England fan spends £10,000 house deposit to take his 80-year-old grandad to the World Cup

Jacob Allmendinger has spent the £10,000 he spent five years saving for a house deposit on a World Cup trip to North America with his 80-year-old grandfather, Geoff Golliker. The 21-year-old from North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, says he has “no regrets” about postponing his first step onto the property ladder for what he calls a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

“I can always make money back — I’m at the age where I can afford to miss out on a house for two or three years,” Jacob said. “But I won’t ever get to go to the World Cup with my grandad again.”

The pair fly out on Friday, beginning a whirlwind tour that takes in New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Mexico City and Miami as they follow England’s campaign. Their first match on the itinerary is England’s group-stage clash with Panama, with the hope of tracking the Three Lions further into the tournament if they progress.

Jacob first started watching football with Geoff at Hull City, and says the sport has taken on deeper meaning since he lost his grandmother in 2020. “Since my grandma passed, football has been very important for our relationship. It has definitely strengthened our bond,” he said. The pair regularly follow Hull City home and away and were both at Wembley in May when the Tigers secured promotion to the Premier League.

For Jacob, the trip is about far more than football. “Football is only five per cent of the overall trip — I’m looking forward to travelling round North America together,” he said. “We get on like a house on fire. We’re more best mates than grandad and grandson.”

Retired insurance worker Geoff described the invitation as an “instant yes” and said his excitement is building by the day. “As we get closer and closer, I am really excited. The adrenaline is starting to build,” he said.

Jacob, who began planning the trip a year ago, admits the scale of it is only now sinking in. “It’s quite complex — it’s surreal to think it’s just days away now,” he said. As for England’s chances, he is characteristically bullish: “If England win it would mean the absolute world. I’m always very confident we’ll win, and my grandad says he’s quietly confident too.”