Geoff Golliker and Jacob Allmendinger are in Cincinnati, Ohio, as Hull City's Premier League ambassadors, and their job is to sell the club to American fans. The pair are there in amber and black, with a watch party staged in The Stretch and a crowd built around the visit.

Jacob is 21. Geoff is 80. Their age gap is part of what has made them such a striking fan story, and it is now being used to put Hull City in front of a new audience.

Their American pitch

Jacob said the trip fits neatly with the local football culture: "We're going to Cincinnati because of the Bengals, the NFL team. It's a very similar sort of tiger theme, so we're hoping it will be easy to persuade people to become Hull City fans."

He also said: "I think mine and grandad Geoff's job when we're out there is to get as many people to become fans as possible."

The city is built around the Bengals' tiger identity, and Hull City's own amber-and-black branding gives the club an easy visual hook. All 20 top-flight clubs have chosen ambassadors as part of the Coast to Coast Kick Off, with fan events and watch parties planned in 15 US cities.

Why the trip means something to them

Geoff said: "I feel really quite proud. Being asked to do this is an honour."

He added: "At my age, I do all the travelling I can, because there'll come a time when I can't get out of the house. So I'm literally just going for it."

Jacob's attachment to the trip goes back to a much bigger sacrifice. He spent his £10,000 house deposit so they could follow England to the semi-finals of the World Cup in North America in July, which makes this latest journey feel like a continuation of the same family habit. He also admitted he will miss Manchester United: "There's still a big part of me that really does want to be at the Manchester United game and I will be getting a lot of fomo [fear of missing out] in America."

The pair will be watching the game with American fans at The Stretch, which is set to be kitted out in amber and black. Kick-off is at 12:30 BST, with Hull City and Manchester United providing the backdrop to a day built around promotion as much as football.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →