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.
Andy WardUS 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]
GettyEvan 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]
Andy WardAmerican 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.”
The friendly fans made Evan welcome and bought him pints as they made their way to the matchAndy Ward
Chris PhillipsEvan with Shrimpers fan, and new pal, Andy Ward[/caption]
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