The New Orleans Saints secured a convincing victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday in the second National Football League (NFL) game to be played at Wembley Stadium.

Thankfully, the match was not played in the driving rain which affected last season’s international series game but the glitz and glamour that has charmed American audiences for decades was transferred brilliantly from the vast stadiums of the US to England’s most historic venue.

After last year’s inaugural game at Wembley, Sky Sports saw a massive 45% increase in British viewers watching NFL games. A quick glance through the search engines reveals that the sport is thriving in the UK and participation in both adult and junior leagues is growing by an average of 12% a year. There are three professional adult leagues, an annual “Britbowl”, and a number of youth competitions held throughout the country.

Sunday’s match ended 37-32 and it has already attracted praise from British media outlets including the BBC and the Independent newspaper.

Fans were particularly impressed by the unwavering accuracy of the Saints' quarterback, Drew Brees, and the electric pace of LaDainian Tomlison, a man who currently holds the record for the most touchdowns scored in a single season.

Despite myriad financial woes, which resulted in the downsizing of American staff teams by as much as 10%, the NFL is determined to extend its partnership with Wembley beyond the contracted four years.

Information on British American football is available at the Get into American Football website.

Over 83,000 fans of the NFL watched the fixture between New Orleans and San Diego at Wembley over the weekend, and many more observed the action on television.

It is clear that the NFL is growing in popularity in the UK and, since the match on Sunday, there has been more exciting news for the ever-increasing British fan base. Roger Goodell, the league’s chief, has revealed his belief that London could host a full-time NFL team in the near future.

Goodell believes that this is a “realistic possibility”, particularly if the response of the British public towards the sport continues to be so positive.

The recent match between New Orleans and San Diego was the first to be played following an exciting commitment made between the UK and the NFL to stage a game here every year for a total of three years. British fans of the sport will also be pleased to learn that 2009 or 2010 may even see an additional game.

However, Wembley will have to see off competition from stadiums including Murrayfield if it wants to continue to host the matches. Roger Goodell may have specifically praised the “sports fans here in London” who “love” the sport, but the appeal of the NFL is widespread and Cardiff is also expected to express its desire to host a match.

The league chief also compared the atmosphere at the NFL matches seen to date in the UK to the ambience seen at the Super Bowl in America. The players who competed at Wembley on Sunday were also impressed.

LaDainian Tomlinson raved about the atmosphere and revealed his desire to return to the UK in the future. Similarly, Philip Rivers, who impressed during the match, spoke about the “fun” nature of the game.

The only negative comments came from the manager of New Orleans, Sean Payton, who was not impressed by the state of the Wembley pitch. He spoke of the “slick and choppy” field and said that it negatively impacted upon the performance of his defenders.

However, the San Diego coach was more positive in his post-match reaction, stating that the pitch did not impact upon the game.

It is not just British fans of the NFL who are set to benefit from the possibility of London hosting a full-time NFL team. Goodell believes that it would also be “a great thing for the league”.

However, the plans are still very much rooted in the realm of the hypothetical. A spokesman for the NFL has stated that there is no “timeframe even for exploring the possibility”.

Sunday’s match saw New Orleans defeat San Diego 37-32. Although Reggie Bush, the star of the New Orleans team, was absent through injury, the team made up for his absence by putting on a good performance through the air.

San Diego, on the other hand, let themselves down by giving away 14 penalties for 134 yards. The match was closely fought until the closing stages, with New Orleans choosing to concede a two-point safety with just eight seconds left of the game in an effort to secure the final result.

So he might be 82 years of age, he may of injured his right hip attempting to show his team how to perform an onside kick, he may not be able stand on the sidelines and he doesn't have the support of the universities athletic director but he is one thing - and that is - he is Joe Paterno.

His Penn State team are 7-0 and are looking like the most complete team in the country. He allowed his offense to open up the play book on the road in the Big Ten and that saw his team beat down Wisconsin. Michigan come to Happy Valley next week in a trap game before the big Ohio State road trip on the 25th.

If Penn State are 9-0 come October 26th then they are looking set for a run at the National Title game. If so then surely Paterno is back for another year and they won't force him out.

However you just never know...

I love College Football. I don't know why but over the past couple of years it has really gone up in my 'must see' tv stakes. For the second weekend in a month we saw three top five ranked teams go down as the polls saw another big shakeup.

#5 Texas went up to #1 following its defeat of then #1 Oklahoma. Alabama stayed at #2 after not playing over the weekend. My #6 Penn State Nittany Lions went up to #3 following its mauling of Wisconsin in Madison. Here is where the AP and USA Polls diverge.

USC make it all the way up to #4 in the USA Today poll but only makes #6 in the AP. Oklahoma fall to #4 in the AP and #6 in the USA Today. Rounding out the top five we have either Florida or Texas Tech depending on which poll you take.

Whatever happens we have three big undefeated teams left and whoever stays unbeaten should play for the National Title.