British fan enjoys his trip (
TGR) (
Gopher247)
By Matt Gravett
John O’Boyle, an education advisor from Middlesbrough, England made the trip to watch his favorite team play.
O’Boyle has been a football fan his entire life, but did not start following college football until 5 years ago when ESPN America started broadcasting in England. He started supporting the Gophers because the rugby club he coaches at starts with an ‘M’ and wears maroon and gold.
Because of the coincidence, O’Boyle started following the Gophers, and over time, he found his favorite team. “The more I see and read about the program, the closer I feel.”
The coaching staff also earns John’s respect. “I greatly admire the ethics of the coaching staff and genuinely believe they are turning (the team) into a winning program.”
He has attended hundreds of rugby and English Premier League matches – the “real” football’s most competitive league – but nothing compared to his time in Minnesota.
Unlike rugby and soccer, college football crowds are fueled by the student section of the home team – something that appealed to O’Boyle.
“The game atmosphere was great,” John said. “The student section was rocking. Their energy level was infectious. I’ve probably attended about 300 EPL games, 50 top-flight Rugby matches and 10 NFL games thus far, but I enjoyed the fan experience at the University of Minnesota more than any of those.”
The student section had more visitors than usual, probably due to Coach Kill speaking at freshman orientation and giving away free tickets.
John felt welcome by the tailgating scene as well. Instead of cramming into pubs where the atmosphere is “a bit tense,” O’Boyle likes the college football tailgating atmosphere. “I loved the way you can just relax and meet new people, share stories, and sample food and drinks when tailgating.”
O’Boyle, who came to Minnesota with his teenage son, also attended a Twins game and high school football game during his stay. He hoped to watch the Vikings’ preseason game, but it overlapped with the Gophers game.
On Friday, August 30th, his last day in Minnesota, he watched DeLaSalle, a team with several Division-I prospects, beat St. Croix Lutheran 40-8. He enjoyed watching the athleticism displayed at the game, because he coaches similar-aged rugby players at home.
When he arrived, the heat was a big surprise to O’Boyle, who had heard of the cold weather. He thought Minnesota would be cool in the summer, and thus packed warmer clothes. The mistake, however, was not terrible after all.
“The heat provided me with an excuse to buy a few new sets of clothing from Goldy’s Locker Room.”
Overall, Minnesota and Golden Gophers’ fans made an excellent impression on John. “I hope to come back as often as I can; my experience has been that good.”
His son had a great experience too. “He came over as an Oregon Ducks fan and I’ve had a secret mission to flip his allegiance to the Gophers during the visit. He is currently wearing a Gophers t-shirt and a pair of Oregon shorts,” O’Boyle said. “My job is half-done,” he chuckles.
Although work commitments make it hard for him to travel from September through December, he hopes to attend home games in late August and bowl games whenever possible.
“I love Minnesota,” he said. “I am very proud of my hometown of Middlesbrough, but I hope Gopher fans won’t mind if I make the Twin Cities my adopted second home.”
Photo credit: Nadine Babu
I'm so glad you enjoyed your time, John! Please come back!
