Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy explains why it took until now for franchise to play in London | NFL News

Listen to more of Sky Sports’ interview with Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy on the latest episode of Inside the Huddle with Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold

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The Good Morning Football team announce the NFL International Series home teams for the five regular season games in 2022, which includes a first ever trip to London for the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy is expecting to feel at home when one of the NFL’s storied franchises finally crosses the pond for its first ever game in London next season.

It was announced last month the Packers will stage a home game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this autumn, meaning they will complete a long-awaited clean sweep as the 32nd and final NFL team to have played in the capital since the International Series began in 2007.

The New Orleans Saints are also scheduled to host a game at Spurs, while the Jacksonville Jaguars will make their return to Wembley Stadium for the first time since 2019.

Murphy is anticipating a Lambeau-like atmosphere when travelling Packers and European Packers come together.

“We’ve got so many fans in Europe and I know we’ve got a huge fan base in both the UK and Ireland and I’ve heard from so many people, they just keep saying they’re ecstatic and beside themselves, can’t wait for the game, it’s going to be like a home game for the Packers,” Murphy told Sky Sports NFL’s Inside the Huddle.

Murphy explains that the delay in the Packers’ trip to the UK has been out of loyalty to their famous Lambeau faithful as opposed to a lack of desire to play internationally.

Such is the strength of the organisation’s travelling support that he expects to see a significant Packers contingent accompany them over from Wisconsin.

“We’ve got a waiting list of almost 200,000 people so season tickets are hard to come by, obviously with the secondary market now people are willing to pay an awful lot of money to see games at Lambeau Field and then the flip side is we travel so well.

“There are two reasons we haven’t played international game yet, we’re a small market, by far the smallest in the NFL, so home games in Green Bay mean so much to the local economy that we were reluctant to take a home game away and then when we travel our fans are everywhere, you’re going to hear a lot about ‘Packers Everywhere’, it’s something we started a number of years ago, it’s kind of the social network, but it really is true, our fans are everywhere and they travel everywhere.

“We really, for our away games, feel like we have a home field advantage. There have been two or three times I’ve been here where the home team has had to go to silent count because our fans were so loud.

“It’s a big advantage and really excited to see all the Packer faithful come out in full force.”

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NBC Sports’ Michael Smith says the Green Bay Packers could not let the two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers leave for another team.

Leading the team will be back-to-back MVP-winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers following the announcement he is staying put in Green Bay amid uncertainty over his future with the team, while star wide receiver Davante Adams is also set to make the trip having been the recipient of the Packers’ franchise tag.

What’s more, the Packers likely arrive as Super Bowl contenders coming off three successive 13-win campaigns under Matt LaFleur.

A role in one of the most eagerly-anticipated international showcases in league history notably entails a first-person look at the NFL-made Spurs stadium, with Murphy keen to compare notes.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium because before they moved in and built their new stadium about five or six executives from Tottenham came and visited us and had heard great things about Lambeau Field,” he explained.

“They were particularly interested in some of the fan amenities we had around the stadium, the development we were starting around the stadium, had a great visit and I’m really looking forward to visit.

“I’m anxious to see what kind of things they’ve added to the stadium that might be similar to Lambeau.”

Murphy adds he has been “impressed” by the league’s global expansion in recent years and has praised the NFL for its vision beyond the United States.

His message to UK fans? Get ready for some traditional Packers tailgating…

Listen to more of Sky Sports’ interview with Mark Murphy on the latest episode of Inside the Huddle with Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold.