When the NFL came to Europe

In 1991, the NFL decided to create an international league of American football teams.

Six new teams were formed in the USA, one in Canada and three in Europe. This eventually became an entirely European league in 1995, with teams in Germany, Spain, The Netherlands and the UK.

Oliver Luck was involved in the formation of the project between 1991 and 2000. He shares his memories with Tim O’Callaghan.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.

Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

(Photo: Frankfurt Galaxy players celebrating winning the World Bowl in 2003. Credit: Action Images/John Sibley via Reuters)