As the new Premier League season gets under way, businesses in Richmond are showing their support for a fictional football team which has spawned an unexpected transatlantic tourism boom.

The picturesque West London town is home to ‘AFC Richmond’, the lovable Premier League underdogs featured in Apple TV’s hugely popular ‘Ted Lasso’.

The show’s success has brought Richmond to the attention of US audiences and prompted a mini-tourist boom for the town.

“Ted Lasso has been a massive boost for Richmond and has really helped put the town on the map globally, particularly for American audiences,” said Louise Abbotts, Be Richmond’s Chief Operating Officer.

“It’s a great showcase for what Richmond has to offer and provides a beautiful backdrop. With each new season we’ve seen an uptick in interest and awareness and it’s becoming a must-visit destination for the diehard AFC Richmond fans.

“We’ll miss having Ted in town, and a team in the Premier League, but we’re optimistic that even though the show may have come to an end we’ll still be welcoming Greyhounds’ supporters for quite a while.

“Who knows? The finale mentioned the possibility of creating a Richmond women’s team and with the ongoing success of the Lionesses, it may not quite be the end of the story after all!” she added.

Such is the enduring popularity of the show, visitors can now join a ‘Ted Lasso’ guided tour which includes no fewer than 24 locations featured in all three series.

Several shops are selling AFC Richmond merchandise and some of the most famous locations in the show including Ted’s house and a particular park bench have become impromptu photo opportunities for fans.

Ted’s favoured watering hole, The Crown & Anchor, in reality the Princes Head, is also proving a popular stop-off for fans welcoming up to 100 American visits a day, all keen to sample the authentic atmosphere of a proper British pub.

“Richmond was the perfect location for Ted Lasso. It is an amazing place to live and work and we’re incredibly lucky to have such a great range of dynamic and positive independent retailers and businesses in our High Street,” said Louise.

“Hopefully the show’s enduring appeal will encourage more people, not just American tourists, to see what Richmond has to offer,” she added.

Be Richmond is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Richmond town centre. Its purpose is to represent and support Richmond BID levy payers, and to promote Richmond town centre as a great place to live, work and explore.