Lynne Brown, 68, reckons if England lift the trophy she should get some of the credit after stepping in at the last minute to stop a player revolt by flogging the team her old pool table
A grandma turned up right on cue to stop England's World Cup glory bid going to pot - by flogging the team her old pool table. Lynne Brown, 68, reckons if the Three Lions lift the trophy she should get some of the credit after stepping in at the last minute to stop a player revolt.
Thomas Tuchel's team loves a game of pool to wind down between matches. But their Kansas City base did not have a table. Football Association officials were tasked with finding one in record quick time.
Lynne, 68, who lives near the team's HQ, put hers up for sale on Facebook Marketplace earlier this month and was stunned when she got messages from staff working with a mystery World Cup team based in the city.
She said: "Both said, 'Hey, I'm with a World Cup team based in Kansas City. Is this table still for sale?' At the initial point I didn't know who it was. I was probably guessing England but I did not know for sure."
It soon became clear the buyers were representing the Three Lions, who wanted the table for their tournament base.
Her family had owned the table for 20 years after moving to the area from Denver and it had become a fixture in their home.
But they decided to sell it so they could renovate their basement. FA execs wasted little time in sealing the transfer.
Lynne said: "By 7 o'clock we had a whole crew of people and a big truck. It took five or six big dudes to move that thing. They had to stop midway and put it down."
She sold the team the table for £520 - though her husband wanted World Cup match tickets instead which often cost much more.
Lynne said: "My husband was like, 'Get tickets!'. I was like, 'This table is not worth as much as these tickets are.' If they win the World Cup, I'm totally taking credit.
"We live in Kansas City. We know there have been all these preparations and things going on, but to have a chance to connect with the team - it really brought it home.
"I hope they're playing on the table. I hope they're having a blast. I hope the good energy that that table brought us carries right over into their game."
The table is among a host of features at England's HQ to entertain the squad during the tournament including table tennis and gaming zones.
Join Gold Star!
Gold Star is the latest chapter in the evolution of the Daily Star. Our ‘premium’ digital service has launched, offering you even more of our brilliant journalism but with even fewer adverts.
And if you do, this is what you’ll get:
- A new ad-lite subscription service offering unlimited access to Gold Star and our app, as well as a cleaner viewing experience with far fewer ads
- Access to exclusive subscriber-only articles crafted specifically for readers who want their stories to dig a little deeper. This will include unique insight from our writers alongside thought-provoking comment
- Bespoke special offers, rewards and competitions from our partners
- Access our Gold Nuggets, the juiciest picks from the Daily Star - no digging required!
- The most fun you can have with a daily news brand anywhere in the world!
Membership starts at £1.99 a month or £12 for the year. These are both Gold Star launch offers for the next 12 months so make sure you don’t miss out.