Liverpool Fan Crowned UK's Unluckiest After Team Fails to Win When He Watches
A football-obsessed man has earned the title of the sport's unluckiest fan after his team consistently failed to secure victories in every Premier League match he viewed this year. Tommy McAllister, a 30-year-old lifelong Liverpool supporter, is considered so cursed that his friends have attempted to prohibit him from watching games. This drastic measure stems from Liverpool winning only four out of the ten Premier League fixtures played since Christmas, which coincidentally were the sole matches Tommy missed.
The Jinx in Action
While Tommy sat through all six draws and losses, his absence seemed to spark success for his team. For instance, he skipped Liverpool's 2–1 defeat to Wolves, only for them to triumph 3-1 in the same fixture days later when he was not watching. This pattern of misfortune extends beyond the current season, as Tommy also missed Liverpool's legendary 4-0 comeback against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League, a match they miraculously won after a disappointing first leg.
His bad luck has become so predictable that his Everton-supporting friends now actively encourage him to watch games, believing it will lead to losses for their local rivals. Tommy was identified as football's unluckiest fan through a collaboration between Xbox and leading sports data analysts Opta, who developed a new metric called xJ (expected jinx). This innovative tool aims to quantify the impact fans may have on match outcomes by analyzing viewing habits and correlating them with results.
The Science Behind the Curse
Developed with Opta's director of analytics, Jonny Whitmore, and powered by live win probability data, the xJ model assessed nearly 10,000 fans who submitted their matchday viewing information. A higher score indicated a statistically more unlucky influence on their team's performance. Tommy emerged with the highest score, solidifying his reputation as the unluckiest fan. He expressed mixed feelings about the title, stating, "I've been a Liverpool fan for as long as I can remember, so it's hard to think that I am jinxing my favourite team and may be behind the reason for their slump this season. But the stats don't lie and it seems I really am that unlucky."
In response, Tommy has tried various tactics to break the curse, including spending hundreds of pounds on multiple team jerseys, wearing his seventh of the season, and even donning a goalkeeper kit. He has also experimented with elaborate matchday rituals, such as watching games from different rooms or seats and standing up during Liverpool corners. Despite these efforts, his friends blame him for the team's poor form, sending messages like "Tommy must be watching" when Liverpool concede or "turn the telly off Tommy!" when things go awry.
Misfortune Beyond Football
Tommy's bad luck has spilled into his personal life, with a string of his favourite Liverpool restaurants closing down after he becomes a regular. He recounted, "My go-to spot in school was Yum's on Bold Street, which closed around 2015. I finally found a replacement in City Buffet on Hanover Street, which then closed in 2022, while other favourites on the same road followed the same fate." This has turned into a running joke, making him hesitant to label any restaurant as his favourite for fear of dooming it.
As the newly crowned UK's unluckiest fan, Tommy has decided to forfeit watching games entirely in a show of extreme dedication to Liverpool FC. Instead, he will play on an Xbox, hoping this change will benefit his team's results. Mohan Gehlot, Xbox senior global product manager, commented, "Tommy's new title as the UK's unluckiest fan is a heavy load to carry, but we're sure Liverpool supporters around the world are thankful for his sacrifice. We're just glad we can improve Tommy's new matchday experience by rewarding him with an Xbox console and EA FC 26."
The list of Liverpool Premier League games watched by Tommy and their results highlights his jinx, with wins only occurring when he was absent. This unique story underscores the quirky side of football fandom and the lengths fans will go to support their teams.
