Spurs in talks with NFL to host American football games in new stadium

The new Tottenham Hotspur stadium might not be used solely for soccer. Tom Collomosse in the Standard reports that Spurs officials are in discussions with the NFL to host American football games in Tottenham's new grounds.

London isn't a stranger to the NFL: several American football games have been held there in recent years, including three games this past season. These games have all been held in Wembley Stadium, but according to Collomosse the NFL doesn't think Wembley is necessarily the best suited for American football from a fan's perspective and are looking for alternatives. Tottenham's new stadium could fill that niche, especially as the NFL considers not only expanding to include potentially more games overseas, but possibly even a London-based NFL franchise.

The Standard noted several architectural details in the floor plan, publicly accessible on the Haringey Council planning site, that include spaces for expanded locker and physio facilities, and which seem to indicate that the hosting of NFL matches is being looked at as a possible future contingency.

Certainly the idea of hosting NFL game raises some questions, especially with regards to the playing surface. The new stadium is expected to include a retractable artificial turf surface that would be used for NFL games and other events, and that would protect the grass pitch for Tottenham Hotspur's use.

Questions aside, for Spurs an arrangement with the NFL could make a lot of sense, at least financially. Interest in the NFL is growing dramatically in England and having "Naming Rights Stadium" as a venue for some of these future football games could be extremely lucrative, especially if they get in on the ground floor. If Spurs are to compete financially with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, and even Arsenal, they will need to utilize every possible avenue for raising money. There are lots of questions to be answered here, but it looks like the possibility of NFL in North London is a strong one.