Every other club in England didn’t stand a chance of earning the support of one particular youth soccer player in Edinboro, Pennsylvania once he started opening the wax packs of English soccer collectible cards in the early 1990s.
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“Opening packs, I saw my name on some cards,” said Brent Ford, who was tailgating outside the Premier League Summer Series matches in Philadelphia on Sunday.
“Brentford. I said that’s my club and from then-on out, it’s been go Bees.”
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Ford is one of the thousands of fans who flocked to Lincoln Financial Field this weekend for three matches: Chelsea vs Brighton on Saturday, followed by Brentford vs Fulham and Newcastle vs Aston Villa on Sunday.
And while of course there were fans who traveled from England to support their hometown clubs and plenty of British exports living in America now able to see their favorite teams stateside, there were myriad different tales of how fans found their club homes in the Premier League.
From the military to the Magpies
Kevin Johnson was in Philly from Virginia with his two kids, Kaitlyn and Aiden. Johnson found his home in the Toon Army while stationed in England with the United States military.
In no small part, Johnson was drawn to the iconic black-and-white strip but admits that was secondary to being able to get under the skin of a co-worker.
“The position I worked, the guy who sat position with me was a Sunderland fan, so I would always talk trash to him,” said Kevin Johnson. “And people said, if you’re gonna do that, you’ve gotta be a Geordie. I started looking it up and I saw how cool the uniforms are, the black and white stripes sucked me in immediately.”
Johnson has seen Newcastle play before, in Orlando, but for his children it’s their first chance to see the Magpies in person. Their feelings on the matter are a near universal refrain from supporters in the lots: Going to England for a match was a long-term goal, and their clubs coming closer to home means a lot to them.
Bees support a family affair
The Bees supporters on site had so many terrific stories between them, none better nor more touching than the “PASSEY 90" printed on a Brentford flag at the tailgate.
“I was born in Brentford, moved over in 1987,” said Colin Passey, who was attending the game with his daughter but without another beloved family member.
“This is the first time Brentford’s been anywhere west. For them to come over is incredible. My dad died three months before they got back in the Premier League. That’s why on the flag over there, we have his name on it to pay a little bit of homage to him.”
Fulham obsession started ‘as a bit’
That brings us to Fulham’s support, and the crew that’s arrived from Kalamazoo, Michigan brings us back to the start where an odd inspiration leads to a lifelong devotion.
“I knew someone who hated Fulham, so I thought it’d be funny to be a diehead Fulham fan as a bit,” said Danny Walen, who made trip with Cassie Sanders. “But before I knew it when they lost I would get very upset. I was like, ‘Oh no. I’m actually a diehard Fulham fan’ and it’s been that way ever since.”
Seeing them in person? No joke.
“It’s unbelievable,” Walen said. “We always thought someday when we were old we’d go to England and see match but to have them come here is...”
“It’s unreal,” Sanders added. “We’re so excited.”
