FAN WHO TOOK GRANDAD TO WORLD CUP WITH £10,000 GOT IT BACK
A 21-year-old from East Yorkshire spent his £10,000 house deposit savings on a World Cup trip with his grandad, then got the money back. Jacob Allmendinger, of North Ferriby, took his grandfather, Geoff Golliker, 80, to watch England in North America.
The BBC told the story on June 20, 2026, when the pair were still preparing to fly to New York to watch England play Panama and follow the team if it progressed.
Allmendinger said he had saved the money over five years and had meant it for a house deposit.
“It’s so surreal to think we’re actually going, especially since booked it a year,” Allmendinger said.
He said he did not regret spending the savings.
The trip and the surprise
The pair travelled to New York and Atlanta during the tournament. They were in Atlanta for England’s match against DR Congo, and they also watched England beat Mexico at Azteca Stadium.
Allmendinger’s story went viral. MetaWin, an online crypto casino, then gifted him £10,000, BBC News reported.
Metro reported that MetaWin first offered to repay the money if England beat Panama by more than two goals. The company later said it would still pay if England beat DR Congo.
England won 2–1. On July 7, 2026, the £10,000 appeared in Allmendinger’s bank account.
“I didn’t quite believe it, to be honest, until I looked at my bank and it was there. I was just in shock,” he told BBC News.
Famous on the road
“We’re getting recognised quite a bit,” Golliker said.
He described being recognised by a stranger in New York as “brilliant.”
The BBC reported on July 14, 2026, that Allmendinger and Golliker would attend England’s semi-final against Argentina, as BBC Sport covered.
Allmendinger said he planned to save the returned £10,000 until he got home.
