JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Jaguars superfans from the United Kingdom who started social media accounts to support a team they say is often “misrepresented” in the media are coming to Jacksonville for the high-stakes playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
Joel Newman and Ben Conway scrambled to find flights from London after the Jaguars spotted their social media plea and gifted them two tickets to Sunday’s game at EverBank Stadium.
“This is a dream come true!” Newman said when he made the announcement on the EndZoneNearYou Instagram page.
Newman calls himself “the biggest Jaguars fan in the UK” (pronounced Jag-you-ars, of course).
“I’ve been here in London representing the 904 for over a decade,” Newman said in a social media post, hoping to get the attention of the Jaguars.
It worked, with the team’s official page commenting on the TikTok post, “So glad we found you!!!”
Newman told News4JAX that he became a Jaguars fan when they played the Cowboys in London in 2014.
“My dad said, ‘Pick a jersey for whatever team, and you can support them forever.’ And I put (on) the Jaguars one,” Newman said.
It was a black Blake Bortles No. 5 jersey.
Even though the Jaguars lost that game, Newman said he’s been a Jaguars fan ever since.
He’s collected loads of Jags merch over the years and made a trip to Jacksonville in 2018 for a preseason game. He displayed his Jaguars fandom in the TikTok post that got the team’s attention.
Newman said after he and Conway connected with the team, the trip came together really quickly.
“The Jaguars blessed us with tickets, and then we had to sort out the flights quickly,” Newman said.
In a post on Wednesday, Newman said they didn’t even know where they were staying because it all happened so fast.
By the time they spoke with News4JAX on Thursday afternoon, a local family had stepped up.
“We connected with an amazing family on social media who offered us one of their spare bedrooms,” Newman said. “They’ve just been so helpful.”
Newman said they’re looking forward to experiencing Jacksonville’s culture and meeting more fans. And they plan to share some of their culture, as well.
“We’re going to be bringing a lot of British snacks,” Newman said on TikTok, adding that they’ll be asking fans they meet to try them and review them. “I feel like that would be so much fun for you guys to try the British ‘delicacies.’”
Newman and Conway said they started the EndZoneNearYou Instagram and TikTok accounts to support the team because they “are very misrepresented within the media.”
Many Jaguars fans would agree, but the hope is that this year’s 13-4 regular season and run to the playoffs will change the narrative.
“(Head coach) Liam Coen and (defensive coordinator) Anthony Campanile are the most down-to-earth human beings,” Newman said. “The job he’s done; it’s great to see how far he’s come.”
Conway said he expects a close game that might come down to a key takeaway.
Newman said the Jaguars will need to “stop (Bills running back) James Cook and contain (Bills quarterback) Josh Allen.”
But he believes the team’s defense, led by Travon Walker and Devon Hamilton, can get it done.
“The city’s better when the Jaguars are good,” Newman said. “We’re going to have an amazing five days, and the Jags winning will top that all off.”
Follow Joel and Ben’s journey and Jaguars coverage on Instagram at @endzonenearyou and on TikTok at @endzone.near.you.