? London set to host regular-season game for fifth straight year
? Match remains threatened by current NFL pay dispute
The NFL has announced that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Chicago Bears at Wembley on 23 October, if the league season goes ahead.
However, a question mark remains over whether the game will be staged in London due to the current league lockout as a result of the failure to renegotiate the collective-bargaining agreement between team owners and players. There is a danger that the dispute could see the season cancelled, and an NFL statement said that if it is not resolved by 1 August the game will be played at the Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium.
Should the fixture go ahead in London, however, it will be the fifth consecutive year that a regular-season game has been played there, with the Buccaneers becoming the first side to make a second visit to the capital following their defeat to the New England Patriots in 2009.
The Bears, who reached the NFC championship game last season, also have links to Wembley after playing a pre-season game, the first official NFL match held in Britain, at the old ground 25 years ago.
"Our past four games in London have demonstrated the tremendous passion for NFL football that exists in the UK," said the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. "We hope by staging another extraordinary game at Wembley that we can continue to grow our existing fan base and attract even more new fans."
The London mayor, Boris Johnson, added: "Continuing London's love affair with the hugely popular State-side sport, we are proud to once again to welcome two top NFL teams to the capital. With a growing local fanbase it is a fantastic opportunity for enthusiasts from London and beyond to experience the unique thrill of a live game in one of the most iconic sports venues around."
The full schedule for the 2011 NFL season is set to be unveiled on Tuesday.
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