Soccer teams from the Premier League in England hopped across the pond this weekend to showcase their prowess in America’s first-ever Premier League Summer Series.
Philadelphia was the series’ first U.S. host city, with more than 100,000 fans filling up Lincoln Financial Field over the course of two days.
“I’ve met people from Australia, from England, from like Indiana, and California,” T.J. Fogarty, a supporter of Fulham FC, said while standing outside the stadium Sunday afternoon. “It’s just incredible being surrounded by people who share the same love for the club as you do.”
When Fogarty returned to Philly after spending part of childhood in England, he was shocked by the league’s level of American support.
The summer series gives many of those supporters the opportunity to see their favorite clubs in person for the first time.
Colin Passey grew up in Brentford, West London, where his favorite club, Brentford FC, is based but moved to New Jersey later in life. He reminisced on the connection he and his late father had through the club.
“My dad passed away three months before Brentford got up to the Premier League, so he never saw them get to the Premier League,” Passey said. “It’ll be pretty emotional today for my family to see Brentford playing, almost like he orchestrated it so that the first game they’re playing is in Philadelphia because we’re literally across the bridge.”
