The UK is obsessed with football, so it’s not surprising that lottery winners have put some of their winnings in their favorite soccer clubs.
No one is safe investing in sports teams, and some lottery winners might regret their decision. We look at the footie-mad winners who allowed their hearts to rule their heads when it was time to invest their lottery jackpots, according to Lottoland’s article on football fans who won the lottery.
7 Football Fans Who Won the Lottery
Jane Park
Jane Park is more famous for being a “Scots lottery winner” than a professional football player. In addition to spending her money on personal stuff, she is a passionate fan and supporter of Scottish F.C. Hibernian. At 17 years old, she won PS1,000,000 in the 2013 EuroMillions. She is now the youngest EuroMillions-winning player!
Most of the news reports about her deal with plastic surgery or tattoos. But she also does charity work, including playing in football matches with celebrities! It’s a shame that she was given yellow cards and verbally abused by the referee.
Colin Weir
Colin Weir was another football fan who purchased his favorite team, Patrick Thistle, with PS2.5 million from his PS161,000,000 winnings. This was achieved by purchasing 55% of the stock in Patrick Thistle.
The club’s new owners gave the rest of the stockholders (and fans) a three-month adjustment period. Weir is also a smart investor. Besides investing in Football stocks, a portion of his winnings was used to fund a youth academy.
Long Paul
Do you have faith in good omens? Long Paul did. Long was a Leyton Orients fan and believed that the club’s win was a good luck sign. He bought an online lotto ticket for PS2 only to be rewarded with a PS9,000,000. But if you do win, remember to count your zeroes.
At first, he thought that he had won PS9,000. His friend had to assure him that it was all real.
Matthew Evans
Matthew Evans, a humble postman, was lucky enough to win PS2.3 million. His winnings were used to build a full-sized soccer goal and dugout in his backyard. To show support for his home team, Evans also created a mosaic of the Welsh red dragon. He now supports the Cardiff club throughout Europe.
Les Scadding
Have you ever thought about purchasing a football club, especially if it is financially strapped? Numerous football fans have done just that! Les Scadding was an ordinary mechanic who got the 2009 EuroMillions lottery and landed PS45,000,000.
After winning the EuroMillions lottery, he was elected chairman and majority shareholder of Newport A.F.C. in Newport, South Wales. However, he decided to retire in 2015 in order to spend more quality time at his Barbados vacation home.
Thea & Paul Bristow
Torquay United was saved by Thea and Paul Bristow, who won PS15 million in the 2004 lottery. As a family, they purchased stock in the club. Thea Bristow was the club’s first chairperson. Paul was vice-chairman. These roles are more important than stock ownership. Paul Bristow died in 2010 at age 59. The club sent Thea their condolences. She remained the club’s director up to 2015.
Terry Kennedy
Imagine hearing these words on the phone, “Are we ready? Would you like to take a seat? You have won one million dollars, I can confirm.”
Terry Kennedy, an ex-player for Sheffield United, received this news in November 2021. He had suffered a knee injury back in 2016. He called the lotto, and he heard the words above. This confirmed that he had won PS1 million. He was recorded by his friends so the world could see what he thought. However, the spectacle was not enough to stop the retired football player from taking his partner on a trip around the world.
Conclusion
Lotto winners are often unsure of what to do with the money they win. Don’t be like these winners! You can start planning what you would have done if you had won the lotto. It’s great to discuss these thoughts with your family.
