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Wednesday 9 October 2019 09:09, UK
When the Oakland Raiders and the Chicago Bears kick off their week-five fixture in the NFL, a vision - which was four years in the making - will be realised.
The architect of that dream: Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has earned numerous plaudits since its much-anticipated opening earlier this year, hosts its first NFL match on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
A purpose-built pitch will replace the usual turf on which Mauricio Pochettino's side play and the visiting stars from the USA will have access to their own unique dressing rooms, designed specifically to accommodate the 53-man rosters.
NFL UK's managing director Alistair Kirkwood told Sky Sports News: "Ultimately it is Daniel's vision and it is all down to him. Kudos needs to go to him.
"The whole concept of having a NFL field underneath a Premier League football field, when we first got told about it there were open mouths trying to work out how it would actually work.
"Not only did he sell it to us, but he carried it off. I hope he will be proud on Sunday when we play that first game.
"We're blessed and honoured with where we are currently at with regards to stadiums.
"Wembley is a home from home for us, that's something really special. Then, to be able to ground share with a Premier League team, have our own field and have our own locker rooms is incredibly exciting."
In 2007, the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants met at Wembley with rain pouring down and great sods of turf kicking up, writes Richard Graves.
It was not the spectacle the NFL or Kirkwood had hoped for as a first regular-season game in London and yet, the fans loved it. Kirkwood recalled that first match-up, having been told: "If it goes well, there maybe another game in the UK in 2011, again in 2015 and so on."
Despite the atrocious conditions, it went better than expected. Another regular-season game followed in 2008 and each subsequent year.
Two games were played in London in 2013. By 2015 there were three and that became four in 2017.
Now there are purpose-built facilities incorporated into the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that will become the 186th venue to host an NFL game when the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders meet on Sunday.
Kirkwood talks about this with great enthusiasm and pride. Rightly so, but what about a franchise based in the UK? Is that still on the agenda or is the NFL riding back on the idea?
Kirkwood won't commit to a date but he will not shy away from it either stating: "As long as fans keep coming, we'll keep talking."
Ultimately, the NFL find themselves in a very favourable position. Kirkwood points out that only last week Sky Sports devoted around 90 hours to NFL programming.
A Premier League owner - Daniel Levy - sought out the NFL and designed a stadium specifically to house NFL games alongside the Premier League.
The bottom line is, the NFL has never been more popular in the UK. This project has moved on.
Now the issue is how do you grow this market further? How do Alistair Kirkwood and co. cement London's reputation as an NFL destination alongside New York, LA and Dallas as a matter of course? That next phase begins this weekend at the league's newest venue.
Don't worry if you missed the live action on Sunday, as our two-hour highlights show has you covered. We bring you the best of the action on Sky Sports, including all the top plays, analysis and moments from the studio.
The jam-packed show airs at 7am on Monday mornings on Sky Sports Action, and if you miss it, it is repeated at 9pm and available On Demand.
