Bengals fans in the UK react to London game
In the late English afternoon Wednesday, a vocal segment of the Cincinnati Bengals fan base reacted to the news that their favorite National Football League franchise will be playing a home game in what they consider a home away from home – London.
They know each other, largely through Twitter, and have made lasting friendships over the orange and black. They’ll head to the Walkabout pub in Manchester or the Carpenters Arms in London if the Bengals happen to be broadcast on Sky Sports for a 1 p.m. start – which is a crapshoot.
But now, they can watch their team in the flesh as the Bengals are playing at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 30, 2016 against Washington.
Bengals to play in London in 2016
“I am absolutely made up that the Bengals will be coming to London in 2016,” said Michael Smith, who lives in Kent, near London. “I think this is a great opportunity for the franchise to expand the brand but also the spread the brand that is the city of Cincinnati and see how passionate the British Bengals fans really are.”
And, fans there understand how their brethren in Cincinnati feel about losing a home game.
“I understand giving up a home game may be an issue for some people but I sure will be doing my best to make Wembley the jungle,” said 21-year-old Ross Pollock from Glasgow, Scotland. “You can count on me being there and cheering on the boys in what has been a dream of mine for a very long time now.”
Jamie Wroe, who has traveled to Ohio from England to see the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium over the last few years, agreed.
“It'll be tough to lose a proper home game but the UK Bengals army will be doing our best to turn Wembley orange and black,” he said. “This is huge for us and there's not a chance I'll miss it.”
These are Bengals fans who love it when the team plays in primetime – those games are usually available on television, but they’re isolating affairs as most pubs won’t stay open to accommodate a handful of people.
So, they’ll huddle around their phones or computers to watch through NFL.com or Game Pass, interacting on Twitter. They’ll get together a house to make it more of an experience.
NFL cooperation helps Bengals prepare for London
Now, they will get a chance to be one of the 80,000-plus that annually pack Wembley Stadium in London to see the Bengals take on Washington on Oct. 30, 2016 – bringing together fans scattered from 280 miles north in Sunderland to 250 miles west in Manchester.
“You’ve got a real mix of people – from new fans through to people who have had a team for 30-plus years and are incredibly knowledgeable about the game,” said Jim Frayling, Wembley Stadium’s head of business development. “There is a huge passion for the NFL in the UK, and great knowledge of the game here too. I think in terms of popularity, the numbers speak for themselves with sell-out, after sell-out, year on year. This to me is a game whose popularity is growing and we as a stadium are incredibly proud to be part of that."
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