This season, the Premier League's US Instagram account, @PLinUSA, has been highlighting the passionate, diverse PL fandom from coast to coast in the series Premier League passion in the US: Fans' stories.
Meet Pamela, pictured above right, a Leicester City fan from Atlanta whose new-found passion helped create a special soccer bond with her younger sister.
Pamela
"I’m the Director of Engineering at a software company and a Leicester City fan. My sister Katherine is a PhD student studying physics.
"We both work in our own male-dominated worlds and I think for us both, following Leicester and soccer - it’s the first time we ever found a built-in partner to do something we really enjoy in another male-dominated world.
"Me and my husband started following the Premier League on NBC when we got access to it, after Leicester came up.
Incredible introduction
"My husband is from Leicestershire and he was really excited to see them play at that level. We watched out of excitement, and [watching them win the Premier League title for the first time in 2015/16] was just the most incredible season to be fully immersed in. We were hooked - I was hooked.
"Eventually I ordered some merchandise from the team and I started getting emails from them saying, "Hey, you’re in the US and a fan!"
"They would stay in touch with us, and when the recent fan-fest was announced in Miami, they reached out and so we decided to go.
"To get to know the people who work for the club, it just felt so close-knit and had a real family vibe. It made me feel like I could be a little part of the Leicester City culture, even though I’ve never even been there.
Learning the history
"I think I can claim that I got my sister into the sport. I would say the hardest part of coming into the league is that there is a lot of history to understand.
"It was fun for me to share what I have learned and thought was really important about their history. I was able to give her my own notes for her to jumpstart her own learning and journey with Leicester.
"Now, we pretty much have a plan for each match. Either we watch physically on my couch, we’re live-texting each other about the match, or, in the pre-COVID days, going to a bar together. We always watch it together, regardless."
