‘It’s about to go global’: American college football rocks into Wembley – a photo essay

Our photographer, Tom Jenkins, captures the colour and razzmatazz as college football arrived in the capital, hot on the heels of successful NFL outings in recent years Rarely had Wembley Way seen or heard such a commotion.

The famous 500-yard long concourse leading to the national (association) football stadium in London played host to a sea of raucous American football fans on Saturday, as they gathered to mark the first ever top-tier college football game on British turf.

Pundits from Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff Show were broadcasting live from outside the venue – a curious spectacle in which the hosts even ate fish and chips in front of a fake Grenadier guard – as thousands of supporters around them waved placards and chanted college anthems.

It fuelled a tailgate party atmosphere that wouldn’t have felt out of place in the States.

Above: Pundits for the Fox Big Noon Kickoff Show discuss the game with both head coaches in a temporary studio built on Wembley Way.

Below: Brady Quinn, Mark Ingram II, Matt Leinart and Urban Meyer eating fish and chips as they present the show, while fans wave placards.

Click on the images to reveal individual photo captions.

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