NFL franchise in the UK 'realistic' says Kirkwood

Wembley has already hosted four NFL games

NFL UK chief Alistair Kirkwood says the prospect of a British NFL franchise remains a realistic possibility as another Wembley game approaches.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game with Chicago Bears in October is the fifth consecutive year with a game in the UK, with the previous four all sell-outs.

Managing director Kirkwood told the BBC: "I think it's realistic. There's a long way to go for us to get it right.

"We've had two teams come over that have gone on to win the Super Bowl."

He said: "If you think about it, the reason for doing regular season games all over the UK are partly for the fan base and partly to see if logisitically whether it can actually work and the teams that have to travel over don't get a competitive disadvantage.

"We've now proved teams can come over.

"I think the more games we have in England, the more players and coaches that endorse it and say it's a good thing going forward, the more likely we'll play more games and as the fanbase grows I think there'll be an absolute demand from a US point of view for a team to be placed here."

In 2007, New York Giants defeated Miami Dolphins 13-10 in the first regular season game to be played at Wembley.

Tampa Bay will play their second 'home' game at Wembley this October against Chicago, having previously travelled in 2009.

This year's game had been in doubt because of an on-going lockout. However, with the team owners and National Football League Players Association agreeing a new collective bargaining agreement last week, it will go ahead as planned.

Kirkwood believes more than one game could be played at Wembley from next year.

"That's certainly something that will be talked up substantially, particularly when we get through to putting this game on 23 October," he said.

"We'll get an opportunity to lobby hard for this, it's certainly what we want to see happen and there's a lot of appetite for it over in the States."