The head of the NFL’s United Kingdom-based office believes London is inching closer to landing its own league franchise. In an interview with Reuters, UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood thinks the Jacksonville Jaguars signing a four-year deal to play in Wembley Stadium is a stepping stone to a more permanent NFL team.
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The NFL’s International Series first came to London in 2007, when the New York Giants played the Miami Dolphins. This year’s sixth such matchup between the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams is set for Oct. 28. The Jaguars will then play yet-to-be determined opponents at Wembley from 2013-’16.
As for London having its own team, its longest taste of the NFL was with the Monarchs, a team that competed in the World League of American Football and then NFL Europe from ’91-’98.
Both NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Kirkwood have expressed the league’s desire to raise its global awareness.
[Source NFL]
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