England superfan reveals the matchday hacks every football fan needs to know

Hands up if you have your own matchday ritual.

Some of us might wear the same lucky shirt every time our team plays because they won that first time we wore it. Others might only watch games in one particular pub. Personally we always make sure to order the same pre-match pint each game and sit in the exact same seat.

And not forgetting that mate who has been banished to the loos for the rest of the season because his team scored while he was in the toilet.

That said, according to England superfan Andy Milne – you know “That World Cup Guy” who has been to over 1000 matches and regularly goes viral every time a big tournament comes around – we could be taking our matchday preparation a lot further through the art of “Match-Maxxing”.

Thankfully Milne has teamed up with EE to show us exactly how it’s done.

Andy Milne, said: “Going to football is the best thing in the world, but there’s an art to it. After more than 1000 matches, I’ve learned what works. Match-Maxxing is about making every part of the day count, from preparation and rituals to the 90 minutes itself. Your phone and being connected is a huge part of that now, whether it’s checking results, sharing a goal with mates or sorting your journey home. Fast Lane on EE means I can do all of that, even in a packed stadium.”

How to become the ultimate Match-Maxxer

1. Save your voice

First up, you need to protect your most valuable matchday asset: your voice.

According to Andy, serious Match-Maxxers should start a full 24 hours before kick-off by cutting out any unnecessary chatting, singing or shouting, while the truly dedicated can even tape their mouths shut overnight to stop those precious vocal cords drying out.

Extreme? Maybe. But when the 90th minute rolls around and everyone else is sounding like they’ve swallowed a cheese grater, who’s laughing then?

2. Limber up before kick-off

Your vocal cords aren't the only body part requiring some attention. Nobody wants to explain down the pub that they pulled a hamstring while celebrating an extra-time winner, so it’s important to get those pre-match stretches in. We're talking calf raises, quad stretches and, if you're particularly confident about what's to come, perhaps even a few practice knee slides.

3. Get those nerves under control

While matchday nerves can get the better of all of us, there are some precautions you can take to keep them under wraps. Deep breathing, positive visualisation and meditation can all apparently help you stay calm before the whistle blows, and if that doesn't quite cut it, Andy recommends a quick face plunge in cold water.

Andy Milne is famously known as England's biggest superfine

4. Stay on top of the group chat

There's one part of the modern matchday that's traditionally been much harder to prepare for - getting your phone to actually cooperate inside a packed stadium. And there’s not much worse than missing the group-chat reaction or being unable to send the perfect celebration GIF.

That's where EE's new Fast Lane comes in.

Available on EE's Full Works Plus plan, Fast Lane gives customers access to a dedicated 5G+ lane when the network is at its busiest, helping them stay connected when tens of thousands of other fans around them are all reaching for their phones too. To access Fast Lane, customers must have a 5G+ compatible mobile plan, device, SIM, and be within a 5G+ enabled area of the UK

Luciano Oliveira, Managing Director Products, Consumer, BT, said: “As a stadium fills and the excitement builds, staying connected matters more - but can become harder. Fast Lane gives customers access to a dedicated 5G+ lane when the network is busiest, helping them share the action, check the scores and arrange their journey home. It’s a practical example of how EE is turning the UK’s best network and our latest technology into a real advantage for customers when it matters most.”

5. Stay one step ahead

Nobody wants to discover from the bloke three rows in front that a result elsewhere has completely changed the table. Thankfully Fast Lane can also help Match-Maxxers keep up with other scores when the network is at its busiest.

And, crucially, it means less time staring at a loading screen when you should probably be watching what's happening on the pitch.

6. Beat everyone to the journey home

Last but not least, don't wait until you're shuffling towards the exit with thousands of other people to start wondering how you're actually getting home (or to the pub, for that matter). As soon as the final whistle blows, Andy recommends getting ahead of the rush by planning the journey while everyone else is still making their way out.

This is where you’ll need Fast Lane again, which can help you get online when demand is high.

So there you have it: protect your voice, stretch your legs, prepare yourself emotionally for disaster and make sure you sign up to EE’s Fast Lane service so you can have your phone ready for everything from the group-chat meltdown to the journey home.

Nobody said being a football fan was easy.

Learn more about EE’s Fast Lane, available on Full Works Plus plan here.