Packer Fan Tours In the News
Pair of Brits stake their name to Packers
By Tony Walter / Green Bay Press Gazette
Posted October 8, 2006
Enjoy this article about our customers and friends from County Essex, England (east of London).
They're passionate Green Bay Packers fans, and they have the frequent flier miles and the name to prove it.
Tony Packer, 46, and his 21-year-old son, Andrew, calling themselves "the craziest people in the U.K." have traveled here from their England village to see a game of American football and reload on anything that is stamped with the Packers logo.
"We check the Packers Web site every day," said Tony Packer, an accountant who lives in Chadwell St. Mary, a small community in County Essex, east of London. "My son's friends go clubbing on Sunday, but we watch football."
The Packers are making their second pilgrimage to Green Bay, having attended a game against Denver in 2003. On that visit, says Tony, they spent $3,000 for Packers merchandise.
This began 22 years ago when Tony Packer and his soccer teammates watched an NFL game and decided they would each adopt a favorite team. Most chose the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders, but Packer's pick was a no-brainer.
"The Packers weren't very good back then," Tony Packer said.
Sunday is football day for the Packers. Andrew follows the play-by-play on his laptop, while he and his father watch the two NFL games that are aired in England.
"The first one starts at 6 p.m. at home and the second one is at 9 p.m. because there's a six-hour time difference," said Tony Packer.
Tony and Andrew are both in a fantasy football league called Essex Packers. The only rule is that you can only have Green Bay Packers on your team.
"My friends think I'm mad," said Andrew Packer.