Tottenham Hotspur stadium is packed as the NFL release footage for Oakland Raiders Chicago Bears

Tottenham Hotspur stadium is packed to the rafters as the NFL release footage showing the stadium’s stunning transformation for Oakland Raiders’ win over Chicago Bears

  • New footage has shown fans packed to the rafters ahead of the NFL last Sunday
  • The timelapse footage reveals the changes made to the Spurs’ new stadium
  • Innovative technology is used so that no damage is done to the playing field
  • 60,000 fans watched the Oakland Raiders defeat Chicago Bears 24-21  

The NFL has released new footage showing fans packed to the rafters as the Tottenham Hotspur stadium undergoes a stunning transformation to welcome the NFL to the United Kingdom. 

The timelapse begins at the finale of Spurs’ humiliating 7-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and runs through the course of several days as the pitch is turned into one that complies with NFL regulations. 

The NFL emblem is then emblazoned on the centre of the turf while ground staff measure out the correct lengths of the pitch. The iconic goalposts are then erected while staff paint the distances on the grass from one end to the other. 

The NFL pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is installed using state-of-the-art technology

The time-lapse video begins with the standard football pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur ground

The time-lapse video begins with the standard football pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur ground

The pitch then retracts sitting in three pitch-long steel sections which slide out simultaneously

The pitch then retracts sitting in three pitch-long steel sections which slide out simultaneously

The final product: the NFL pitch is ready for Sunday's match between the Bears and Raiders

The final product: the NFL pitch is ready for Sunday’s match between the Bears and Raiders 

The grass field used for Tottenham games is retractable, with an artificial turf used for NFL underneath.

From start to finish, it takes 25 minutes to retract the pitch and there are 99 steel trays joined together to make up the sliding pitch.

The grass pitch sits in three pitch-long steel sections, weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each.

Sections slide out simultaneously, before moving laterally to create the seamless surface.

The scoring zones are then measured out with Oakland etched into the turf and coloured in with white paint, with the rest of the zone painted black. A practice run of the stadium’s light show then takes place as the hours before kick off trickle away. 

The end zones are then painted to read 'Oakland Raiders' with the background painted black

The end zones are then painted to read ‘Oakland Raiders’ with the background painted black

Fans slowly begin to fill the multi-purpose arena as the London Series opener was approaching

Fans slowly begin to fill the multi-purpose arena as the London Series opener was approaching

The floodlights turn on and the ground staff come out for the pre-match entertainment

The floodlights turn on and the ground staff come out for the pre-match entertainment

The flags of the United States and Great Britain are displayed before the game begins

The flags of the United States and Great Britain are displayed before the game begins

Game day arrives and the timelapse shows the stadium begin to fill with fans ahead of the London Series opener. As the sun sets, the arena is at full capacity with the flags of the United States and Great Britain displayed on the turf moments before the game begins. 

The flags are then whisked away off the field and the timelapse comes to an end as the game gets underway. 

It’s the first time the new stadium has hosted the NFL since it opened late last season, with the venue long planned to cater for the two sports.

The 60,000-capacity stadium hosted the opening game of the London Series between Oakland Raiders and the Chicago Bears, with the Raiders running out 24-21 winners after Josh Jacobs scored the crucial touchdown to separate the sides. 

Due to the innovative technology used to change the pitch, no lasting damage will be done and Spurs will be able to play Watford once the international break reaches its conclusion.  

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk