My new grandchild can wait until the World Cup ends - meet the England superfans

World Cup fever is well and truly here, with many people digging out their football shirts, packing out pubs to watch every goal and suddenly becoming experts in team tactics. It is a month-long commitment taken seriously by the nations, but Ian Odgers and Andy Milne are even more extreme in their devotion.

The England superfans make it a non-negotiable to station themselves at tournaments so they can be on the ground watching the team’s bid for glory. Speaking from the USA, they share why they spend so much time, money and effort supporting the Three Lions.

“I was a fresh-faced teenager during the 1982 World Cup when England qualified for the first time in 12 years. Their achievement felt like something I had been waiting for my whole life, so I made a split-second decision to hitchhike across to Spain for my first trip abroad.

“My bag was packed with a tent, sleeping bag, radio, autograph book, Kodak camera and World Cup wallchart. When I reached Bilbao, I went to a bar, leaving my rucksack outside. It was stolen – but it didn’t break my spirit.

“I got a ticket to the England vs France match for £3 and went into the stadium in a borrowed Union Jack T-shirt. It took just 27 seconds for England to score – 27 seconds into my World Cup odyssey, and that was it, I was hooked.

“The 2026 World Cup will be the 10th, as I ensured I was in the crowds even when I became a biology teacher. I would cheekily arrange foreign expeditions in the World Cup country so I could be there. I then took early retirement, partly so I could go to Qatar in 2022.

“My family are always excited to live the World Cup through me, so they are supportive. My daughter, who is due to give birth when England plays Ghana, understands I can’t be there. My partner has flown over to Australia, where she lives, but I will see the baby after the tournament.

“I have to be in the stadium when the national anthem strikes up – there’s no feeling like it. When you’re just two minutes away from a game beginning, the tension is so palpable that you can taste it.

“Football is obviously a major part of my love, but it’s also the whole spectacle, people and the places. The home population is always incredibly proud to show you their country at its best, so I get treated nicely.

“I’m excited to catch up with Danny from Colombia, the twins from Mexico, Stavros from Greece, and Chris from Seattle, whom I’ve got to know over the years. I’ve come to the US with home mates, but I’ve travelled alone before, which often leads to many adventures – I’ve shared whisky with drug smugglers in Zimbabwe, got trapped in a favela in Brazil with a car full of Germans, and sneaked into the 1998 final by impersonating a Romanian reporter.

“The costs are quite high this year, but as I’ve become known for being a fan, I’m in a unique position. I’ve released a memoir to fund some costs and have free accommodation through a commercial deal.

“I do feel for other fans, so I take my role as figurehead seriously by raising their issues. This year, we’re annoyed that people’s fear of missing out on tickets is being used against them to drive up costs.

“I’ve done some cost-cutting tactics to ensure my attendance in the past. At the 2024 Euros in Germany, I slept in my car for a month. It’s worth it to see the team play, some of whom recognise me. At one match, the players pointed at me and applauded. It was the most touching moment of my life.”

“One month ago, I was happily playing badminton when I heard a distinctive pop. I couldn’t stand up, so I was rushed to A&E, where I spent four-and-a-half hours.

“I was clammy, sweaty, sick from the pain, and on the verge of passing out. The doctors broke the news to me that my calf was ruptured. But before contacting my family, I was on my phone for a very different reason… to Google if I could still fly to the USA for the World Cup.

“I was determined to get there, so I did everything I could: massages, completing physio, wearing a compression sleeve, elevating my leg and forking out for specialist insurance. I couldn’t let anything stop me from being there.

“I’ve always been England crazy, ever since I was a kid. My dream was to watch matches in the stadium, and I’m proud to say I have now been to over 100 games in 40 countries.

“The fixtures are the first thing that goes into my calendar, and the rest of my life is planned around them. My wife is 60 next year and wants to throw a party, but there are Nations League games during that period, so I’m getting twitchy.

“When we first met, she said it was my passion for football that made her fall in love with me, so that is lucky!

“I did invite her to come out for the World Cup, but she’s not interested, so I’m in America alone, and I’ll fly back and forth three times if we make it all the way to the final. I can’t stay out here continuously because of my job in production scheduling – I work during Christmas shutdowns to accumulate extra time but still have to be cautious of my annual leave allowance. Also, I have my family, and the price of staying out here is higher than going to and fro.

“It can be expensive to be an England supporter. I make daily sacrifices – for instance, I have a camper van that I’m renovating, which could have been finished within months, but I made spending on football the priority.

“I’m lucky that my loyalty gets rewarded – as I’m a ‘top capper’ fan, meaning I attend the most matches, I get access to reduced-rate tickets. I’ve been paying £46 for tickets, whereas final tickets will cost others around £3,000, which is ridiculous.

“In the stadiums, it is $18 (£14) for a beer, and it’s rumoured that a burger meal will be $160 at the final. But I’d rather do this experience than have anything else, even a flash house or car.

“It’s the best hobby in the world. That feeling when England are down and then rally together to score is priceless. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

“It is the closest feeling to Christmas morning as a child when you saw Father Christmas had been. When we crash out of a tournament, it’s like when you realise there’s no Father Christmas. I feel a complete numbness, I just want to click my fingers and be back home.

“I know England fans can get a bit of a bad rap sometimes, and yes, there are some idiots. I hate it when nobody’s got respect for each other, and they do silly things like throwing bottles, swearing around children or getting too drunk. Sometimes, I feel embarrassed and think to myself, ‘Do I really need to be here?’

“But I remind myself that you get those people in every walk of life, and I know way more grateful and respectful fans.

“I personally make it a priority to talk to fans from around the world and take in the culture of
the country I’m visiting. On this trip, I’m doing a helicopter ride in New York, watching Alison Moyet at Radio City Music Hall, and I’ve just got back from a swamp tour in New Orleans.

“At a World Cup, people are flying flags for the right reasons, and we have something positive to focus on that pulls everybody in the same direction. There’s a real feel-good ambience.

“I believe England is going to win the World Cup. My wife says, ‘You always say that’, but one time I will be right.”