Steve McClaren lookalike who went viral at Qatar World Cup leads support again
A Steve McClaren 'lookalike' led the England fans' invasion of Australia on Wednesday to see the Lionesses bid for World Cup glory.
Andy Milne, 60, became a cult figure with Three Lions fans in Qatar when he was seen at our games with a replica Jules Rimet trophy. Nicknamed 'World Cup Guy', he was pictured beneath the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge as England defender Lucy Bronze spoke of her hopes of landing the real trophy and ending 57 years of hurt for fans.
Retired teacher Andy is heading off to see our opening game against Haiti in Brisbane at his ninth tournament following his country. An image of Andy holding the replica trophy aloft in the men's 3-0 victory over Senegal went viral.
His first tournament was watching the men in Spain in 1982; Qatar was his eighth following his country. But this is his first time he has been to a Women's World Cup. Tourism chiefs invited him and he will watch Sarina Wiegman's side with his daughter Laila, 27, who is currently living in Sydney on a working holiday.
Milne is a keen advocate of the women's game and established the girl’s team at The Grange School, Cheshire ensuring his daughter Laila could play too. He said: “My favourite thing about the World Cup is meeting new people in new places and there’s no place more welcoming than Australia.
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"Since the moment I landed, everyone I’ve met has been so wonderful. I can’t wait to meet more locals, more fans, and soak up the positive, inviting atmosphere. This is my first Women’s World Cup and I’m absolutely buzzing to be Down Under for it. It’s going to be incredible to watch England take on Haiti this weekend and hopefully, football is coming home.”
Steve McClaren lookalike Andy Milne is leading the charge in Australia (Jam Press/Tourism Australia)Sally Cope, of Tourism Australia, welcomed Andy to Oz and said sport was a big part of Aussie culture. "We love how it brings people together," she added.
"When we heard about Andy, someone who has been a passionate supporter of football for decades and gets so much enjoyment out of meeting new people while he cheers on his home country, we knew we had to invite him to come and say g’day."
Andy will stay in Australia for a week to cheer on Wiegman’s side, and also watch Australia take on Ireland in the opening game in Sydney on Thursday. Andy, also father to Sophie, runs a treasure hunt business in Thailand with his doctor wife Achla.
Andy Milne has been joined by his daughter, Laila, and TikTokker Samantha Mille (Jam Press/Tourism Australia)McClaren was manager of England from 2006-07, spanning 18 games in 16 months. England and Barcelona star Lucy Bronze, 31, said the team's success taking the Euro 2022 title had made them hungry for more. Victory in the final here would bring our first senior World Cup since the men's epic 4-2 extra time win over Germany in 1966.
Lucy explained why the players had issued a letter saying they would like discussions with the FA about fairer pay, but have decided to wait until after the World Cup. She added: "I'm 100% confident that we will not be distracted by this. I think every single one of our players is fully focused on playing the games and playing great football.
The England and Manchester United fan has become social media sensation (Jam Press/Tourism Australia)Have your say! Will the Lionesses win the Women's World Cup? Join the debate in the comments section.
"If you were to come out and watch us training you would see that the level of intensity that we have on the pitch is probably second to none right now. The talent that we have coming into this tournament is unbelievable.
"These conversations happen regularly, they're probably just not in the media. They happened before the Euros and I don't think it distracted us then because we went on to win it."
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