British government backs possibility of an NFL franchise in London

The British government strongly supports the idea of an NFL team based in London, and recently had discussions with high-level league officials about the possibility of putting a team in the United Kingdom.

British treasury chief George Osborne pledged full government backing for a franchise in the English capital, telling the Evening Standard newspaper on Wednesday that the government has offered the NFL any help it needs in bringing a permanent team across the pond. He admitted that “it’s not going to happen overnight but over the next few years,” and remains committed to pursuing a team for the city of London.

The league responded with a statement confirming its interest in overseas expansion, and reiterated its continued support of building the fan base necessary to support the project:

“We warmly welcome the chancellor’s strong support for the possibility of an NFL team in London and look forward to welcoming him to a game at Wembley over the next few weeks. Our key priority is to continue to build our fan base in the U.K. so that there is strong demand for any future plans in London.”

Permanent expansion overseas would obviously present myriad of logistical and administrative obstacles, but the fact that the league continues to host games in the U.K. and that there is considerable support among the natives for the sport of American football indicates that a London-based team may be a reality sooner rather than later.