By Andrew Warshaw
July 8 – In the latest groundbreaking deal between English football and American gridiron, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur have announced a 10-year partnership with the NFL that will see the north London club host at least two NFL games a year at its new stadium due to open in 2018.
The 61,000-capacity state-of-the-art venue, which will be the second biggest in the Premier League, will feature a retractable grass pitch with an artificial surface underneath for American Football games.
“We have an opportunity now to deliver one of the most unique sports, leisure and entertainment venues in the world, bringing together the Premier League and NFL for the first time,” said Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
The NFL began holding games in the UK in 2007 and this year features three fixtures: Miami Dolphins versus New York Jets on October 4, Jacksonville Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills on October 25, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs meeting the Detroit Lions on November 1.
“I think the association with the NFL makes us more global,” added Levy. ” We’ve been working with them during the design of the stadium so it’s going to meet the requirements of being a top class soccer stadium as well as being an NFL stadium.”
Both sports will have dedicated facilities ensuring that the new stadium will a focus on atmosphere.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said: “With growing enthusiasm for the NFL in the United Kingdom, we are committed to hosting NFL games in world-class venues and are excited to partner with Tottenham Hotspur to play games at their future stadium.”
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