New Zealand-based football fan Sean Jackson won the experience of a lifetime recently when he landed a trip to the UK to see West Ham United take on Chelsea at the Boleyn Ground.
Following on from the Hammers' Football United tour to New Zealand last summer, Jackson won a prize in a competition run by Kiwi radio Station Sport Radio New Zealand, giving him the chance to see Big Sam’s men in training at Chadwell Heath before taking in the clash with the league leaders.
Having never seen a Barclays Premier League match in the flesh before, Jackson was thrilled to make his debut at the Boleyn Ground.
“I just applied online with Radio Sport New Zealand and they rung me out of the blue to say I’d won the trip,” he explained.
“It was all in conjunction with West Ham’s tour out to New Zealand in the summer. They played the Phoenix last summer and that’s how it came about.
“Unfortunately I only managed to catch the games over there on TV as I was unable to attend due to work, but I certainly kept track of the games and it was pretty popular in the media back home.
“It’s hard to catch games with the time difference, but I certainly keep track of highlights and follow West Ham on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news.
“It’s the first time in the UK for me and the weather has been better than I was warned about! To see West Ham take on Chelsea was great and I got to talk to the boys at training as well.
“I got to have a yarn with Winston personally, Alex Song and a few others and it was impressive to watch them on the pitch, seeing how powerful and big athletes they are.”
The Hammers have an obvious link with New Zealand, with All Whites skipper Winston Reid such an important component of the Londoners’ defence and Jackson says that helps to boost the Club’s popularity in his home country.
He added: “Winston Reid is a big link for the people in New Zealand and West Ham. Whenever there’s football to be talked about on the news, it’s Winston and West Ham gets a good mention because of that.
“Back home the Phoenix are having a good season. They’re on a good run so things are looking up for football in New Zealand.”