Mind the gap! : a college football fans guide to a union jack classic weekend
by GEORGE SOMERVILLE
College football has taken us to some pretty special places over the years, but this one is going to feel a little different.
The Union Jack Classic brings the colour, noise and traditions of college football to London, with Arizona State and Kansas meeting beneath the famous arch of Wembley Stadium.
For travelling fans, though, the game is only part of the experience. London is one of the world’s great sporting cities, but it’s also big, busy and occasionally confusing – particularly if your previous experience of public transport involves a parking lot and a tailgate.
So whether you’re a Sun Devil, a Jayhawk or simply a college football fan making a weekend of it, here’s The Touchdown’s guide to navigating London, finding the party and making the most of Union Jack Classic weekend.
A Touchdown guide to London
London baby!
You are arriving in London for the game. Your timeline is flooded with Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and afternoon tea at the Ritz.
But there is so much more to the Nation’s capital and while undoubtedly you’ll do all that stuff, there’s a lot more to London than the headlines!
But more of that later. Let’s start with the biggest question that gets asked. Getting about.
Getting Here
London is one of the World’s greatest cities and, as such, is served incredibly well by airports and train stations.
Flying into Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, City Airport or even Luton or Southend airports, there is a direct transport link into the centre of London from them all.
Most American visitors fly into Heathrow, where the Heathrow Express will get you into Paddington in 15 minutes. But be warned, the price of a ticket reflects the express timeline to get into town!
A very acceptable alternative is London’s newest tube line, the Elizabeth Line. Affordable, clean and quiet, the “Lizzy Line” is a great alternative to get into Paddington (& beyond) and will give you an early introduction to the London Underground service.
The Touchdown Tip: Unless you’re carrying half the contents of the team store, resist the temptation to hire a car. London is a city best navigated by public transport and on foot.
Getting About
Arguably London has the best public transport system in the world. Tokyo may disagree, but getting around in London is very easy. Two words. The Tube.
The London Underground is efficient, safe and relatively cost-effective. If you are staying centrally, then if not walking, the Tube is the answer.
Tube maps are everywhere, but best to download one on your phone or pick up the free copy available at all stations. The lines are color coded, and the station listed on the train and platform is its end destination. But be sure to check your tube map to double-check that your station is shown on that line.
Contactless payment: visitors can use a contactless bank card, phone or watch across London’s transport network. But remember that each traveller needs their own payment method. Kids under 11 travel for free on the tube. When travelling as a group, travel through the wide access or disabled access gate at each station. The adult paying taps their card to open the gate and usher the kids through. Easy!
The Touchdown Tip: Tap in and tap out using the same card or device. Don’t tap in with your phone and tap out with the physical card linked to it – the system treats them as different payment methods.
Cost
The Tube isn’t overly expensive, especially given the frequency and efficiency of the services. It can be busy, especially at peak travel times, but for visitors that is often one of the attractions of travelling on the London Underground. Mind the Gap!
Costs are calculated per trip and finalised at the station you exit. The good thing is if you use your credit card or Oyster card (Transport for London’s travel card), then there is a maximum limit that you can be charged each day.
In summary: London Underground operates a tap-and-go system, so simply tap your credit card on the card reader at every station. This starts your trip, and then the trip cost is calculated when tapping out at your destination station. Easy!
Lets get the party started
WHERE THE PARTY IS – WATERLOO
If Wembley is where the game happens, Waterloo looks set to be where Union Jack Classic weekend begins.
Beneath the railway arches of Waterloo, Passyunk Avenue provides something approaching home territory for travelling American fans. Cheesesteaks, wings, American beer and college football on the screens make it a natural gathering point for the weekend’s events.
It’s also worth exploring the surroundings. Passyunk sits on Leake Street, famous for its graffiti-covered tunnel beneath Waterloo station, while the South Bank, London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are all within walking distance.
In other words: you can attend the fan events, have a beer and still accidentally do some sightseeing.
What’s on and When
Thursday
Pints for Pat: Passyunk Avenue, Waterloo. 6 pm -10 pm
If you are familiar with the connection between ASU and Pat Tillman, you are probably aware of the excellent work that the Tillman Foundation carries out. One of the Foundation’s better-known fundraising events is “Pints for Pat”, which will be held for the first time in London on Thursday 17th. It will be held in the Passyunk Avenue, Waterloo bar from 6.00pm until 10.00pm, and tickets for the event cost £20 and are available from the ASU UK Alumni Charter, who have organised this event.
Friday
UJC Adidas Store Takeover: Oxford Street, 12pm – 4.30pm
Adidas is the official kit supplier to both Schools, with official Union Jack Classic merchandise available over the course of the weekend. On Friday, there will be a UJC takeover of the Adidas store on Oxford Street. As well as UJC merchandise, there will be a pep rally with bands and cheer squads from both Schools plus mascots in store to liven up the atmosphere!
The KU band and spirit squad will be in store from 12pm until 2.30pm, and ASU from 2.30pm until 4.30pm.
Official Union Jack Classic Pregame Party: Passyunk Avenue, Waterloo. 7,00pm – 11.00pm
Friday sees the start of UJC official celebrations at Passyunk Avenue in Waterloo. At 7pm the event starts with Bands and Cheer Squads from both Kansas and Arizona State getting fans ready for the weekend.
From 8 p.m., some of the musical artists from the gameday celebrations at Wembley will give those at Passyunk a sneak peek of their sets on Saturday. Tech N9NE and b2wins will perform live, and DJ Special Ed will bring the party to a conclusion from 10pm-11pm.
Entry is free but sure to be busy as fans descend upon Waterloo to get a taste of the atmosphere. Be sure to get there early!
TOUCHDOWN TIP: It’s also worth mentioning that Passyunk Avenue at Battersea Power Station is also hosting Union Jack Classic fans across the weekend. If at any point you want to see the City by river, I highly recommend jumping on the Thames Clipper river boat service, which will bring you down to Battersea in style. It is nothing short of a spectacular way to go to the pub. A single journey from London Bridge to Battersea will cost around £10.
LONDON in a rush
London for College Football Fans
You’ve arrived for football, but you’ve also never been to London before, so the pressure is on to see the sights. Time is limited, and sights are plentiful. So what and where to see? Rather than set out long and winding itineraries, we at Touchdown Towers suggest short, bite-sized walks that you can do in an afternoon. Given the social aspect of a college football trip, you won’t be surprised to see each walk just happens to end up in the Passyunk bar!
If you’ve only got four hours to see London…
Option 1: Westminster -> Big Ben -> Whitehall -> Trafalgar Square -> Covent Garden -> Waterloo / Passyunk Avenue.
Option 2: Tower of London -> Tower Bridge -> Borough Market -> walk the South Bank -> Waterloo.
Option 3: Buckingham Palace → St James’s Park → Westminster → Big Ben → London Eye → Passyunk
Option 4: London Bridge → Borough Market → Southwark → Tate Modern → South Bank → Passyunk
Option 5: Tower of London → Tower Bridge → Thames → St Paul’s → Waterloo → Passyunk
Eating & Drinking – A Few Things to Know
• Pub etiquette: In many traditional pubs, order drinks and often food at the bar rather than waiting for somebody to come to your table.
• Tipping: Check the restaurant bill before adding a tip. Many London restaurants already add a discretionary service charge, commonly around 12.5%.
• The pint: A British imperial pint is 568ml, compared with roughly 473ml for a US pint. Travelling fans may discover this fact experimentally.
• Closing time: Don’t assume every London bar stays open until the early hours. Check the venue’s opening hours.
Important cultural information: “Fancy a pint?” very rarely means one pint.
The Wembley Way
Getting to Wembley
Travelling to Wembley Stadium is straightforward. Get the tube. The lines will be busy on game day; however, the traffic on the tube is well managed by the Transport for London teams.
If you have never been to Wembley before, you don’t want to miss the walk up Wembley Way, so the station to get off at is Wembley Park. Both Jubilee and Metropolitan lines serve the station. Other stations that serve the Wembley area are Wembley Park (10 min walk), Wembley Central (20 min walk) and Wembley Stadium Rail Station (10 min walk). However, note that this final station is only served by trains and not the Tube.
For a first visit: Wembley Park gives you the classic approach down Olympic Way with the Wembley arch directly ahead. It is part of the experience.
Go early. Don’t plan the journey around arriving 20 minutes before kickoff. Wembley and the surrounding transport network become increasingly busy as kickoff approaches.
what’s on Saturday
where’s the tailgate?
This is London. The parking lot isn’t really part of the deal.
The American tradition of turning acres of stadium parking into an all-day party doesn’t translate particularly well to Wembley, where most supporters arrive by train or Underground. Think pubs, organised fan events and the areas around Wembley Park rather than pickup trucks, grills and coolers.
Embrace the difference. Your pregame beer may come in a pub rather than beside an RV, but there should be no shortage of college football atmosphere.
This is not to say that there is no entertainment for fans outside Wembley in the run-up to the game.
A Fanfest will be in Wembley Arena Square directly across from the Stadium. Both schools’ bands, cheer squads and mascots will all be in the square to keep fans entertained.
But that’s not all, music acts will be on the stage from 10.00am until the tailgate closes at 4.00pm. There will be games and contests to set up, along with food and drink, which will be as close to Tailgate food as the Union Jack Team can get to you!
Big Noon Kick Off
Fox Sports is the TV partner for the game and is bringing their pregame TV show “Big Noon Kick Off” across the pond. This is the first time that BNKO will have been outside the US, so it is exciting for the fans here but also the BNKO team.
The hugely popular show typically travels around BIG10 country, so this will be a real departure from their normal shows. However, the stellar cast of Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, Mark Ingram, Dave Portnoy, Chris “The Bear” Fallica and Urban Meyer will all be in London for the show.
The show starts at 3pm and will be broadcast from outside Wembley Stadium and accessible for fans to watch live. The show will provide the lead-up to kick-off at 5pm.
While the show is available for fans, the good folks at the UJC advise arriving early to the TV set so as to ensure you find a space. A large crowd is anticipated, and available space is expected to fill up quickly. Arrive early to avoid disappointment!
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: WEMBLEY
• Bag policy: Wembley operates a restrictive bag policy. Check the event-specific rules before leaving your hotel.
• Cashless stadium: expect card/contactless payment rather than cash.
• Tickets: have digital tickets loaded and your phone charged before reaching the turnstiles.
• Water and prohibited items: check Wembley’s current event guidance shortly before game day.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Re-check all Wembley policies against the official Union Jack Classic event information immediately before publication.
Practical London
A Few Translations
In America | In London |
Restroom | Toilet / loo |
Line | Queue |
Parking lot | Car park |
Elevator | Lift |
Fries | Chips |
Chips | Crisps |
Check | Bill |
Takeout | Takeaway |
Subway | Underground / Tube |
Soccer | Football – tread carefully |
College | Something completely different |
Football: for one weekend at least, we’ll allow you to use the word exactly as you intended.
Practical London
• 999 – emergency services.
• 111 – NHS non-emergency medical help.
• 101 – non-emergency police.
• Weather – bring something waterproof even if the forecast looks good.
• Power – the UK uses Type G three-pin plugs and 230V mains electricity.
• Mobile data – check international roaming arrangements before travelling.
• Payments – cards and contactless payments are widely accepted, so there is little need to carry large amounts of cash.
Closing Thoughts
College football is at its best when it becomes more than three hours on a Saturday.
It’s the people you meet, the bars you take over, the traditions you bring with you and the stories you take home. London might be thousands of miles from Tempe and Lawrence, but for one weekend Waterloo and Wembley are going to feel considerably closer.
Wear your colours. Learn how to use the Tube. Have a pint with somebody from the other side. See a little of London.
And when you walk down Olympic Way and see the Wembley arch above you, take a moment to appreciate just how wonderfully strange this is.
College football has come to London.
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.
