Man delivers game ball to charity soccer match in incredible jet pack
- The ball boy for Soccer Aid arrived via jet pack
- And it certainly raised attention and awareness for UNICEF
- He zoomed around the stadium expertly before dropping the ball in the center circle
Published on Jun 10, 2024 at 7:28 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jun 11, 2024 at 11:39 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
With the folks behind Soccer Aid in the UK pulling out all the stops to raise awareness for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) – the ball boy arriving via jet pack made complete sense.
Moments before the game kicked off, fans were confused to hear a loud rumbling echoing around Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge in London, UK accompanied by bright lights from the tunnel.
Then a man in a jet pack appeared, gliding around the Stamford Bridge pitch – and the Soccer Aid fans were thrilled.
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Jet packs are being used more and more these days as Royal Marines test out ‘Iron Man’ jet packs in a groundbreaking test.
What’s more, Dubai hosted its first-ever jet suit race that’s ‘exactly like Iron Man’ earlier this year.
What the guy in the jet pack did
At first, his role was unclear, spectators soon noticed that he had a ball secured around his waist.
He then steered towards the center circle before dropping the match ball on the spot with surprising accuracy.
Raising money for the cause means they up the ante every year – and it even tops the remote-control car from Euro 2020.
Fans at home were just as bowled over.
“I need a jet pack in my life,” one said.
“In one breath soccer aid asking everyone to donate as much as they can,” started a second, “In the next breath a man with a jet pack is flying around Stamford Bridge with the match ball.”
“I need that jet pack suit he’s flying about in asap. I’d be using it at work when I’m about to leave,” quipped a third.
Others were less enthusiastic, questioning how it impacted on the money raised at the event.
“We are raising money for charity yeah? How the f*** much money does a jet pack cost??”
In similar news, this bizarre flying car jet pack hybrid took off recently in Tokyo.
Who won Soccer Aid?
The results of the match were equally surprising.
England ended their five-year streak of losses to beat the World XI, aka the FIFA World Stars, and take home the charity trophy.
Steven Bartlett scored twice, with former England internationals Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, Theo Walcott and Ellen White also netting goals.
On the other side, Eden Hazard scored a brilliant free-kick, with Alessandro Del Piero and Billy Wingrove also scoring.
The best news came today: $127.2 million (£100 million) has been netted since Soccer Aid for UNICEF began in 2006.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
