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England superfan hoping to sell a house to fund his World Cup holiday

By The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — One hardcore England fan hopes to sell a house to fund his World Cup trip this summer.

Andy Milne, a 62-year-old retired teacher, says he is ready to cash in on a second residency so he can afford to follow the soccer tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

This will be his 10th World Cup supporting England, ninth for the men plus the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Milne has become a cult figure among England fans, often seen holding a replica World Cup trophy.

He lives in Thailand and has been renting out the house in northern England that he hopes to sell for 350,000 pounds ($465,000).

“It is going on the market because I’m selling it to go to the World Cup,” Milne told British tabloid The Mirror. “We have had a second home for 27 years so it felt like the right time to cash in.

“I definitely want to see the whole tournament. I am going to the U.S. on June 3 and will be there for seven weeks. So it will cost quite a lot of money.”

Milne said he will be Dallas for England’s first game against Croatia on June 17. England then plays Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 23, and finishes its group phase against Panama in New Jersey on June 27.

In addition to the high travel costs to move between venues, fans have criticized FIFA’s ticket pricing strategy for the World Cup.

Fan groups accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” in December when tickets were put on general sale ranging from $140 for the cheapest group games to $8,680 for the final. FIFA responded by offering some $60 seats.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Gracie the Giraffe, who went missing after wandering off a Texas ranch, is finally found

By The Associated Press
Gracie the Giraffe, who went missing for about two weeks in Texas after wandering off a remote private ranch, was finally found Friday — and the open range appeared to have agreed with her. The giraffe was spotted about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) south of her enclosure during an aerial search in the Texas Hill Country, according to Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson. He said Gracie's owner, Vick Jones, contacted a veterinarian and began putting together a team to bring the giraffe safely back to the ranch. “She’s in good shape,” Jones said. “She’s standing there, swishing her tail.” Gracie, who is about 3 years old and weighs at least 1,200 pounds, was found within a half-mile of a pond and creek and had plenty of vegetation to feed on, said Jones, adding that she appeared to have been in that area for about a week.
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