The Premier League's US Instagram account @PLinUSA celebrates the passionate, diverse PL fandom from coast to coast in the series Premier League passion in the US: Fans' stories.
Meet Parker Jones, a rugby player and recent graduate of Auburn University that relates his small-town upbringing in upstate Alabama to following AFC Bournemouth across the pond.
Parker
"Growing up on a small farm in Gallant, Alabama, a town of fewer than 900 people, meant the only soccer available to me was playing the EA Sports FIFA video game series.
“I played the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa video game when I was about six or seven years old in 2012, and I have no idea why we decided to buy it.
"I got really into it and played career mode. That’s when I found the Cherries, when they were still in League One. I dug into the club’s history and players, relating to the small-community feel of the club and Vitality Stadium versus bigger clubs across England. It felt personal and near to the heart versus hopping on a bandwagon.
"When my family moved to nearby Ashville, I got even closer to the beautiful game because of the large Hispanic population that spends half the year working here. I would run into the workers and their families on Sundays playing pickup games, joining in myself and eventually persuading my friends to come play too.
College Years
“I decided to go to college about two hours away at Auburn University, not planning to pursue playing any sports I played in high school like baseball, American football, etc.
"Little did I know that Bournemouth would be relegated from the Premier League during their 130th anniversary, just a few months after the pandemic rocked our world.
"I became a die-hard fan while the Cherries were in the Championship and we were all stuck at home with a lot of time to think and process our lives.
"After quarantine I realized that I wanted to be involved in something once we were back on campus, so I went to a rugby-team tryout and made the team. It was the closest thing I could get to soccer using my skill set from the sports I played previously.
"Traveling with the team has made it hard to catch every match, but I will watch on my phone or listen on talkSPORT when I can. Some of my team-mates follow the league and my coach from South Africa is a massive Manchester United fan.
"People like my coach are always either confused or surprised that I chose the south coast club over others.
"Even my brother, Carter, a freshman at Auburn who lives with me, is an Arsenal fan. We bond over watching the league on weekends when we are not busy.
"I cannot wait to go overseas with him for the first time to watch a match or two. Now with American ownership at Bournemouth, maybe the club can take a leap and even bring in some American players!
"The small-club feeling could turn people away from the Cherries, but I hope American support and continued success in the league will lead others to join me in our small community on the south coast, where you always feel like you’re a part of the action."
