A TOURIST planning a gentle sight-seeing trip on the River Thames boarded a party boat full of boozy football fans by mistake.
American Evan Johnston got on the vessel with 150 Southend United supporters heading to a match.
US tourist Evan Johnston, in check shirt, thought he was on a Thames sightseeing trip, but he’d accidentally joined 150 football fans heading to a match – who took him along[/caption]
Evan had got on a City Cruises craft – but did not realise it had been chartered by Southend United fans heading for a match against fellow National League side Sutton[/caption]
American student Evan with fans of the Shrimpers on board the cruise boat[/caption]
The student, 21, thought they were all going to see London’s landmarks.
But the Shrimpers fans welcomed Evan — taking him to his first ever match, buying all his drinks and chanting: “Evan is a Shrimper, la la la la.”
Essex side Southend were playing Sutton in South London in a National League clash on Saturday.
The fans hired a party boat from Tower Millennium Pier to Blackfriars Pier to catch a train to the ground.
Evan, from Arizona, said: “I had some suspicions when I was in line behind all of the fans.
“I figured if they checked tickets they’d turn me off. But they didn’t.”
He said he was “rooting for them” after Southend’s 1-1 draw, leaving them a point outside the promotion play-offs with five games left.
The club will make Evan guest of honour at this Saturday’s home fixture against Solihull Moors.
Fan Andy Ward told The Sun: “The next day I messaged Evan. He’d gone on the sightseeing tour he’d planned, and said our boat was a lot better — and his tour was a little quieter.”
The club said: “Full credit to our brilliant supporters.”
Evan with Shrimpers fan, and new pal, Andy Ward[/caption]
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