Let me tell you what I did today.

Well my day today (yesterday now, took a while to write this), actually started on the 6th July when I got an email from hospitality at Wembley stadium, asking whether I'd like to go to a NFL private evening taking place today, the 15th.

Now some of you may know that I am rather partial to a bit of football, so I responded that I'd be more than happy to take them up on the offer and promptly booked the day off work. The itinerary was:
♦ 18:30 Arrive for Champagne Reception
♦19:00 - 19:20 Q&A with Vernon Davis TE 49ers
♦19:20 - 19:30 Signing of Autographs
♦19:30 - 20:15 Screening of America's Game - Super Bowl XXIII
♦20:15 - 20:30 Neil Reynolds and Mike Carlson discuss the 49ers past, present and future
♦20:30 Finish.

They replied saying how nice it would be to see me and that I could take a guest (the wife). Now my wife is a wonderful woman, has to be to put up with my nonsense, and she took a couple of hours off work.
We made our way up from rainy old Kent to our nations capital, enjoying the fact the kids weren't with us. I'd decided to put on a Bills jersey, something I do from time to time you know.

We had a few hours to kill so a trip round Covent garden and Trafalgar Square, seemed like a good idea. We then decided that we needed a bit of culture and had a look round the National portrait gallery (it is free admission). While staring at people, staring at paintings I felt a hand on my elbow and there was a pleasant looking woman, " Are you guys from Buffalo?" she asks, in an American accent. She wasn't expecting an Englishman to reply, "No, one of the few Bills fans from England." She was from Buffalo and was amazed that there are Bills fans here.

On to Wembley. As we approached the stadium my good lady asks me, "How many people will be there do you think?" I tell her that a NFL player and Mike Carlson and Neil Reynolds wouldn't be here for less than a thousand or so. As we get to the entrance there's no one else about, strange I'm thinking, where is everyone? Security staff on the door welcome us and check us off a very small list, place a band round our wrists and tell us to take the escalators to the third floor.

Up we go and we make our way to the pitch side restaurant, past corporate boxes. We are handed Champagne and are shown into a room containing several people in suits, Mike Carlson among them. I'm staring to feel very under dressed in my Marshawn Lynch Bills home jersey, jeans and trainers that I went quad biking in on Sunday(covered in dust!). Then I notice a Giants fan sitting outside in the club Wembley seats, he's in a jersey, cap and jeans so I feel much better. There's only about 60 - 80 people here!

The evening begins with a Q&A session with Vernon Davis, TE for the 49ers. Neil Reynolds kicks off the questions and then opens it up to the floor. First question come from a Cards fan ( same division as the niners) nice bit of banter between the two, I like Vernon he has a good sense of humour and seems to be enjoying himself.

Q&A over Vernon walks towards the back of the room to sign autographs. As he gets up to me he grabs my bills jersey by the shoulder and gives me a friendly shake. Wife and I follow and get an autograph and Vernon asks whether the Bills will keep Marshawn Lynch, probably not I say and he say's we should as he's a good player. I tell him I hope to see the Niners in the Superbowl against the Bills and that he'd be on the losing side, I move out of range of those 13 TD's last season catching hands ( huge) and Vernon laughs.

We then make our way back to the seats and I find myself talking to Mike Carlson, who I really like. Very gracious man, answering all my questions about the Bills, Chan Gailey, and whether Brett Favre will be back, awful, don't understand that and of course he will were the answers. We then chatted about which teams were the ones to watch and Mike has his money on the Ravens this season.

We watch the 1988 Niners America's Game, whilst free drink and canapés were served and then Neil and Mike gave there thoughts and answered questions on the Niners season and football in general. At the end a name was pulled from a hat to win a Alex Smith and Vernon Davis signed T-shirt and now my wife is the proud owner of said shirt!

A thoroughly enjoyable evening, thank you Wembley. Sometimes it's fun being me!

Sounds like a great night!! Especially with me being a niners fan!

Wow, absolutely superb night. Very envious of you!

That sounds like an amazing night. Were they disappointed in the turn-out or was the low attendance "by design?"

It sounds like the players were down-to-earth, which is cool. It's hard to like a snob.

As for the Buffalo fan in London, take it from a Buffalonian -- we export a lot of our populace (due to our "rust-belt" status) but at least they remember their roots!

CollectorsProof wrote:

That sounds like an amazing night. Were they disappointed in the turn-out or was the low attendance "by design?"

It sounds like the players were down-to-earth, which is cool. It's hard to like a snob.

As for the Buffalo fan in London, take it from a Buffalonian -- we export a lot of our populace (due to our "rust-belt" status) but at least they remember their roots!

It was definitely by design I'm sure. I'd rather be in Buffalo than London any day!

nice one simon are you in the masons mate how you manage that

markg wrote:

nice one simon are you in the masons mate how you manage that

I just got an email out of the blue. I believe because I had club Wembley tickets for the Giants Dolphins game and they were trying to get people to buy season tickets.

Mate i was there too! Would have said hello if i'd known. Davis was superb taking the mickey out of the cardinals and giants fan.

Wot a nite. Davis signed my sons football. Will never forget it.

Hekler21 wrote:

Mate i was there too! Would have said hello if i'd known. Davis was superb taking the mickey out of the cardinals and giants fan.

Wot a nite. Davis signed my sons football. Will never forget it.

It was pretty awesome wasn't it!