The member of this match for this Wednesday’s Houston Dynamo match has a story that is unlike any other. That is because Dynamo 365 Member Patrick Walls bought his season tickets to the Dynamo before he had ever even stepped foot in the state of Texas.
Growing up in Germany as the son of a member of the Airforce, Walls said that soccer was not a sport that he chose to love, it was just a condition of living in Germany.
“Growing up there, you're pretty much required to like soccer,” Walls said.
He eventually returned to America, settling in Northern Florida, where he started a career in law enforcement. Very quickly, he began to miss the sport that he had grown up loving, and so when he decided to change career paths, living in a city with a professional soccer team was first on his list of priorities, with Houston being one of them.
"I spent the whole night applying for jobs in cities that had an MLS team,” Walls said. “A company in Houston said 'we really like you. We will pay for you to come out here.' So, I actually bought season tickets to the Dynamo before I had even set foot in Texas. The ticket rep thought it was hilarious.”
Walls moved to Houston in 2013, and despite not knowing much about the city coming in, says he couldn’t be happier that fate brought him here.
“I love the city, I love the people and the food and all the diversity. Everyone welcomed me with open arms,” Walls said. “I mean, I've made so many friends, it's like I've got a second family. One of the supporters' group people that I've met is going to be my best man for my wedding.”
Even when the team is on the road, Walls still finds a way to keep a connection with the Dynamo beyond simply watching the game.
“I've helped drive a van with El Batallon to go to Colorado games. I've flown around with Texian Army,” Walls said. “Whenever the Dynamo do the watch parties, I go to those because I love Diesel. I'm an old man, but Diesel just cracks me up.”
Walls’ love for the Houston Dynamo has even gotten him to pick up a few extra skills that he otherwise would not have tried.
“I helped with the One Team in Texas tifo. I had to learn to sew for that. I've learned sewing, I've learned how to paint. Most of my arts and crafts knowledge has come from being a supporter of the Dynamo,” Walls said.
