In August 1983, the Minnesota Vikings and the St. Louis Cardinals gathered in London for the Global Cup.
The exhibition to inaugurate the clubs’ pre-season was the first American football match on European soil.
Other international exposures followed in subsequent years, including a 1988 trip to Sweden for the Vikings and Bears, and Minnesota’s 1993 trip to Germany to play the Bills. (The Vikings also ventured to Japan in 1994 to play the Chiefs.)
The NFL’s International London Game Series (which includes regular-season contests) was launched in 2007.
London hosted 30 games between 2007 and 2021. The Vikings-Saints game is the first of three this season. An additional competition has been scheduled for Germany and Mexico this year.
The Vikings participated in the London Games in 2013 (“hosting” the Steelers) and 2017 (“visiting” the Browns).
A lot has changed for teams over the years, from the size of their traveling parties to the greater incorporation of sports science in recent decades.
Here’s a look at some comparisons of Vikings in London between then, be it 1983, 2013 or 2017, and now.
1983 under head coach Bud Grant: The Vikings left training camp in Mankato and headed to the airport on Thursday, August 4th.
The travel party, excluding Martin, boarded a chartered DC10 and departed MSP at 5:15 p.m. (CT) Thursday. The plane arrived at Gatwick Airport on Friday morning and the team went to the Cumberland Hotel near Hyde Park. The team practiced on Friday and then the players were given a per diem to dine alone/with loved ones who made the trip. Grant did not enforce the curfew.
After surrendering his passport, Martin traveled commercially through Chicago and finally arrived in London on the morning of the August 6 game.
The match started at 5:30 p.m. in London, and the team spent the night after the game before leaving on Sunday.
2013 under head coach Leslie Frazier: The team left on Monday and arrived on Tuesday.
The Vikings organization leaned completely into the experience by traveling throughout the organization for a mix of marketing and cultural experiences.
The Vikings and Steelers participated in a joint rally for fans, and Minnesota participated in a community event shortly after arriving. The experience also included a Hairball concert, with the team providing rides for the impressive rock band.
2017 under head coach Mike Zimmer: The team left on Wednesday and arrived on Thursday.
The Vikings paid an adjacent visit to the team hotel on Thursday and took part in a training session on Friday at the London Irish Rugby Football Club. The Vikings visited Twickenham Stadium for a visit on Saturday.
2022 with head coach Kevin O’Connell: The team departed Thursday (wheels went up at 6:47 p.m. (CT) Thursday) aboard a chartered A350 and arrived Friday at Stansted Airport (wheels down at 8:03 a.m. in London) .
Incidentally, the Minnesota operations staff collected everyone’s passports well in advance of departure day.
The chartered plane featured external cameras that allowed passengers to view a live image from the plane’s tail or under its belly, a particularly interesting feature during the golden hour before sunset.
Moments after liftoff, the mammoth craft with 71 labeled rows and nine seats for those of us in row 69, soared above the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center into the night.
The plane landed softly at Stansted Airport after gliding through a blanket of thick fog.
The travel group cleared customs and headed to the team hotel, quickly putting the players through a short training session.
The Vikings hotel for this trip has a football practice field and a temporary tented locker room, allowing team members to go from their hotel rooms to the locker room and then onto the field. training
Minnesota held a practice on the NFL-built 90-yard field and stood on the surrounding golf course and participated in media interviews Friday. The Vikings got their first look at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Vikings Executive Director of Health and Performance Tyler Williams offered multiple details this week about how the Vikings used a wealth of sports science information to shape their decision to leave Thursday. The reasons included having as normal a schedule (players sleeping in their own beds most nights and having access to the athletic recovery offerings of the TCO Performance Center) as possible.
Williams, who made four trips to London while with the Rams from 2007-21, said the fact the Vikings opted to call a layoff later in the week after that game also factored into the decision .
The Saints also requested a bye later next week. New Orleans will host Seattle in Week 5, but opted for a different travel approach than Minnesota. After visiting Carolina in Week 3, the Saints headed straight to England, arriving Monday.
Asked about the front end of the Vikings’ travel schedule this year with the benefit of years of sports science but almost matching the approach of 1983, Ryan simply shrugged: “Bud was a smart man. He figured it out.”
Ryan also prefers to have fewer days.
“You don’t have to worry about whether the laundry has been done correctly and whether you’re getting everything back in time to get to the players,” Ryan said. “They’re all great there, but you really have less control over what’s going to happen in terms of laundry, getting back on time and being dry.”
Then (1983): Ryan estimated that the Vikings loaded 7,500 pounds of equipment, including top-of-the-line markers and chains that have since become available in the UK.
Former punt returner/receiver Leo Lewis recalled the NFL sending posts “across the pond” to be installed at Wembley Stadium.
Now: The Vikings hauled 20,000 pounds of equipment (Minnesota typically hauls about 17,000 pounds of equipment to its road games).
Why such an increase? Roster size and travel support staff have increased; more clothing options; there is more sports training equipment and technology.
“The travel group probably outnumbers the players now, doesn’t it? It wouldn’t even have been close then,” Ryan said. “There were nine coaches because Bud [Grant] had just increased his coaching staff to nine and there were basically two people from each department. That’s all he had in each department. A lot less departments then.”
Improvement since 2013 & 2017: The Vikings moved into the TCO Performance Center in 2018. The increased size of the venue compared to the space that Winter Park offered helped Ryan and his staff prepare the team.
Ryan said his staff started preparing “pretty much the day we knew we were going.”
Lists were made and orders started.
The Vikings had to present manifests of everything they carried to make them customs.
“It’s a pretty long document, and we immediately started revising it from the last few times, saying ‘OK, we don’t use this anymore, we don’t use that,'” Ryan said. “Replace it with different things, the clothes are made in different countries than just a few years ago, so we have to list the country of origin and the value of everything. So we started going through all that.”
Once the release of the schedule in April made that appearance in London official, Paul Martin and Chad Lundeen said the Minnesota operations department “went into action with everything we could.”
Lundeen and others in an “advanced group” traveled to the UK in late May.
“We sent our chef, we sent IT, team video, athletic trainers, security, just to cover all the bases on the football field,” Lundeen said. “They walk you through everything while you’re there so if you want to fly eight hours, you might as well make sure you see everything you need to see from the hotel to the clinic to the hospitals, you name it. .”
Visiting London will never be considered old hat, but the Vikings’ operations staff has tried to build on past experiences.
Unlike trips to the States that are almost like clockwork because the team often stays in the same hotel each time in a particular city, the Vikings have been in different parts of the London area each time.
“The interesting thing is three trips, three different stadiums, three different hotels, so it’s been a little bit different in different parts of town,” Lundeen said. “So we’re going to a different airport, we’re staying in a different part of the city, in Hanbury, so it’s a little bit new every time, but the league does a good job of organizing all your venues for you, so” You’re not out there having to figure out which hotel we want to stay at, they give you options and they really do all the work for you there.”
The NFL now has support staff to help teams making the trek.
The Vikings will become the first NFL team to play in all three UK stadiums that have hosted NFL games.
1983 at Wembley Stadium: The Vikings headed to Wembley Stadium for training on Friday. The buses carrying the players arrived before the equipment truck.
When the truck arrived, Grant had the players help him unload it and carry their gear into the band room, which was on the first floor (non-field level) and served as Minnesota’s locker room.
“We had to carry everything down the stands to get there,” Ryan recalled. “It was either that or a narrow escape hatch at the back of the stadium.”
Each player’s team was placed on a chair in the band room. Dressed trainers at the hotel.
2013 at Wembley Stadium: The venue now featured locker rooms for each NFL team.
2017 at Twickenham Stadium: Regularly home to rugby matches, Twickenham Stadium first opened in 1909 and has undergone modifications over time. The post-game podium sessions were held in a large hall.
I can still hear Case Keenum saying in a booming voice as he left and Thielen entered, “Man of the match, king of the north.”
2022 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: This brilliant venue opened in 2019. Its design and accommodation benefited from the idea of hosting several NFL games per season. Dress rooms large enough for the size of NFL rosters (53 active players and 16 practice squad players) rather than an English Premier League (26 players listed on Tottenham Hotspur’s squad site ).
The locker rooms are conveniently located near the player entry tunnels and post-match interview rooms. Each locker room has an adjacent theater-style post-game interview room.
1983 (announced attendance of 32,847 at Wembley Stadium): The great venue wasn’t even half full, but it was a start.
“They loved the kickoffs. They went crazy with the kickoffs, and that was the only time they really cheered,” Ryan said. “They saw two teams running around the field and bumping into each other and they enjoyed it.”
Lewis caught three passes for 61 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown, and had a punt return for “about 30 yards,” according to the game summary. Rufus Bess added a 76-yard punt return touchdown.
Doug Martin, who had been unable to leave with his team due to passport issues, said he was still jetlagged. Randy Holloway, however, recorded 5.0 sacks and was quoted as saying, “I don’t ever want to leave here. I’m thinking about starting a league here.”
Lewis said he remembered “a significant number of Americans” who attended, “and they knew football.”
“There were certain circumstances where cultural differences came up,” Lewis recalled. “I think somebody was talking about getting the coaches up in the press box, and then somebody said, ‘What, buses in the press box?’ Because the coach for them is a bus.”
2013 (announced attendance of 83,518 at Wembley Stadium): The Vikings and Steelers were able to play in front of massive crowds, larger than most NFL stadiums in the United States.
A wide range of fans wearing jerseys of other teams joined those in purple Vikings or black Steelers, showing their general fandom of American football.
“They were cheering for good offensive plays or good defensive plays, and you could tell there were fans for both teams in the building,” Ryan said. “Fans of all kinds of teams, the different jerseys you see in the stadium now, there’s a lot of NFL fans.”
2017 (announced Twickenham Stadium attendance 74,237): The crowd were in high spirits, enjoying the pre-match festivities and the inside moments.
With Cleveland as the home team, fans displayed flags of their colors. The Vikings also had an incredible showing of fans.
The crowd cheered at the right times, continued to appreciate the kicks and went exceptionally wild when Adam Thielen broke his football sky after catching an 18-yard pass from Keenum.
2022 (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium attendance to be announced): To be updated.
CBS. Watch Saints games live on CBS.
What channel are the Minnesota Vikings on?
| September | date | tv |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | — | — |
| 8 | October 30, 2022 | FOX |
| 9 | November 6, 2022 | FOX |
| 10 | November 13, 2022 | FOX |
What time is the Vikings game today? what to know The Minnesota Vikings will take on the New Orleans Saints on the road at 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
What channel will the Vikings game be on today?
CBS. Watch Vikings games live on CBS.
What time is the Vikings game on Fox?
You can watch Vikings Gameday live every Sunday morning on FOX 9 and streaming on FOX9.com here. Watch this week’s Vikings Gameday Live from 7-8 a.m. on FOX 9, streaming in the player at the top of the page and on the FOX 9 YouTube page here.
Why was the Vikings game delayed?
Sunday night’s game between the Vikings and the Eagles has been postponed due to a winter storm in the Philadelphia area, the NFL announced today.
Who won the Vikings Green Bay game today?
Many regrets for Green Bay. QB Aaron Rodgers and the offense go to the sideline during Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the Vikings. MINNEAPOLIS â The Packers dropped their first game of the 2022 season to the NFC North rival Vikings 23-7 on Sunday at US Bank Stadium.
Why is Minnesota the Vikings?
Minnesota is a well-known hot spot for Scandinavian culture, so the team’s first general manager, Bert Rose, chose the name Vikings to represent the large number of people in and around Minnesota who could trace their heritage in Scandinavia.
Where can I watch Vikings game tomorrow?
Start your NFL+ free trial today to watch Vikings preseason games live or on demand. NFL+ and NFL+ Premium deliver all the action when you’re on the go. It’s available on the NFL app and at NFL.com/plus.
Can I watch the Vikings game on Roku? Stream to Roku. Vikings, a drama series starring Katheryn Winnick, Travis Fimmel and Gabriel Byrne is now available to stream. Watch it on Apple TV on your Roku device.
What time is Vikings game in London?
Opening: Sunday, September 30 at 8:30 a.m.
What time is Saints Vikings game today?
The Minnesota Vikings will take on the New Orleans Saints on the road at 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
What time do the gates open for Vikings games?
Gate Opening Times For NFL games, the stadium gates will open two (2) hours prior to the event. Door opening hours for special events and concerts in the U.S. Bank Stadium will vary with each event. Please call our Guest Experience Hotline at 612-777-8777 for information about a specific event.
What network is Vikings on?
What network is the Vikings game on tonight?
The game will air on the NFL Network at 8:30 a.m. and will be available to the entire nation. After the game, there will be two time slots where Vikings fans can enjoy football after the game is over. Here’s what Vikings fans will be able to see Sunday afternoon.
Is Vikings on Netflix or prime?
If you want to watch or rewatch the Vikings series, you can find all 89 episodes on Prime Video or Hulu. It has been announced that the show will eventually come to Netflix, but not until at least 2024.
Can I watch the Vikings game on my computer?
Watch Vikings regular season games online via NFL Plus, you can watch full replays of all Vikings games with NFL Premium.
How can I watch Vikings on my laptop?
WATCH: Live and mobile streaming
- Paramount Stream the NFL on CBS with Paramount Plus! …
- FOX Sports. Watch your local FOX game for free on all devices – just sign in with your TV provider credentials. …
- NBC Sports. …
- ESPN. …
- Amazon Prime Video. …
- NFL Sunday Ticket. …
- DIRECTV NFL Ticket Sunday. …
- NFL mobile app.
What App Can I watch the Vikings game on?
Start your free NFL trial today to watch Vikings preseason games live or on demand. NFL and NFL Premium deliver all the action when you’re on the go. It’s available on the NFL app and at NFL.com/plus.
What channel do the Vikings Play on Sunday?
Watch Vikings Gameday live on FOX 9 before kickoff. You can watch Vikings Gameday live every Sunday morning on FOX 9 and streaming on FOX9.com here. Watch this week’s Vikings Gameday Live from 7-8 a.m. on FOX 9, streaming in the player at the top of the page and on the FOX 9 YouTube page here.
What channel are vikings playing on? CBS. Watch Vikings games live on CBS.
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