American football fans attending an NFL fan zone at Wembley Stadium this week will be restricted to four alcoholic drinks in a bid to prevent rowdy behaviour.
Rival sides Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans will face off at the north west London stadium on Sunday, October 18, with a makeshift NFL fan zone created in a car park. Ahead of the division clash, Brent Council has approved an application by Wembley National Stadium Ltd, the private company that operates the ground, for a new licence to host a one-day NFL fan zone on the day of the game, which kicks off at 2.30pm.
Licence approved despite objections
The company applied for a licence to provide live and recorded music from 9.30am until 9.30pm, as well as to sell alcohol, in a temporary fan zone in its Green Car Park, off First Way, on Sunday. A resident had objected to the application because of the thousands of people it would attract, the noise it was likely to create and the impact of alcohol sales.
However, following consideration by councillors on Brent Council's Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee on Monday, the fan zone licence was approved.
Four-drink limit and safety measures
During the licence hearing, Councillor Floyd Dias Do Rosario questioned why alcohol sales were needed at the event. A representative from Wembley Stadium said that a four-drink limit would be implemented, with trained staff enforcing a Challenge 25 policy.
In its application, the company explained that this is not the first time the car park has been used as a fan zone, as it has been used for this purpose at an annual event over the past four years. The fan zone's capacity will be limited to fewer than 3,250 attendees to ensure the event's safety.
Organisers said it would not be an open-air event, promised tight security and for noise to be monitored throughout. The Green Car Park fan zone will include food, drinks, live entertainment and competitions.
Police content with plans
Stadium officials said the additional facility was required because other areas across the Wembley Stadium site are due to be used for other purposes such as merchandise. To counter concern that alcohol sales could cause public nuisance, the company said it had liaised with the Metropolitan Police regarding the day's conditions. They said police were "content" with the plans, while pointing to a public spaces protection order in place around the stadium.
The order prohibits drinking on Olympic Way and the surrounding area for all events at Wembley Stadium. Sunday's match is the latest NFL game to be hosted in London after two took place earlier this month at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Indianapolis Colts defeated Washington Commanders on Sunday October 4 and Philadelphia Eagles narrowly lost to Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Ahead of the Jaguars-Eagle match, Trafalgar Square was turned into a two-day American football experience, with free entry for fans across Friday and Saturday. Attention will now switch from Tottenham to Wembley, with the Jaguars once again in action in the capital this weekend.
