World Cup will inspire the young
Maidstone United Football Club hopes to tap into a potential new fanbase which has emerged during the Three Lions’ success this summer.
Chief executive Bill Williams said: “There will be hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who will be getting their shirts and boots on and smacking a ball around in the playground.”
There have also been local fans who’ve flown out to Russia to support England throughout the tournament.
Insurance broker Ivan Spikin, 49, from Penenden Heath, was there for yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) semi-final, meaning he has now attended four World Cups, having previously travelled to France in 1998, Germany in 2006 and South Africa in 2010.
“I had low expectations of getting a ticket because it’s not a big allocation,” he said.
“Having got this far we had to try and go - despite the cost.”