Steve Jackson travelled from New York to Atlanta, arguing that ordinary football fans are feeling too great a strain just to watch their country’s team play
Devoted England supporter Steve Jackson endured a punishing journey of more than 17 hours by coach from New York to Atlanta.
The exhausting trek left Steve, 62, visibly drained as the bus finally pulled into Atlanta, where he was among the earliest fans to descend upon the sweltering city. Speaking to the Mirror at Atlanta bus station, the Bournemouth native recounted his ordeal.
He smiled: “That was an absolute nightmare – a total nightmare. I left New York at 6pm and just arrived here at 11.30am.
“I didn’t get much sleep – it was so uncomfortable. There wasn’t a charging point for my phone. There were three changes of buses and we had seven pick ups.
“I’m now going to have a lie down and will definitely have a couple of beers later.”
Steve, from Bournemouth, Dorset, made considerable savings by opting for the coach over flying, with one-way flights between the two cities fetching up to £700
, reports the Mirror. He argued that the eye-watering costs of following England at the World Cup were placing an unfair burden on the “working class man and woman.”
Fellow supporters echoed his sentiments, describing ticket, hotel and travel prices as simply prohibitive. Notably, many of the fans who have flown over to the US appear to be older and more financially comfortable than those who attended previous tournaments.
Gary Taylor described the pricing as downright “unfair.” While he was fortunate enough to secure a final ticket for £46, his girlfriend Jo Lewis’s ticket set the couple back a staggering £3,170.
Gary, 64, an estate agent, is among the Football Association’s “top cappers”, meaning he’s one of 500 individuals securing tickets at reduced rates. However, every other England fan is forking out thousands of pounds on match tickets.
He commented: “Fifa are taking the average fan for granted. People just can’t afford these prices. They’re disgustingly high.
“Once this tournament is over there must be a full look at how they can cut ticket prices for the 2030 tournament. They really are punishing the working class man and woman.”
The pair, Spurs fans from Harold Wood, Essex, were dedicating weeks to criss-crossing the United States and Mexico, backing Thomas Tuchel’s men.
Alan Thomas, 67, from Reading, Berkshire stated: “This must be the last tournament that Fifa can get away with this… The prices have risen so much since Qatar four years ago – it’s got to stop.”
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