An American tourist who envisioned a tranquil sightseeing excursion along the Thames River mistakenly found himself amidst a boisterous party boat packed with football enthusiasts.
Evan Johnston, visiting from the US, boarded the vessel alongside 150 Southend United supporters en route to a match.
The 21-year-old student believed he was embarking on a tour to see London`s famous landmarks.
However, the “Shrimpers” fans warmly welcomed Evan, making him feel part of their group. They took him to his first football match, generously bought him drinks, and enthusiastically chanted, “Evan is a Shrimper, la la la la.”
Southend, a team from Essex, was playing against Sutton in South London in a National League game on Saturday.
The fans had chartered a party boat from Tower Millennium Pier to Blackfriars Pier to then catch a train to the stadium.
Evan, originally from Arizona, recounted, “I did have some inklings when I found myself in line behind all these fans.
“I thought if they were checking tickets, they would stop me. But they didn’t.”
He expressed his support for the team after Southend`s 1-1 draw, which left them just one point away from the promotion play-offs with only five games remaining.
The club plans to honor Evan as a guest of honor at their upcoming home game against Solihull Moors this Saturday.
Fan Andy Ward mentioned to The Sun, “I messaged Evan the next day. He had taken the sightseeing tour he had initially planned and said our boat trip was much better – and definitely livelier.”
The club commented, “Full credit to our brilliant supporters.”
