England Fan Quits Chef Job to Stay in Texas for World Cup Opener
Ben King, 27, of Portsmouth, delayed his return home to attend England’s match against Croatia after arranging new employment three months earlier. Friends traveling with him cited high ticket prices as the main barrier to additional games.
The IndependentBen King, 27, of Portsmouth, quit his chef position and arranged a new job three months ago so he could remain in Texas through England’s opening World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday. King had been scheduled to fly home the day before he spoke with reporters. He said the new employment allowed him to extend his stay until after the Croatia fixture.
“I’ve already left one job to come out here. I was meant to fly home yesterday, but I left my job, got a new job three months ago and now I’m going home after the England game,” King said. “It’s got to be done.
King and Joe Parrott, 28, spoke to media in the Fort Worth Stockyards ahead of the match. Parrott said the group might not return home at all. “The problem is, we might just not go home. You could stay here a lifetime,” Parrott said.
The group paid about £900 for flights to the United States but declined to attend Argentina’s match against Austria at AT&T Stadium because of the cost of tickets. Sam Parrott, 25, Joe’s brother, said the cost of living in Texas had been acceptable apart from game tickets. Joe Parrott predicted England would win the tournament.
He noted that resale prices made attending matches difficult compared with previous World Cups.
