Can American Football Take Off in Britain?

I was looking around the Internet to day, wondering what could I write to interest my fellow ARGians. Based in America, it turns out there are a lot of people on these forums who love American football. But I am from Britain. I know nothing about the game. I have never watched a single football match in my life nor have I ever wanted to. So what is it about football that has been so popular in the states for nearly 100 years? Surely somewhere in the last century Britain would have seen the sport in all its glory and taken it over believing every one would play it as often as soccer.

Well we did. We brought it over and started our own league. It’s known as BAFL (British American Football league). Admittedly not very well known, but it’s there. There are nine teams in the premier league in all. That’s less then half that are in the premier soccer league.

I watch about five to ten soccer matches at Villa Park (yep I’m a Villan) a year. I ask my dad and he takes me. Today I told him about the upcoming NFL match being held at Wembley, where the New York Giants are playing the Miami Dolphins and asked him if he’d ever take me to an NFL match. His reply was “Why? It’s an American sport. Why are they playing in London?” So before I can answer “Can American football take off in Britain”, I must answer my dads question. Why are they playing in London? Who’s going to watch that?

Well the National Football League has proudly stated that there will be a turn up of 88,000 spectators tomorrow. That’s about half the population of Oxford turning up to watch the match. However, from what I hear it will be mostly Americans in the stands.

English people stick to soccer where the crowds are completely different. The home and away fans are split, for fear of violence. There is cheering, swearing and singing every time a player kicks the ball. Coins are thrown at referees whenever the whistle goes and everyone’s out to cause a racket to encourage their team to improve. American football just doesn’t have the same atmosphere. I was looking at the “crowd rules” today and one stuck out like a supermodel in a crowd of dwarfs:

“(3) Noise-Making Devices: Klaxons, megaphones, bullhorns, whistles and other noisemakers of any kind are not permitted in stadium.”

WTF??? If you don’t mind my language. no noise making devices? at all? To a full English soccer lover it seems crazy. The atmosphere at football matches compared to what soccer hooligans are used to seems kind of…well…dull. There is rarely a fight, the crowd is kept under close control and the game stops every five minutes for video replays and team huddles. No, in England we like our games under two hours with only a fifteen minute break. We like it fast flowing, one touch and the only time we can stop is if a player broke another players leg. This is real sport. We combine a trip to Old Trafford with a trip down the pub and to the bookies.

So to answer my dad’s question: Who’s going to watch it? Americans and maybe a few English people expecting a riot.

And a last simple answer to the question: Can American Football take off in Britain? No. Not in a million years.

England 5-1 Kazakhstan

England impressed the sell-out Wembley Stadium, as they earned their third win of three games in the World Cup qualifiers on Saturday evening.

The first goal came from a Rio Ferdinand header, who stepped in as captain during John Terry’s absence from and earlier injury.

Then came an own goal from Kazakh defender, Alexandr Kuchma.

Zhambily Kukeyev fought back with a magnificent goal.

But Wayne ruined the match for the Kazakhs, as he headed home a Wes Brown Cross and nicely tapped in the ball from a Beckham free kick.

With Belarus on Wednesday, England are looking to become the only team ever to get 4 out of 4 wins in world cup qualifying stages.

They are the only team to have a perfect record in group 6 because of Ukraine and Croatia drawing 0-0.

England had a great start in Croatia last month, with a 4-1 win.

However, the match wasn’t as comfortable as the scoreline suggests for new manager Fabio Capello.

The first half produced no goals, and it seemed the 4-3-3 formation Capello had picked was breaking down as the game progressed.

Rooney was totally isolated out on the left, Hesky felt alone up front and Steven Gerrard failed to get forward. England weren’t getting any attacks in on Kazakhstan.

Half time came the tactical substitutions from the Gaffa, with Barry replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips and the team now using a 4-4-2 formation.

It was still Kazakhstan who almost opened the scoring with two minutes gone in the second half.

It was a cross nodded on by Sergei Ostafenko that fell to Tenat Nusserbayev - a twenty-one year old Ordabasy player - who failed to keep his cool and hammered the shot over the crossbar.

Wright-Phillips came back looking set to score, but the shot was deflected wide and out from a corner.

But it was this corner when skipper Rio Ferdinand towered above Kazakhs defense to score Englands first goal of the match, and his third for England.

Shortly after, Lampards poorly defended free-kick set up an unlucky own goal from Kuchma.

However, Nusserbayev returned with a twenty-five yard screamer, to put Kazakhstan back in the game.

England waited until there were just fourteen minutes left and Brown’s superb cross was headed in by Wayne Rooney past the eyes of Alexandr Mokin.

It was David Beckham’s 106th cap for England, which is level with Sir Bobby Charlton, so he showed it off with a brilliant signature free kick, which was tapped into the goal for Rooneys second of the match.

The last goal came from Heskys pass to Defoe that was fired past the goalie into the far corner to make it 5-1.

Although three fantastic results from Enlgand, Capello knows better than anyone that World Cup qualification is still a long way off.