Jacob Allmendinger with grandad Geoff Golliker – credit, Jacob Allmendinger / SWNS
An England fan who used his life savings to take his grandad to the World Cup has been left stunned after a company inspired by their story gifted him the entire $13,000 back.
Jacob Allmendinger sacrificed the cash he had saved up for a house deposit to take Geoff Golliker, 80, on the trip of a lifetime in the USA and Mexico.
21-year-old Allmendinger has been going to matches in his hometown of Hull by his grandfather since he was a little boy, and said he now wants to return the favor.
“We’ve had an amazing trip so far,” Allmendinger told Ed Chatterton writing for England’s Southwest News Service. “We’re still in Mexico at the minute and fly tomorrow to Miami for the quarter final. The Mexico game was a once-in-a-generation game to watch.”
Jacob and Geoff have traveled to New York and Atlanta for the matches with Panama and DR Congo before witnessing the historic 3-2 win at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
They are now on their way to the quarter final against Norway and during their time abroad the pair say they had been stopped in the street by people recognizing them after their heartwarming story went viral through Allmendinger’s social media channels.
Among the viral readers was a US-based online crypto casino called Metawin, which contacted the devoted grandson and vowed to pay back the money if England beat Panama by more than two goals.
An unsolicited social media promise made by a crypto currency casino is not one that any sensible person is likely to take to heart, and Allmendinger was skeptical from the off.
“When we only won 2-0 they said they would still pay £10,000 if we won against DR Congo by any score,” he said. “I didn’t quite believe it, to be honest, until I looked at my bank and it was there. I was just in shock.”
England have the quarter finals against Norway next. The descendants of the Vikings have thoroughly embraced that aspect of their culture as they’ve torn through the competition—including knocking out 5-time winners Brazil—led by the ferocious finishing of Erling Haaland at center forward.
But Allmendinger told the BBC that he’s hopeful, and for good reason.
“The parallels to now and 1966 when we last beat Mexico in the World Cup and then went on to win the whole thing, it kind of gets you giddy for the rest of the trip.”
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Whether or not England break the 60-year wait for World Cup number 2, the trip has already been unforgettable—all the more thanks to Metawin.
“I think I’ll save the money until I get back home. I’ll put it in a savings account for now and see what happens after the next couple of months. I could buy a house, anything is possible,” he said.
The young man said he had been bombarded with positive messages from people since his story made headlines.
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“I think it just resonates with people,” he said. “I’ve had people reach out who have lost their grandparents and how they wish they’d done something similar. It just makes us cherish this time more, really.”
“We get on like a house on fire. We’re more best mates than grandad and grandson,” said Allmendinger.
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