A man who is such a fan of Wetherspoons has legally changed his name to Spoons. Chris Brett William Illman, 43, from Fareham, Portsmouth, started the Facebook group ‘Wetherspoons The Game!!’ in 2018, which now boasts 700,000 members.
The game involves members sharing their location and table number on the page, allowing strangers to order food and drinks to their table via the pub’s mobile app. Having visited 100 Wetherspoons pubs himself, Chris officially changed his name to Chris Spoons Illman by deed poll on February 2, after promising to do so when the group reached 500,000 members.
The father-of-two explained: “My name changed from the moment I signed the paperwork – the rest is just formality and making the paperwork official.” The Facebook group encourages members to post a photo and story along with their location details, and if others are entertained or moved, they buy them drinks. Those who benefit often pay it forward later, reports Devon Live.
Chris was inspired to start the game during a night out with friends. When the group hit 10,000 members in 2020, he even got a tattoo of a weather symbol and a wooden spoon, a nod to the Wetherspoon logo, on his upper arm.
Chris admits that his partner, Lindsey, 41, isn’t particularly fond of the new name but appreciates the humour in it. He’s completed the necessary paperwork and sent it off for processing.
Chris, a regular at The North-Western Wetherspoons in Liverpool, has been playing the game for charity every month since 2019.
“Each meal has a burger, chips, and a sealed soft drink,” he explained. “Once all the food is packed into takeaway boxes, local charities pick it up and distribute it to the local homeless community. After the burgers, we request snacks like crisps, nuts, and biscuits, and we’re provided with between 1000 and 5000 snacks each time.”