Exclusive: Could Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday be set to host major sports teams from USA?

James Mason told The Star he wants to use his contacts across the Atlantic to create a dialogue designed to explore the feasibility of organising events similar to those staged in London, which have seen the likes of the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars visit the capital in recent years.

MLB franchises St Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs were also set to meet at the Olympic Stadium this summer, until the fixture was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Explaining Welcome to Yorkshire could test the water by extending their first invitations to American colleges, Mason said: “If any clubs are interested in having a conversation, then we’re all ears. I’ve started looking into the possibility of bringing teams from America to the north so the next stage is to look at where that might be.

“We’ve done the research and the appetite is definitely there. Why wouldn’t we want to be involved in something that would bring huge economic benefit to Yorkshire?

“Although we might not have grounds with the same capacity as, say, Wembley or Twickenham, we still have some wonderful stadia, across a variety of disciplines, to be proud of.”

Mason spent two years working with FirstPoint USA, an agency involved in US sports before joining Welcome to Yorkshire and five years at Bradford City prior to that.

“Whist college sport doesn’t sound as big as pro’ sport, in the States it’s arguably bigger in terms of the crowds it attracts,” he added. “You can see the power of those sports when you go there and we should aim for the stars and try to be a part of that.

“Welcome to Yorkshire has always been heavily involved in sport because of the benefits it brings. We have worked with Yorkshire cricket, horse racing and obviously been involved in cycling with the Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour de France.

"The great thing about American sports is that you’re not just talking about the game itself. You have the tailgate parties, the pre-game shows and people would travel to watch, so hotels, bars, shops and cafes could also enjoy the advantages of something like this.”

With sport across the country in lockdown because of the Covid-19 outbreak, Mason acknowledged the difficulty of scheduling potential dates for the initiative. But he hopes serious discussions with interested parties can begin when it receives the green light to resume.

“What we would have to be wary of, and what we recognise, is the problem of when the various different seasons will finish and then the new ones will re-start. Obviously that’s a hurdle but, once we’re over it, I believe we can begin having serious talks.”

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