Jack Collison and Anton Ferdinand took full advantage of West Ham United’s tour partnership with Visit Jacksonville by enjoying the ‘Flip Side of Florida’.
The Hammers legends headed out and about in the Sunshine State’s most populous city on Saturday, exploring venues that help attract over 22 million visitors to the First Coast region each year.
Inhabited by the Native American Timucua people for thousands of years, the northeast Florida area was colonised repeatedly in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries by the French, Spanish and British before Spain ceded the Florida territory to the United States in 1821.
American settlers on the north side of the St John’s River decided to plan a town, laying out the streets and plats. They named the town Jacksonville, after celebrated war hero and first Territorial Governor Andrew Jackson, who would become the United States’ seventh President in 1829.
After the American Civil War, Jacksonville was reconstructed and became a popular winter resort for the rich and famous, helped by the building of a railway linking it with the northeast.
In the past century or so, Jacksonville has become in turn a hub for the silent film industry, a banking and insurance centre, home to three US Navy bases, the NFL expansion Jaguars and the first cryptocurrency purchase.
Nearby, the Jacksonville Beaches are popular with sunseekers and fishing enthusiasts, as well as Hanna Park, which offers surfing, swimming, kayaking and camping in Florida’s mature coastal hammock.
Collison and Ferdinand visited Hanna Park, where they went kayaking in a lake where alligators are spotted on a daily basis!
Next, they headed for Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier, where they cast a rod into the Atlantic Ocean in the hope of catching something big.
The former Hammers decamped to a waterfront restaurant to sample some traditional Jacksonville Beach shrimp, before heading to EverBank Stadium – home of the Jaguars and host of Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005 – for Saturday evening’s Stateside Cup game between West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Both legends, who had previously coached young players at Jacksonville Armada FC and enjoyed a golf lesson at the city’s iconic TPC Sawgrass, enjoyed their tour of the ‘Flip Side of Florida’ and vowed to return in future.
“I’ve absolutely loved it, to be honest,” said Collison, who has been living in the US for the past five years, coaching at Atlanta United and Huntsville City. “I think there is something really peaceful about being in the kayak and close to the water and the park was incredible with all the nature, then obviously the beach is great with beautiful white sands.”
“The sun and beach vibes are great,” Ferdinand agreed. “Seeing the families there together, barbecuing and listening to music was great. I’m all about family and my kids would love it here, that’s for sure, and when I come to places like this it’s all about being somewhere I’d bring my family, and Jacksonville Beach gets a big tick from me!”
To find out more about visiting Jacksonville, click HERE.
