My name is Liz and I launched NFLGirlUK.com in 2014.
How I got in to NFL and why I started blogging
I first got into the NFL in late 2012, when someone I was dating happened to have a game on in the background. If I remember correctly, it was Seattle Seahawks v Chicago Bears. I was immediately drawn in, initially by the navy colour scheme, which is a slightly embarrassing reason to pick a team, but it stuck. Seattle became my team, and the game quickly became something much bigger than that first spark.
In 2014, I created the @NFLGirlUK Twitter account (now X), followed shortly by this blog, ahead of my first ever NFL game at Wembley Stadium (read it here). I’ve always enjoyed writing, and combining that with a growing obsession with American Football felt like a natural fit.
Building a presence in the UK NFL space
Over the years, NFLGirlUK became more than just a blog. I spent several years writing regularly, interviewing players and personalities, podcasting, and taking part in the wider UK NFL community. During that time, I appeared on platforms such as Sky Sports, BBC Radio, and TalkSport, and was proud to be ranked among the Top 50 UK NFL influencers by Onalytica in 2016.
“Out of the 400+ NFL UK influencers identified, we were keen to see who ranked in the top 50 in the run up to the big game. It’s interesting to note media publications driving the most engagement so far are The Guardian, Sky, The Evening Standard, and 5 Live, as well as presenters such as Darren Fletcher for BT Sport. Gambling organisations such as Coral, bet365 and William Hill also feature quite highly. Out of the celebrities, Vernon Kay is leading the discussion, and out of the fans NFLGirlUK is igniting conversations.”
Onalytica
Podcasting and media work
Podcasting became a significant part of my work in the NFL space.
In 2018, I launched the Ninety-Nine Yards podcast, where I regularly interviewed NFL players, sports analysts, and people working across the league. Interviewing players wasn’t new to me at that point, as I’d been doing so since 2016 as part of the ‘Day in the Life of…’ interview series on NFLGirlUK.
In May 2019, I joined Dayna O’Gorman from Our Turf Football, and Shona Duthie from Ninety-Nine Yards to launch End Zone Scoop (formerly Gridiron and Wine) a podcast hosted by three women, two Brits and one American, talking openly and passionately about the NFL.
In December 2019, after years of podcasting and wanting to return to more in-depth interviews, I launched my solo show, The Cleats Off Podcast (previously NFLGirlUK meets). This series focused on conversations beyond the field, interviewing NFL players, legends, and personalities about life in the league, what shaped them, and who they were away from the game.
Alongside podcasting, I appeared multiple times on TalkSport2’s All American Sports Show with Nat Coombs and on BBC Radio to discuss news and issues relating to American Football.
In 2021, I was invited to become a regular guest host on NFLUK‘s Instagram Live series Her Huddle, making my debut interviewing NFL Network’s Rachel Bonnetta. The series was featured by BroadcastNow and Verge Magazine, and in 2022, Her Huddle moved to Sky Sports as a fortnightly TV show hosted by Hannah Wilkes and Phoebe Schecter. I also joined the accompanying podcast alongside Hannah, AshandtheNFL, and producer Annika Weldon.
In May 2022, I joined Pandora Forsyth from the Daily Express to discuss the lack of female representation in American Football and what needs to be done to grow the female fan base, a conversation that felt particularly meaningful given my own experiences in the space. You can read the full interview and watch the interview replay here.
I’m also proud to have shared my story and been featured (under my previously married name of Liz Bhandari), in The American Football Revolution by Ben Isaacs, a 2023 chronicle exploring how the NFL became part of the UK sporting landscape through the voices of fans, writers, content creators, and community builders.
Stepping back, and returning differently
After several intense years in the space, I stepped back. I barely posted through 2024 and 2025, and I stopped blogging for a while altogether. Part of that was burnout, part of it was life shifting in ways I didn’t expect. I also went through a divorce during that time, and some people may have known me previously as Liz Bhandari. That chapter closing brought with it a lot of change, both personally and creatively.
I needed to return to being a fan first. Watching the games without pressure, expectation, or the constant need to perform an opinion. Letting football be something I enjoyed again, rather than something I felt responsible for.
That step back mattered. Now, I’m writing again, but in a different way. NFLGirlUK today reflects where I am now. Slower. More reflective. Focused on context, patterns, and what the game looks like when you let yourself really sit with it.
Many thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the blog.
Liz Fox
NFLGirlUK.com