American football goes British: Chicago Bears plays Wembley Stadium on Sunday October 23rd

This Sunday, October 23^rd, the United Kingdom will get a taste of American football when a regularly scheduled NFL game is played at Wembley Stadium.  The Chicago Bears (currently 3-3) will be playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) in what has now become an annual event on the NHL roster. 

Wembley Stadium has hosted an NFL regular-season game each of the past four years with the Giants edging the Dolphins 13-10 in 2007, the Saints beating the Chargers 37-32 in 2008, the Patriots crushing the Buccaneers 35-7 in 2009 and the 49ers defeating the Broncos 24-16 in 2010.

“Continuing London's love affair with the hugely popular stateside sport, we are proud to once again welcome two of America’s top NFL teams to the capital,” said London mayor Boris Johnson at a press event held earlier this year  “With a growing local fan base, it is a fantastic opportunity for enthusiasts from London and beyond to experience the unique thrill of a live game in one of the most iconic sports venues around, Wembley Stadium.”

“Our past four games in London have demonstrated the tremendous passion for NFL football that exists in the UK,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.  “We hope by staging another extraordinary game at Wembley that we can continue to grow our existing fan base and attract even more new fans.”

Sunday’s game come straight on the heels of last Sunday’s game where the Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings 39-10.  Kickoff will be at 6 pm UK time, or noon CDT, and broadcast live on Fox (check your local listings for times and details). 

For more information on the upcoming game visit http://www.nfluk.com/.