Green Smoke

By Alasdair Mackay

Last year I wrote an article anticipating a Jets win over the Vikings in London. Yeah. Sorry about that.

In my defence – the game was the only part of that experience that didn’t go to plan, but when has that not been the case with our beloved Jets these last few years? There was plenty of evidence to suggest that things would be brighter last season. A win in Nashville; a home victory over the Patriots; Aaron Rodgers surviving beyond the 4th snap – things were looking up, right before they came crashing down. But I am willing to accept that the Jets’ demise last season may have been partially due to my personal brand of fate tempting.

This time around I am going to take a more realistic approach. At the time of writing we are four games (and four defeats) into the regular season. We don’t look good. There are a lot of penalties; there is poor defensive play and limited offensive play; some of the play-calling has been baffling, and, like a lot of Jets fans, I am scratching my head wondering how and why we seem to have gotten worse.

So let’s take our focus off the football then. Let’s celebrate what has always been great about the Jets – we the people – Jets Nation!

Last year a walking tour of London sites went off better than expected. By my count there were about 35 of us standing in front of St Paul’s Cathedral waving a Jets flag and disturbing the confused Japanese tourists who were sure they had travelled to London and not New York. And that was just the start of it.

Redwood near London Bridge was venue one for party number one. My Hippo Jets Podcast co-host won premium tickets in a raffle, Chris Johnson hung out at the end of the bar, and a table of Jets legends answered questions (mainly from one over-enthusiastic legendary British Jets fan, Warren Thomas). Oh, and the legend that is Frank West transformed himself into a much-loved monarch for the night.

The family fun day on Saturday daytime preceded party number two, which took place on Saturday night, courtesy of Jake Asman at our beloved home from home, the Hippodrome in Leicester Square. More Jets legends showed up amongst 400 or so of us. And all of this was a precursor to the tailgate at Redemption Brewery in Tottenham, which has gone down in infamy amongst Jets fans around the world as one of the best pre-game experiences ever.

So – how do you improve on epic? Let’s find out!

The walking tour is back in 2025, and it will be taking in a few more sites this time around. Redwood in London Bridge has been replaced by the more aptly named Greenwood in Victoria (which is also on the green tube line). Saturday at the Hippodrome is also back, but this year we are squeezing another afternoon party in as well – this time with the Badlands crew at London Bridge. And Redemption? Add more food, more people and the best DJ in all of London, and you have the perfect recipe for Jets Nation to go bigger and better than last year.

There is nothing more we can do to improve your weekend in London.

The rest, sadly, will be up to the players.