Boston, MA
Boston United: Twin brothers are spearheading club's recruitment
Tales of footballing brothers sticking together are nothing new.
Gary and Phil Neville featured for Manchester United and England; the Ivory Coast’s Yaya and Kolo Toure had three years together at Manchester City; and then there were Ronald and Frank De Boer, who teamed up at Ajax, Barcelona, Rangers and the Netherlands during their illustrious careers.
The Bellingham bros, Jude and Jobe, are among the highest-profile siblings in the game at the moment, starring for Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, after both emerged at Birmingham City.
Where it differs for the Graham brothers is that they are lifelong Boston fans who are living out their dreams with the club off the pitch.
Heading the scouting department of the fifth-tier club is something they have done together for the past two years.
They returned to the Pilgrims together, having previously started out with them as volunteer regional scouts before going on to develop their careers away from Jakemans Community Stadium.
Sam, who still recalls the first time he watched Boston United with his father and brother when aged five, says the job he shares with Shaun remains a “passion” above all else.
“I grew up a little addicted to football from a young age, especially non-league football,” he said.
“And we have been lucky to have this amazing opportunity to now be involved and use that passion to try and drive the football club forward.”
Football and being on the lookout for talent is an all-consuming pursuit for the 38-year-old pair.
When they are not working side by side, they laugh that they are probably on the phone to one another.
“We are quite lucky that we have different skill sets,” Sam said.
“I will do a lot of the admin stuff, a lot of the communication and speaking to the manager and a lot of the players.
“And Shaun does a lot of the reporting and getting out and watching players, so that dynamic gives us two really good skill sets and allows us to do the job.”
As much as they play to one another’s strengths as a scouting team, how the twin brothers view a player is not always identical.
But even then, they have worked out ways of settling an argument in a way that Boston United benefits.
“It can be difficult at times, and there are disagreements now and again,” said Shaun, who is the older brother by 48 minutes.
“But we tend to come to the same outcome because we have the same outlook on the game, and our opinions are very similar on players.
“Sometimes not agreeing is quite healthy. It keeps the relationship between us strong, I’d say.”
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The FIFA World Cup is coming to Massachusetts, and when it comes to having a place for people to hang out together, there will be a free fan zone where everyone can celebrate the big event.
Seven World Cup matches will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this summer, and the first one is right around the corner, to be played on June 13, with Scotland taking on Haiti.
Fan Zones are a public space to watch the game for people who don’t have tickets to the actual game. Held in public places, they broadcast the mach on giant screens to offer an immersive experience to watch the game, according to FIFA>
“At the heart of FIFA Fan Festival Boston, (a) Cultural Showcase will ignite the stage with a vibrant celebration of the spirit, creativity, and cultural heartbeat of Boston and communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” FIFA said.
Where will the fan zone be located when the World Cup games start in just 11 days?
Where is the World Cup fan zone going to be in Massachusetts?
The official FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup in Boston will be located at Boston City Hall Plaza at 1 City Hall Sq. Boston, MA.
“The festival will run daily from June 12 through June 27, offering live match broadcasts, cultural showcases, food vendors, and entertainment,” according to FIFA.
The fan zone will open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will stay open until after dark, between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. according to reports.
Activities at the fan zone
Here are some of the offerings at the fan zone in Boston, according to the FIFA website:
- Live broadcasts: Giant outdoor screens that broadcast tournament matches in high-definition.
- Entertainment & music: Live concerts, DJ sets, and performances celebrating global culture.
- Interactive activations: Skills challenges, mini-pitches, inflatable games, and sponsor booths.
- Food & merch: International food stalls, local beverage offerings, and official tournament merchandise.
How to go to the fan zone
While the game is free, you do need to register in advance.
“You can select which days and matches you plan to attend through the FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 website or the Meet Boston events page. Up to six people can register on a single application,” the World Cup Boston website says.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
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