I went to an NFL match at Wembley with zero prior knowledge of the game and it was so worth it

There’s a lot to like about watching sports, even if you’re not remotely interested. When I was younger, it was a great excuse to sit in almost-silence with my dad on a Sunday and get out of designated chores / outside time / homework as the rugby or football rolled on.

Then, as I got older (note, 18+), I realised it was a shortcut to a pretty cracking weekend: pub, mates, a couple of pints, a bit of yelling, top-tier people watching, snacks, good on-screen eye candy. Even if you completely took the sporting aspect out of watching a game, it’s a pretty good day. And when you actually like the sport, you’re on to a winner.

So, when I got an invite to watch an NFL game over at Wembley, I was surprisingly up for it, given I had absolutely no idea about the rules, the players, or how to even get to Wembley Stadium from my South West London flat on a rail strike Sunday.

After a quick Google, it was the Jacksonville Jaguars who were taking on the Los Angeles Rams and I even managed to rope in a friend who luckily has supported them since infancy. Win-win.

I had actually never been to Wembley before, not being a Swiftie, consequently missing out on the Eras tour, which I swear every girl I know (and a couple of peer-pressured boyfriends) went to. Clearly, I was not a die-hard enough music fan to brave battling the tidal wave of concertgoers that congregates at Wembley.

I had pictured long lines, being corralled like cattle with aggressive bag searches, and the whole thing basically feeling not dissimilar to trying to board the Northern line on a Thursday morning at rush hour.

However, to any fellow low-level anxiety sufferers, it’s really not that bad, and ours was seriously seamless. Plus, if there is anything that will get you going, it’s the promise of a nice cold drink waiting for you inside at one of the bars — the pint at the end of the queue is our pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

As for the game itself, it’s definitely much slower than anything I was used to watching, with more stops and resets, but more strategy. But, boy, do they love to put on a display even when a lot of the time you are waiting for things to happen.

I would say that if you’re going as a complete NFL novice (and you don’t have someone patiently explaining the game to you every five minutes), it’s probably a good idea to swat up on the game play, so you don’t get lost in the quarters, yards, and second-downs.

One thing I’d really recommend doing if you still have a childish streak and don’t already have an allegiance to one of the playing teams is to choose a team at random to support, whilst your game-going companion picks the other, and you can get wildly competitive over who wins.

Our forfeit system was simple: the losing team at each quarter gets the next round of drinks. Although we were close to The Lioness bar, that somewhat took the sting out of the forfeit, but also kept the rivalry good-natured.

One thing NFL does well that rugby could take a note from is their halftime shows; if you thought halftime shows and the kiss cam were exclusive to American soil, I’m here to correct you - and warn you, because if you have gone to the game with a sibling / platonic friend, the most tense part of the game won’t be the final inning, it will be the halftime Pop Tart kiss cam panning around the stadium as you go please god no whilst also fully invested in other people’s PDA.

The unsung hero of the day, just pipping the cheerleaders, though, had to be the people watching. If you think regular people watching is good, Wembley is another level. And not just Wembley, but Wembley filled at least half full with Americans. All of whom are deeply invested in the game — flag waving, pint throwing, and all. Gold.

Ultimately, going to Wembley is always a spectacle, whether you’re going to see a gig or a game. NFL combines the age old pastime of avidly watching fit people chase around after a little ball, without any of the tension that comes with supporting your actual team as you watch them fumble their defense and drop the ball, heart beginning to sink as you realise Chelsea haven’t got a chance in hell of winning the Premier League (yes, I went there).

Even if you’re not a die-hard fan of whatever’s on, the experience is better than most of your regular Sundays out.

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