Selling his home to follow England, Andy Milne lands free hotel deal for his World Cup dream trip

Andy Milne, the England fan who put his £350,000 second home on the market to finance a seven-week trip following the Three Lions at the 2026 World Cup, has landed a free hotel deal after his story attracted widespread attention. Hilton Hotels offered Milne accommodation at each of England’s World Cup venues across the United States, with the property still on the market after two viewings but no offers.

Milne, 63, a retired teacher from Northwich in Cheshire and author of That World Cup Guy — a memoir covering nine World Cups — is using the tournament to promote his book. He is travelling alongside his old friend and former colleague Stuart Kenyon, 48, also a geography teacher from Northwich, who is benefiting directly from the hotel arrangement.

“It is a tough gig but someone has to do it,” Kenyon joked. “We used to do school trips together abroad with the pupils before Andy retired. But this is something else. We have been so lucky.”

The pair began their journey in Dallas, staying at the local Hilton ahead of England’s opening fixture and attending an ‘England Night’ at the Seven Doors Kitchen restaurant, where fans from across the country gathered. Both Milne and Kenyon hold £45 tickets through the official England supporters’ club, a perk of their long-standing loyalty to the national side.

“I have been to every World Cup since 2006,” Milne said. “This one has been hard work so far — everything is so far apart in Dallas, and fans really have to travel to get between places. But the stadium is amazing and I think I am quite close to the front. You have to enjoy every moment.”

Milne first gained wider recognition at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where a photograph of him holding a replica Jules Rimet trophy during England’s 3-0 round-of-16 victory over Senegal went viral. The image, published in the Mirror, earned him the nickname that became the title of his book.

Seven Doors owner Jacob Quintana, 36, who hosted the England fan event in Dallas, said the tournament had arrived at the right moment for the country. “The World Cup has come at just the right time for the US,” he said. “It is nice to have everyone together and see the joy and happiness when the fans come together no matter what the team.”

Milne’s trip carries personal significance beyond football. His first grandchild is due this summer, and he plans to travel to Australia after the tournament to visit his daughter Laila and his wife Achla, 63. Should England go on to win the World Cup, he has said he would write new chapters for his book to mark what would be the defining moment of his lifetime following the national side.