The NFL have scrapped all four games which were due to take place in London the later this year.
Two of the fixtures involved the Jacksonville Tigers were scheduled for Wembley Stadium, while the further two games were due to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The BBC report that these games will now be played in the USA, organisers have also ruled out the games taking place on a different continent owing to the coronavirus.
It will be the first time a NFL game has not taken place in London since 2006. The NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made the decision based on discussions with stakeholders, local government and the clubs themselves. London Mayor, Sadiq Khan said, “It was absolutely the right decision to ensure the safety of everyone involved in sport”. Furthermore, Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, said “They fully appreciate the difficult decision that the NFL has had to make”.
In my opinion it is hardly surprising news given the current situation we are all in. No one also knows when professional sport will resume in the UK. However, when and if sports to resume in 2020 they will likely be behind closed doors, with no supporters present in the stands. The Biggest Losers in terms of the financial aspect of things will of course be Tottenham Hotspur and the English FA. The games attract big attendances, as well the commercial element, from merchandise and food sales. In fact BBC state that the company responsible for the technology that allows beer to filled from the bottom of the glass upwards that they took in about 1 million last year for two games.
However, life has to be simply put ahead of sport in these times. We will all have all the sport in the world to watch once this virus stops completely.
