Doha. Tommy Sullivan’s journey to the World Cup got off to an unexpected start, to say the least.
The Englishman and his entourage were invited to the palace of the son of the Sheikh of Qatar.
– I hope this reaches everyone in Sweden. It was absolutely incredible, Tommy tells Sportbladet.
After England’s 6-2 victory over Iran, Tommy Sullivan, his son Alex and his friend John are on their way home from a hotel bar.
“We took a few cups and went to the store to buy milk,” says Tommy, who still seems to have a hard time believing what they’ve been through.
– There we met a local who said “Wait here, I’ll be back in half an hour”. Then he appears again and says “Let’s go to my place.”
Slightly hesitating, they hopped into a Lamborghini parked outside. The trio are moved to a luxurious mansion and soon it also becomes clear who the true owner is – the son of the Sheikh of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad.
“I can’t believe his eyes”
– It was a palace. Now let me tell you, they had a mansion for wives, girlfriends and children and a mansion for boys. Tommy says you can hardly believe your eyes.
– They had their own zoo, lions, birds, monkeys…
Was cuddling with lions really a good idea? Aren’t you afraid?
– Lions don’t bite (someone from Liverpool) my dear. Everyone there was so nice, and we had many interesting conversations.
At first, no one believed the gang. But since son Alex was able to film large portions of The Visit, the trio have become celebrities back home in England.
We might have 15 minutes of fame now. But you are from Sweden, you see. I hope my team Everton say thank you very much, says Tommy, referring to all the free PR.