Across the Pond, Englishman Tries His Hands at American Football

Planting the Seed of Soccer Across America: Danny Beerseed

Growing support for "football" in the UK?

By Jay Nightly / The Daily Mirror

This past weekend, the pitch at Wembley Stadium, home of the England national football team, was striped, non-metrically, numbered and played host to a more pointed football, the Untied States' National Football League. The Seven Nation Army, made popular during the Euro 2012 tournament this summer returned, not sung by a chorus of supporters, but artificially blasted through the stadium's speakers. Barely-covered cheer-leaders waved their poms and kicked to attempt to pump up the largely anemic crowd for the match between the New England Patriots and Saint Louis Rams.

To most spectators it served as a novelty. But amongst the crowd of "football" scarves one man stood out. With his face and belly painted blue, silver and white and his right hand tucked away in a giant “We’re #1” foam finger, Stan Huddersfield watched like a true fan.

While his mates spent their childhood cheering and chanting for Manchester United and Arsenal, “I was glued to me granddad's ham radio hoping for a conversion on 3rd down,” Stan shares in a broken cockneyed accent.  “It just made sense to me. I can hold a pint in my hands. Why not a ball? “ His family saw it as the foolery of a thirteen year old boy. 

Older now and though trodden by the droning work week the dream never died.

“How can we make the United Kingdom fall in love with American Football? Offer friends a discounted pint and watch as a lifelong love affair with the beautiful game begins.” And so the DPM – Discounted Pint Movement was born.

Back at Wembely, as the Patriots pummel the Rams to defeat, Stan’s lone companion, Rory, stated, "With the Euro jacking up the price of everything, I’ll sit through pretty much anything to save a bit on a pint.”

“This game wasn’t a mere exhibition,” Stan enthusiastically defends, “This one affects their standings. It is only fitting that New England emerged the victors."

For American football, perhaps there is another “New England” on the horizon?

Tags: satire

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