DETROIT LIONS 10-45 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS... WEMBLEY, NOVEMBER 1st, 2015...

The Bodging appears to like Wembley...
Me too...

Club Wembley...

The Bodging has just spotted De'Anthony Thomas...

The back shelf of my car...

First view of Wembleyhead Stadium...

LIONS CAGED AS RAMPANT CHIEFS ROCK WEMBLEY…

DETROIT LIONS 10-45 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, 1989: the London Ravens were beaten 26-22 by the Birmingham Bulls and that had been my only experience of live Grid Iron, until the Chiefs ‘hosted’ the Detroit Lions at Wembley Stadium on November 1st. 

Treasured...

I really was there...

Having shown a mild interest in the UK’s early TV coverage of the NFL, I had been quite taken with the Raiders’ uniforms and of course their logo but then I saw them playing against the Chiefs and I was immediately hooked by KC’s outfits, the fine logo and their excellent stadium, notwithstanding the fact that I was a devotee of the music of Brewer and Shipley. Their track called ‘On the Road In Kansas City’ was a favourite of mine and I was fascinated by their mentions of Missouri, the Platte River, etc, in their songs and so the Chiefs fitted well for me. And then a commentator at one game, on seeing a pass taken along the right sideline for a Chiefs TD declared sumptuously, almost musically: “TOUCHDOWN, KANSAS CITY!” Thus I really became attached to the franchise. Carlos Carson, Deron Cherry, Nick Lowery, Marcus Allen, Stephone Paige and of course Derrick Thomas all entertained and excited me from afar, as well as intriguing me. I bought a jersey with Tony Gonzalez’s name on the back and had often annoyed people by mentioning the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’, or Christian Okoye, whose straight-ahead running became so legendary.

Dustin looks for his punting pole...

Alex flexes an arm...

A Pride of Lions...

And so to Wembley in 2015…

Tickets were purchased at the first available opportunity, way back in early 2015, a hotel was booked for an overnight stay, which was duly cancelled due to the early kick-off time and the unavailability of trains from Solihull to London when they were needed. Hence I was forced to book a car-park space and drive, which I really didn’t mind at all. The tickets were carefully treasured, a new hooded top was bought online, The Bodging was decorated with red and yellow ribbons, Halloween passed quietly and THE day arrived…

Sean Smith: interceptor...

Winchester? Does he have an arm like a rifle?

Team bonds with clenched fists...

My recently acquired Audi’s in-car computer informed me that a front tyre was down a little, after only a few miles of driving on the M40 highway, however. I was horrified. Surely I wouldn’t miss this big opportunity to see the Chiefs… I pulled into Warwick Services, checked the pressures, pumped air into the tyre in question and prayed silently… My tickets burned in a pocket, my Chiefs baseball cap and Gonzalez shirt lay forlorn on the rear shelf of the car, I updated the computer’s memory and although despondent, I set off again, hopefully. All was good however and hopes were revived, as I drove onto the A40 and entered the outskirts of London.

Marcus Peters: effective...

Although in plenty of time, the final three miles took over an hour to negotiate, with stop-start driving, selfish people pushing into traffic queues and ignorant drivers disregarding road rules but eventually, after being diverted in a laborious loop to reach the Green Car Park, I was able to leave the car and head for the entrance to Wembley. The tickets were for Club Wembley and I hadn’t realised how good the facilities were in that section, especially having seen two non-league soccer games just days before this, at Coalville Town on Tuesday and with 77 other hardy individuals at Alsager Town the day before… Not quite the same.

Also treasured...

The layout was smart, the food outlets good, the bars decent and the cleaning staff were remarkably efficient. The ‘dogs’ were huge, tasty and palatable but I was particularly pleased that I hadn’t joined the enormous queue for the merchandise store outside the stadium and been held there, standing like a wraith left over from Halloween for a very long time. I shall always treasure my match day magazine, however…

Sean Smith leads an impromptu Hip-Hop Conga...

There he goes...

Sean Smith: 5 solo tackles and an interception...

The Chiefs’ warm-up routines were fascinating but I was particularly pleased to see De’Anthony Thomas catching passes from Alex Smith, for Thomas had so impressed me in his Oregon college days with his exciting rushing and kick-returning. Sean Smith led the defensive backs onto the field and his extrovert antics amused as he led his chaps on a jog around the field. Smith would play well, nabbing an interception of a Matt Stafford pass, as would Justin Houston.

De'Anthony Thomas: rushes 1-10 (TD); receiving 3-22; punt returns 6-41 & kick-off returns 1-27.
100 all-purpose yards...

The entertainment on stage was rather incongruous however and provided not by hip-hop, or R & B performers but by, er, Madness… Madness? ’Baggy Trousers’? What??? This was the NFL… The anthems were stirring, the presentation of footballs to injured military personnel was emotional and the game began well for the Lions.

Chiefs en masse...
6 sacks of Matt Stafford: 1 each by Derrick Johnson & Dontari Poe,  2 by Ron Parker, 1.5 by Justin Houston & 0.5 by Tamba Hali...

Expressions of concern...

Cheerleaders...

This was utter madness...

Matt Stafford’s first drive was his best, despite only resulting in a field-goal but then my day was made: Thomas took a deft hand-off by Alex Smith and ran in for a TD, after which he made a point of thanking the blockers who permitted a clear path into the left corner. Charcandrick West, having to take on the absent Jamal Charles’ role, did so rather well, averaging 4.8 yards per carry to total 97 yards rushing, adding a TD too. Alex Smith, behind a determined offensive-line, looked competent, confident and commanding for much of the time and his two long rushes were integral in the Chiefs’ big victory.

The Lions prowl into Chiefs' Kingdom...

KC's entrance is flagged up...

Time for reflection...

Anthems...

Stirring...
Andy Reid looks poised...

...and so we got loud...

The Lions really did struggle throughout and Stafford was sacked, or intercepted at vital moments, thus handing the initiative to the Chiefs, whose defence looked particularly proficient. After their only TD, the Lions then conceded another score, this time courtesy of back-up Spencer Ware’s rush and KC were home and dry. The victory was enjoyable but the pride I felt was strong too, a feeling added to later that evening, for the Kansas City Royals baseball team won the World Series on the road in New York…

Huddling for a TD...

...& De'Anthony gets one...

Then Robin De'Anthony Hood offers thanks to Travis Little John Kelce for the block offered...

The loneliness of the kick-returner...

...before being flattened, of course...

The atmosphere in and around Wembley was remarkable, with shirts of many NFL teams visible and I was amazed at how many Chiefs fans had turned up, with red, yellow and white seemingly everywhere… As I left the stadium to find a meal, I passed a veteran ‘sturdy’ Detroit fan wearing what looked like blue lederhosen… I only wish I’d taken a photo of him…

De'Anthony ponders another return...

The Chiefs celebrate Kelce's TD...

Detroit was drowned by this Red Sea...

More points...

De'Anthony and the impressive Charcandrick West, who received 4 passes to gain 25 yards, but also rushed 20 times for 97 yards and a TD...

Another rushing TD...
Spencer Ware this time...

It’s what I usually do…

Grateful thanks...

Alex Smith: 145 yards passing, sacked 3 times, but rushed 5 times for 78 yards and a TD...

Chris Conley poses at the finish...

340 total yards by the Chiefs, 34.14 was the time of possession, no turnovers were committed & the team completed 24 1st Downs to Detroit's 16...