A grandmother stepped in to prevent a potential player revolt at England's World Cup base by selling the team her old pool table. Lynne Brown, 68, who lives near the squad's Kansas City headquarters, listed the table on Facebook Marketplace and was contacted by staff working with a mystery World Cup team.
Last-minute purchase averts crisis
Thomas Tuchel's squad enjoys playing pool to unwind between matches, but their base lacked a table. FA officials were tasked with finding one quickly. Brown 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.
Family heirloom sold for renovation
The table had been in Brown's family for 20 years after they moved from Denver, but they decided to sell it to renovate their basement. FA executives wasted no time in sealing the deal. Brown 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 table for £520, though her husband wanted World Cup match tickets instead, which often cost much more. Brown 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.”
Hope for good energy
Brown added: “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 features at England's HQ including table tennis and gaming zones.
