TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) weren’t so brilliant on Sunday — losing 26-7 to the Denver Broncos.
But for 115 fans from across the pond, it was still an amazing weekend at Raymond James Stadium.
“The atmosphere is absolutely incredible,” David Cambridge, a Bucs fan from the UK, said. “It’s a real entertainment experience. For those of us who follow soccer in the UK, it’s about the sport. Here, it’s an event. It’s just fantastic.”
The Bucs UK Fan Club is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Formed in 1984 with only six members, it is the longest-running NFL fan club in the UK.
“It started as a newsletter of the press coverage that came from the States,” Bucs UK founding member Gareth James said. “It was put together by the guy who founded the club. He would send it out to members so we could stay in touch with what was going on.”
These fans could have picked any team in the NFL to support, but they chose to root for a franchise that had lost its first 26 games.
James became a Bucs fan in 1981 when he bought a creamsicle t-shirt at 10 years old.
“I didn’t know who they were, but I thought the colors were nice. The creamsicle orange was nice,” he said. "Then I found out how bad they were at the time. The first few years I supported them they were 2-14 and 2-14. I thought they got to get better eventually.”
The Bucs did get better with two Super Bowl championships.
Today — the club has around 500 members.
“I’ve been a Bucs fan since 2007,” Alan Taylor said. “We were on a family holiday. We came to a game. Loved it. We’ve been coming back every year ever since.”
These fans are dedicated. They have to be. They’re tuned in to every game, no matter what time Tampa Bay kicks off.
“Primetime doesn’t even start at half past one in the morning here,” Cambridge said. "We’re up, we’re watching it live. It’s over at five in the morning, then off to work two hours later.”
“It’s amazing. It’s true fandom,” Buccaneers COO Brian Ford said. "We’ve built friendships over the years. These fans are like our normal Buccaneer fans. They’re passionate, and we are very grateful for it.”
