Prince William delighted football fans when he made an unexpected stop at a Wetherspoons pub in Birmingham on Wednesday evening. The Prince of Wales, 42, enjoyed a pint of Bulmers cider at the New Street Station pub before catching a train back to London, following Aston Villa’s away game against Everton.
The future King met with a group of Aston Villa supporters, buying a round of beers and engaging in lively football banter. The meet-up was arranged after William attended the inaugural emergency and critical care conference hosted by the College of Paramedics in Birmingham earlier in the day.
Steve Jones, a lifelong Villa fan of 35 years, shared his experience: “We were contacted by the club saying Prince William wanted to meet some Villa fans while he was in Birmingham. He wanted to stay connected with everything happening at Villa.
“He was fantastic. I was amazed at how engaged and passionate he was about the club. He’s not a fair-weather fan—he genuinely loves Villa. We talked about transfers, the Champions League trip to Monaco, and all things Villa. He asked lots of questions and clearly has a deep interest.”
William also touched on his family’s shared love for Aston Villa. Steve added:
“We mostly talked about Villa, but he mentioned his family too. Young George is a Villa fan, but he didn’t want all three kids supporting the same team. He was really genuine and just wanted to talk football. He said he was hopeful about beating Everton but wary of the ‘new manager syndrome.’”
Prince William, whose sons Prince George and Prince Louis also support Villa, previously explained his connection to the club in a 2015 interview with Gary Lineker: “I wanted a team that was more mid-table, one that could give me emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa has always had a great history.”
The visit followed William’s announcement as the new patron of the College of Paramedics during the conference.
A former air ambulance pilot, the Prince reflected on his flying career while addressing delegates and even opened his speech with a nod to his favorite team: “It’s great to be back in Birmingham, and for any fellow Villa fans with us today – I look forward to celebrating our win over Everton later…”
The Prince’s unexpected appearance and genuine enthusiasm for football left fans with a memorable encounter and plenty to talk about.
