NFL Fan in England

At Wembley Stadium

Simon Myers, 42

Longtime Miami Dolphins and NFL fan living in the UK

From High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK

Now located in Ipswich, Suffolk, UK

Twitter: @SimonNMyers

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What is your forte?

I’ve been a long-suffering Dolphins fan for over 30 years!

What is your day job?

I work for Willis, a Global Insurance broker.

When you were a child, did you conceive of doing this sort of thing when you grew up? What did you want to be?

I always knew I’d be a fan once I started to watch the NFL but never did I think in my wildest dreams I’d be watching regular season games at Wembley Stadium.

That’s a giant Union Jack

Do you belong to any organizations?

I’m a member of Dolfan UK – the officially recognized fan club of the Dolphins in the UK, and a Season Ticket holder for the International Series games at Wembley Stadium.

Apart from being an NFL and Miami Dolphins fan, I am also a Fantasy Football junkie. I’ve been a member of the same League for the last 15 years, with other players around the World in the UK, Europe and US (I have even met some of them). It’s a very competitive league and I am pleased to say I have won the Championship twice. This might not seem many considering the number of seasons we’ve been playing, but consider that no one else has won the league more than two times.

I’m also a member of the Tuesday Morning Football Live Fantasy League (@TMFootballUK), which is a League run by the UK based podcast of the same name. This League also contains some ‘celebs’ such as Mark Hunter (GB Olympic Gold Medalist – rowing), Nat Coombs (UK TV Broadcaster/Presenter of Sunday Night Football Live and a weekly highlights show, plus host of the Americarnage and The Extra Yard podcasts), plus Author and NFL Superfan Adam Goldstein (Tailgate to Heaven).

I also take part in a work Fantasy League with some colleagues who are based in New York.

What personal attributes must someone have in order to be able to be this kind of fan?

One needs to have a lot of patience when supporting the Dolphins.

“I used to set my alarm so I could wake up in the middle of the night at 2 AM to listen to the game on Armed Forces Radio, which was usually a dodgy signal.”

What made you interested in American Football in the first place?

My Dad introduced me to the NFL.  The first game I watched was the Dolphins vs. the Chargers, and I liked the way the Fins #13 kept throwing the ball waaaaaaayyyyy down field. The Dolphins lost in overtime but I was hooked.

How did you learn about the sport?

My Dad taught me the basic rules when he introduced me to the sport back in the mid 1980’s. If he hadn’t done that, who knows whether I would have taken such an interest. Not many of my mates are fans of the NFL so I rely on banter with my Dad, who is still a fan (the Raiders, oh dear!) at 71 years of age.

Father and son bonding

How many hours do you devote to following football per week?

Three hours every Sunday evening watching Live games or Red Zone (love the Octobox!), following the Dolphins games on NFL.com Gamecenter, plus many more hours catching up on Twitter and other NFL sites. I listen to Miami Dolphin games on the NFL Audio Pass which is free outside of the US to anyone who downloads the NFL Mobile App on their Smartphone or Tablet.

Do you do this year-round? Is it seasonal?

All year round, there is always something going on.

Do you travel as part of this pastime?

I travel to Wembley Stadium to watch the International Series games, to London for the Super Bowl party hosted by @TMFootballUK, and to London again for the annual TMF Live Fantasy League Draft.

A view from the stands

If you could change one thing about being a fan from a different country, what would it be?

I’d change the kick off times! The time difference can be a killer, especially for the late Sunday and mid-week games. So nowadays, if the Dolphins games are on TV at these times I tend to record them on my Satellite box (I think Americans call it Tivo? [DVR – Ed.]) and watch them the next day. I go on a sports blackout to try and not find out the score which doesn’t always work!

What do you typically wear when engaging in this pastime?

My personalized Miami Dolphins game jersey numbered #13.

How does technology impact your ability to be a fan?

Without the Internet, I don’t think I’d be able to follow the NFL as much, and I certainly wouldn’t be playing Fantasy Football.

Do you use any particular tools specific to this pastime?

Satellite TV, iPad, iPhone and an Internet connection.

Have you received any injuries connected to being a fan? If so, what?

No injuries as such, but my camera broke once. I went to Miami in 2002 with my brother and my camera broke before the game. I have no photos (only memories of a defeat to the Bills) and I haven’t made it back to Miami since.

Are there any words or terms used in this pastime that you could share and explain?

Any fan of the NFL would know all the jargon and terminology used. But, in my opinion, “New York Bozo” is better than “Omaha.”

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about what you do?

Anyone in the UK who doesn’t follow the NFL tend to think there are too many breaks in play and many complicated rules.  I would say to them give it a chance and you might enjoy it.

What is the hardest part of being a fan of American Football?

Watching your mediocre team, year after year.

Mr. Myers sporting his jersey

Is your pastime ever mundane? Do you ever stop doing it?

Watching the NFL or supporting the Dolphins is never mundane.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?

Watching the Dolphins play well, or seeing my Fantasy Football team do well!

What is it you love about being a fan of football?

Just being a fan and following your team hoping that one day they will come good and be Champions.

People would be surprised to know that:

As a kid, if the Dolphins were playing on Monday Night Football, I used to set my alarm so I could wake up in the middle of the night at 2 AM to listen to the game on Armed Forces Radio, which was usually a dodgy signal. Despite having school the next day of course.

Without fail, I used to put my Miami Dolphins sweater on when I got home from school, each and every day for a year. That is, until my Mum nabbed it and put it in the wash!

What advice would you give someone interested in taking up this pastime?

Stay loyal and support your team through thick and thin (mostly thin in my case!)

Can you please share an anecdote about being a Miami Dolphins fan?

The first of my two trips to Miami to see a game was in 1999 where I would finally get to see Dan Marino play Quarterback for the Dolphins. He was my all-time hero.  He got injured 6 or 7 weeks before I was due to travel, plenty of time to recover I thought. I travelled all that way to Miami to watch Dan play and he didn’t recover in time.  He returned to action the following week when I was home. I was gutted.