London to host three NFL games in 2014

The NFL will stage three games in London next year as it continues to push towards the long-term goal of placing a franchise in the city.

The league has confirmed the Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders will all play as the ‘home’ team - with opponents yet to be named.

The Jaguars are due to play the San Francisco 49ers later this month in the first of four games they have committed to play at Wembley each year until 2016.

I really don’t understand this NFL International series that we host, the NFL formed in 1920 and for 80 plus years there was minimal interest in it in the UK, growing up I don’t remember reading a single newspaper article, watching a single TV programme, or having a single conversation with anybody about Gridiron, I’m calling it that because I really object to the term football being used to describe it, and yet in the last five years suddenly there’s apparently this huge interest and we must host more and more games, why?

Say it gets to the stage where London does have a ‘franchise’, or team, I can think of quite a big problem with that, namely the fact that they’d have at least a 6,000 mile round trip every other week, logistically I can’t see that working.

I’m also amazed at how fans of the teams that have played over here have taken it because they seemed to be ok with the idea, which is odd because if my football team, Arsenal, announced oh for the next four years we’ll play one Premier League game a season in New York or anywhere other than the Emirates, I’d be furious and I wouldn’t be alone.

If the NFL want to stage pre-season games over here that’s fine, but by continuing to stage regular season games will only end up leading everyone involved down a cul-de-sac.