American Football UK

[BridBeachRL]

Another bananas idea but https://teamukfl.com/the-league/ according to this website and current social media campaigns they are creating an 8 team Pro American football league in the UK split into North and South Conferences from May 2023. Although sounds like another hundred gimic or the Union World 12s if this does get a hold with funding it will be interesting to see the locations and crowds. They believe the audience to be 1 million in the UK even 10% of that attending across the 8 teams gives an average of 12,500 per team. 

 

[Eddie]

They’re asking for investors, sounds a bit pie in the sky though I am surprised a semi-pro league in the UK hasn’t happened sooner given the popularity of NFL here. 

[Spidey]

16 minutes ago, BridBeachRL said:

Another bananas idea but https://teamukfl.com/the-league/ according to this website and current social media campaigns they are creating an 8 team Pro American football league in the UK split into North and South Conferences from May 2023. Although sounds like another hundred gimic or the Union World 12s if this does get a hold with funding it will be interesting to see the locations and crowds. They believe the audience to be 1 million in the UK even 10% of that attending across the 8 teams gives an average of 12,500 per team. 

 

You got the right forum?

[Eddie]

Just now, Spidey said:

You got the right forum?

I suppose the comparison with RL is there. 

[RP London]

Top league of BAFA is an alright standard but I dont think they get spectator numbers. The Sheffield Giants are moving into the Olympic Legacy Park next year but thats more to do with it being an artificial pitch rather than needing room for spectators. 

Looking at the website it looks very NARL like in terms of setting it up without the governing bodies backing, needing investors etc.. With very little crowd level the money isnt there for a fully pro league. 

I cannot see where these numbers are coming from... yes loads of people watch it on sky (i'm one of them) but i watch it because i can read my book while having it on in the background, I enjoy the highlights shows because they are interesting (RL can learn so much from Osi and J Bell), people go to the spurs stadium to watch as its an "experience" (more that RL could learn) not just for the game.. As an investor i would need A LOT of convincing about those numbers being converted to regular bums on seats.

[Damien]

Very few in the UK are interested in watching 2nd rate American Football.

[David Shepherd]

I'm sure there's a market somewhere.

Personally I don't get the appeal, it's even more boring than Union.

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

I'm sure there's a market somewhere.

Personally I don't get the appeal, it's even more boring than Union.

That’s impossible. 

[Eddie]

I like watching NFL, but a lot of that is the glitz and glamour of it as well as the game itself, you just wouldn’t get that in a UK league where the standard would be rubbish and you’d have none of the atmosphere.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

9 minutes ago, Damien said:

Very few in the UK are interested in watching 2nd rate American Football.

A team play it out of our local union club....it's as unfathomable as it is on telly when I've caught it

[ATLANTISMAN]

I cannot see it 30 years ago there were around 150 clubs no idea how many now.

I watch CFL far better www.cfl.ca

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I have tried my best to like American football in the past but unfortunately I just find it far too boring. It's interesting as well hearing what quite a lot of Americans say about the NFL. A couple of Americans I watch on YouTube have said before that they don't like the NFL because its so artificial and manufactured and a lot of people don't follow it and follow the college game instead because its more like American football used to be pre-NFL. There own version of flatcappers perhaps? Ie, RL was better pre-Super League/American football was better pre-NFL. 

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I have tried my best to like American football in the past but unfortunately I just find it far too boring. It's interesting as well hearing what quite a lot of Americans say about the NFL. A couple of Americans I watch on YouTube have said before that they don't like the NFL because its so artificial and manufactured and a lot of people don't follow it and follow the college game instead because its more like American football used to be pre-NFL. There own version of flatcappers perhaps? Ie, RL was better pre-Super League/American football was better pre-NFL. 

I know it’s a completely different culture but I can’t understand how so many people are into college football, it’s like me and 50,000 others getting excited about going to watch UEA and Hull University play football. 

[BridBeachRL]

For me personally I hope it doesn't get off the ground especially with how crowded the market is for sports. Luckily no Rugby League players have taken the NFL Europe player pathway like that Union player side was it Wade? Although on a positive note on Rugby League I was chatting to a few blokes from Sheffield on Saturday and they were Sheff United fans but went to the Grand Final because their team wasn't playing due to the international break. Maybe targeting more international breaks in football (England) might be a way to boost crowds. They weren't too bothered about the game mainly a reason to go to an event and on the drink in Manchester. 

[BridBeachRL]

5 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I know it’s a completely different culture but I can’t understand how so many people are into college football, it’s like me and 50,000 others getting excited about going to watch UEA and Hull University play football. 

Ooh I don't know sounds a bit tasty that one. Where's my war paint etc 

[Sports Prophet]

Gridiron and RU are very good examples of how to polish a and sell it to the masses.

[Mattrhino]

43 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I like watching NFL, but a lot of that is the glitz and glamour of it as well as the game itself, you just wouldn’t get that in a UK league where the standard would be rubbish and you’d have none of the atmosphere.

I agree if you want NFL you just go to the London games.

Going to a small soccer/rugby stadium with small crowds and rubbish amenities to watch semi pro American football is not why people follow NFL.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

38 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I have tried my best to like American football in the past but unfortunately I just find it far too boring. It's interesting as well hearing what quite a lot of Americans say about the NFL. A couple of Americans I watch on YouTube have said before that they don't like the NFL because its so artificial and manufactured and a lot of people don't follow it and follow the college game instead because its more like American football used to be pre-NFL. There own version of flatcappers perhaps? Ie, RL was better pre-Super League/American football was better pre-NFL. 

Same here

It's a shame as I quite like the razzamataz part 

The NRL has a bit of it I guess but I am still banning them

 

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

31 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Gridiron and RU are very good examples of how to polish a and sell it to the masses.

Neither ###### is polished ....they are just rolled in glitter

[Tommygilf]

Where are they proposing to play games?

[gingerjon]

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

I know it’s a completely different culture but I can’t understand how so many people are into college football, it’s like me and 50,000 others getting excited about going to watch UEA and Hull University play football. 

Even more incredibly, it's actually like you and 100,000 others *plus millions on TV* getting excited.

Notre Dame, a single college, gets $15m per year from one network, for its home games (max 8 per year).

[M j M]

A quick look indicates there isn't anyone of substance behind this, a small-time North East businessman and some people who seem to be putting their names to this whilst continuing to do their jobs (also in the North East).

FWIW the Managing Director has been promoting this concept since at least 2018, previously as UKAFL -

https://web.archive.org/web/20190603204557/http://ukafl.com/

 

[Eddie]

35 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Where are they proposing to play games?

Not announced yet. This is even more tin pot than that North American competition that didn’t get off the ground earlier in the year. 

[thebrewxi]

5 hours ago, Damien said:

Very few in the UK are interested in watching 2nd rate American Football.

NFL.

CFL.

NCAA

Mexican league

Various other european and asia/australian competitions.

... think second rate would be massively over selling it tbh. 

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, thebrewxi said:

NFL.

CFL.

NCAA

Mexican league

Various other european and asia/australian competitions.

... think second rate would be massively over selling it tbh. 

Yes I did realise that but couldn't be bothered explaining what I meant by tenth rate!