The Super Bowl was shown live in Britain for the first time in 1981, not on television but at a cinema in London’s West End.

Fans turned out for the late-night screening at the Odeon in Leicester Square, and BBC Newsnight reporter Kevin Cosgrove was on hand to sample the American-style atmosphere.

Sport promoter Jarvis Astaire organised the event, which attracted well-known faces such as film star Omar Sharif and boxer Terry Downes.

Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl XV, beating the Philadelphia Eagles by 27 to 10.

In 1982, Channel 4 began showing American football highlights on television and a year later, Wembley Stadium hosted the sport’s first professional game in Europe.

Originally broadcast on 26 January 1981.

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