills fan and I cover the royals for work, we started looking at flights soon after it was announced that our team was playing overseas — and we weren’t alone. Starting with our flight to London and continuing all week long pretty much every place we went, we spotted jerseys and hats supporting the Bills, the Jags and just about every other NFL team.
Thinking about supporting your team overseas? Here’s what to know.
Expect to see lots of jerseys (even for teams that aren’t playing!)
While Bills and Jaguars fans represented strongly, there were also plenty of jerseys, hats and apparel supporting just about every team in the NFL in the stands. You wouldn’t expect supporters of teams that aren’t playing at a game in the U.S., but when it’s the only chance for NFL fans to see a game (whether they’re a local from the host country or a transplant from the states), they’re going to take advantage and represent.
Not everyone traveled far for the game
We met tons of people who traveled from the U.S. to support their teams, there were lots of locals at Tottenham as well. Plenty of Brits were there, whether they were a fan of one of the teams playing or just wanted to see a live game of “American football.” And some did travel from different countries but not across the pond — we sat next to some people from Germany!
Fans show their support prior to the NFL Match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 08, 2023 in London.Peter Nicholls/Getty
It’s not like other sporting events in the host country
Fireworks are set off prior to the NFL international match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.Simon Marper/PA Images via Getty
Simon Marper/PA Images via Getty
It’s still a home game (but with some twists)
Sunday’s game in London counted as a home game for the Bills, and the stadium was decked out like it. They continued many of the traditions that take place for home games in Buffalo, from singing “Shout” when they score touchdowns to blowing a train whistle sound to get the crowd excited when it was time to step up on defense. But there were also plenty of noticeable differences — for example, in addition to singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of the game, there was also “God Save the King.”
There are tons of get-togethers with fellow fans…but book early!
Fans arrive at the stadium prior to the NFL Match between Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 08, 2023 in London.Henry Browne/Getty
Henry Browne/Getty
source: people.com
