Wembley 2017: events round-up

With just over 30 days until the Ravens play in London, the first details have emerged of fan events around the city. There will be more to come, particularly from NFL UK, but here’s what we know so far about the timetable for the week.

Thursday Sept 21
5-7pm: Welcome to London event at The Admiralty Pub, Trafalgar Square
Poe, cheerleaders and the Marching Ravens will be on hand to welcome fans with giveaways and raffles.

Friday Sept 22
All day: Ravens arrive and practice at Hazlewood
After arriving at Heathrow first thing in the morning, the Ravens will practice at the Hazlewood rugby facility in the afternoon. The 63-acre site in Sunbury-on-Thames, in south west London, is the training ground for London Irish and has hosted NFL teams before. The practice will not be open to the public.
9am-1pm: Purple Friday Bus Tour
A Ravens-themed double decker bus will tour various London landmarks, with Poe, the cheerleaders and the Marching Ravens.
1.30-3pm: Pep Rally at The Admiralty Pub, Trafalgar Square
Once the bus tour arrives back at the pub there will be a fan rally featuring (you guessed it) Poe, the cheerleaders and the Marching Ravens.
6pm: Live recording of The Lounge podcast at The Admiralty Pub, Trafalgar Square
At some point in the afternoon, Garrett Downing and Ryan Mink, of the Ravens media team, will record a live version of their podcast, previewing the game.
4-7pm: UKRavens meetup at The Prince Edward pub, Bayswater
Get together for UK and Irish Ravens fans (and anyone else who wants to pop along) during happy hour at this west London pub.
5pm-Late: Flying Dog tap takeover at Bodeans Soho
Boedeans is a great barbecue restaurant, with branches across town. Flying Dog, a Maryland-based brewery, will be doing a takeover at the Soho branch all weekend and there will be Maryland-inpired barbecue.

Saturday Sept 23
Morning: Ravens walkthrough at Wembley Stadium
The usual walkthrough practice session ahead of the game. Not open to the public.
11am-2pm: Fans-only London tour
Organised by the UKRavens, this three-hour tour of the London sights costs £25 per person. Contact them for details.
11am-4pm WNST Purple Pep Rally, Fox@ExCel Pub, Docklands
Baltimore sports radio station WNST hosts a Ravens fan party at this Docklands pub. Enjoy some food and drink with fellow fans before a ride on the Emirates cable car over the Thames to the O2 Arena, where they plan to take a massive group photo at around 4pm. Should be a fun afternoon.
12pm-3pm NFL UK Live at the Landmark Hotel, Marylebone
Neil Reynolds hosts another NFL UK Live event, featuring “legendary players from the two teams” and other guests. Tickets are £7 and are on sale from 2pm on Thursday, September 14.
1pm-5pm: Flying Dog tap takeover at Bodeans Soho
Continuing Flying Dog’s takeover, this afternoon features appearances from Poe, the Ravens cheerleaders and the Marching Ravens band.
3pm-4.30pm: Jeremy Maclin at JD Sports, Oxford Street
Pop along and meet the Ravens’ new wide receiver at the JD Sports store on Oxford Street, in association with New Era.
6pm-8pm: Ravens Flock Party at The Admiralty Pub, Trafalgar Square
As with the other events at The Admiralty, expect Poe, the cheerleaders and the Marching Ravens. This time there should be some former players present, as well as giveaways and raffles.

Sunday Sept 24
10.30am: UKRavens pre-game drinks at The Green Man pub
A short walk from the stadium, the pub has a large beer garden which will be full of Ravens fans on the morning of the game.
12pm-Late: Flying Dog tap takeover at Bodeans Soho
The takeover continues (see Friday events) – a great place to watch the game if you aren’t going to Wembley.
2.30pm: Baltimore Ravens vs Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium
The main event! If you’ve never been before, there will be some stalls outside the stadium – selling food, promoting things like Gamepass and Madden and selling merchandise. Most NFL Shop stalls cover all 32 teams; at least one will be just Jaguars and Ravens merch.

Monday Sept 25
2-4pm: UKRavens fan trip to Windsor Castle
A good opportunity to chew over the game with fellow fans, this trip to and tour of Windsor Castle will cost £40 each. Again, email UKRavens for details.