The NFL can succeed in Europe

This is part two of a two part series examining the NFL's attempt to expand into Europe. For part one, click here.

Whilst the tone of my earlier article was somewhat negative, it wasn't intended as such, and it doesn't mean I think the league can't succeed at all over here.

It can, but it needs a long-term strategy that starts at the bottom, rather than getting another short-term gain as we experienced in the 1980's. These gains will quickly be lost again if the league is arrogant enough to believe in the 'product' myth. There is already a British league system, the BAFL (See Right), but it needs significant help to compliment the live experience of NFL regular season games.

If I was Roger Goodell, here's what my plan would be to promote the sport in the UK:

Step One:

Step one is all about education. A lot of the kids we're trying to get into the sport won't have access to the laws of the game, so it's important that they learn at least the basic rules in order that they feel comfortable stepping onto a field. The most obvious solution is the way a lot of kids learn the game - with Computer games such as the Madden NFL series. These games are valuable aids to a sport that can be complex and frustrating to get to grips with if you have no prior knowledge of it.

It's not just the young people who need this knowledge though. If they're to be taught the game, they need teachers. There are already enough people in the UK who know the rules well enough that they could umpire games to a decent level, and to take advantage of that commodity, they should be fast-tracked where possible into refereeing courses around the country. For a lot of people, this will give them a chance to be involved in the sport even if they would usually be unable to take part as a player.

Step Two:

The most important foundation to lay, is that of a grass-roots American Football infrastructure that allows youngsters to experience the game on both recreational and competitive levels. There are already adult teams across the UK that struggle for funding and stadia. They deserve to benefit more than anyone from this new found interest, yet as it stands, the league seems intent on ignoring them.

To do this, the most important purchases are the equipment to allow kids to learn the game from a young age, and with minimal financial outlay. Obviously, pads, helmets, and balls are the items that aren't widely available to most parents in the UK. That needs to change, and to do so, it will take money.

It will also need a youth league system. Ideally, this would take place in schools, who should in many cases have Rugby goalposts that can easily substitute for the real thing with almost no noticeable difference. There also needs to be substantial investment in the organisational tools that are needed to make the game as easy to run as possible. Chains, some way of marking ground quickly, and referee equipment would all be essential, and ideally, rulebooks that allow both teachers and students to pick up the game quickly.

Step Three:

Invest in the University and Club sides that already exist in the UK. These clubs are generally poorly funded, and most competitors are forced to buy their own equipment just to have any chance of playing. There is little or no awareness of these teams in the outside world, which means that new recruits are hard to come by, and most teams are far from guaranteed a full quotient of players for each game. That needs to change, and the only way to do that is with 'proper' investment in the existing structures.

For starters, the University teams should be given free equipment to make it easy for them to practice and play games on a regular basis. This would, in many cases, lead to them becoming a popular alternative to soccer, especially as it caters to players of almost every size, and has large squads that require a multitude of different skill sets.

The amateur game suffers from the same maladies, but the BAFL's (British American Football League) primary problem is simply in a lack of infrastructure to play games. Unlike the university or school sides, they do not have ready access to grounds, officials, or players to allow for the league to function properly. Being without a major sponsor for some time now has compounded the problem, and a semi-farcical lack of financial stability makes it almost impossible for clubs, players, and staff to commit to the game for anything more than one season at a time.

To combat this, teams need assurances as far as stadium rental, transport, and equipment are concerned. These issues prevent the league from growing beyond it's current system, which currently is only able to financially support five teams in the top tier. Once there is a healthier level of competition, it will be much easier for the BAFL to attract sponsorship. In the short-medium term though, the league needs to be prepared to invest money without guarantee of renumeration if it is to help the game itself grow at grass roots level.

Step Four:

The final challenge is to get the game on TV for as many people as is humanly possible every Sunday.

Whilst I and many others subscribe to Sky, who currently hold the broadcasting rights to all Sunday afternoon games, there are millions who do not. These people are denied the chance to watch the game at a reasonable hour simply because of the current TV deals that neglect terrestrial viewers. Even Channel 5, the terrestrial home of the NFL for almost a decade, have announced that they can no longer support broadcasting Monday Night Football, because the game is concurrently live on Sky. What kind of system allows a broadcaster to monopolise and hinder the sport's growth in such a way?

The NFL needs to be back where it belongs: On Channel 4 or the BBC at 6pm on a Sunday evening. This would, I can guarantee, have a massive impact on viewing figures and levels of interest in the sport at every level. Remember that the 'glory days' of the NFL were on Channel Four in the 80's, a terrestrial broadcaster. Whilst it can be argued that Sky has enough subscribers to justify the contract, it can't tick the one box that should be essential to the league: 'Is it available for every person in the country?' While the answer is no, the league should look to at least take one game per weekend and put it on terrestrial Sunday evening TV in the UK.

In theory, the aim should be that within ten years, the league would have an infrastructure in place that allowed University and Pro teams in England to compete on a level that justified being on TV during the NFL off-season. Although this is a long way off, it has to be the aim of the NFL if it wants it's own professional game to be anything more than a passing fad every twenty years. Nothing will replace the NFL, but a thriving British College and Amateur game would be the best way of promoting the sport amongst young and old alike.

Now all we need is somebody to listen.