In the beginning…
For many, the NFL first came to the United Kingdom on a rainy day in London in 2007, when Eli Manning led his Super Bowl-bound New York Giants to a 13-10 win against the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium. However, this is far from the full story
The road from the first recorded game on these shores, the 'Tea Bowl' played between US and Canadian troops stationed in Britain during the Second World War, to the kickoff of the first regular-season game in London is a long and winding one.
British interest in the league first spiked in the 1980s when millions watched Mike Ditka's Chicago Bears side duke it out with the likes of Dan Marino's Miami Dolphins and Joe Montana's San Francisco 49ers. The American Bowl series of games (1986-1993) was the first iteration of the league bringing football to fans in London. Wembley Stadium hosted eight games and many of the British American Football Association teams in operation today started amidst the wave of excitement as America's Game begun to establish itself.
This increase in interest lead to the establishment of the World League of American Football (later renamed NFL Europe), which began play in 1991. The London Monarchs (1991-1998), and the Scottish Claymores (1995-2004) brought regular professional American football to the UK.
Evolution of NFL UK Community Department
As the NFL increased its commitment to the International market, a range of new and exciting projects became possible. The brainchild of Aden Durde (who went on to blaze another trail as the first British coach in the NFL), the NFL UK community department began life in 2012, helping many more Brits get into playing and coaching. This developed into a schools-focused training programme, with teachers across the country being trained up in the delivery of NFL Flag, a non-contact version of the game which focusses on the key skills as taught through the NFL values of respect, resilience, integrity and responsibility to team. As more and more schools joined the progamme, a competitive element was included as the NFL Flag schools championships were born. Schools competed against each other locally with regional champions progressing to the Summer Bowl. This pathway has developed even further. NFL Flag is now an official school games sport with a national and international pathway and. National champion teams now qualify for the NFL Flag International Championships at Pro Bowl.
The community and grassroots department now oversees an extensive schools training and tournament programme and distributes equipment to registered schools. Removing barriers to participation is at the heart of the NFL Flag programme, ensuring football is a game for everyone.
NFL Flag Programme
NFL Flag is a non-contact version of the game played worldwide for skill development and as a sport in its own right. Flag football is bidding for inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games and women's flag is an NCAA scholarship sport. NFL Flag aims to engage people of all ages in the sport, whether they are fans wanting to play or if they have never heard of the NFL.
The NFL Flag programme in the United Kingdom is focussed on schools, providing training and equipment to teachers in primary and secondary phases, along with curriculum resources and planning support. By utilising teachers to deliver the game in schools, the programme ensures high quality delivery that is sustainable, whilst offering teachers formal Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and an opportunity to engage their pupils in PE through a new, exciting opportunity with a level playing field and starting point for all. NFL Flag uses a values-led approach to maximise the potential of every young person who plays the game while shining a light on the passionate and inspirational work of people in our communities.
Into the future
Our vision is for NFL Flag to be available to all children across the United Kingdom. NFL Flag is now included in the School Games and the London Youth Games with a full regional and National Championship system in each constituent nation of the UK culminating in the UK National Championships. We will continue to use NFL Flag as a vehicle for change for young people across the nation by supporting the NFL Foundation UK and the British American Football Association.
