𝑈𝑛 𝑑𝑖́𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑦... [Thread]

1 year ago today, I landed in Argentina after a colossal journey from Ireland .

I was picked up at the airport by @Nicolas_Bloch.

We were on our way to the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa in Rosario, home of Newell's Old Boys

Nico & I first connected on Twitter. A huge Newell's fan living in Buenos Aires, he was eager to improve his English while helping me learn more about what it means to be a "Leper".

While he was on holiday in the UK in early 2019, we met for the first time in a London pub

Months later, I texted him with news: "I'm coming to Argentina to see Newell's".

Fast forward to 29/10/2019 & I'm in his car leaving Ezeiza Airport in Buenos Aires on the Ruta Nacional 9 headed for Rosario, 300km away.

Newell's were playing Maradona's Gimnasia that evening.

Buenos Aires was cloudy, but once we got out of the city the clouds cleared & the Irish winter I had left behind was a distant memory.

I'd picked a special match to arrive in Rosario for.

The return of Diego Maradona to Newell's (where he played 5 games in 1993) was huge.

Arriving in Rosario, a wave of tiredness and jetlag hit me but thankfully I had around 3 hrs to nap before Nico picked me up again for the game.

Nico parked his car outside the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa, which is located in an amazing tropical park full of palm trees

There were Newell's fans everywhere chilling in the sun outside; chatting about the match, some having a drink.

Incredibly, I heard another Irish accent outside amongst a sea of Argentinians. David from Armagh was backpacking & his AirBnB host had invited him to the game.

Known as "El Coloso del Parque" (The Colossus of the Park), the ground was renamed after #LUFC manager and Newell's legend Marcelo Bielsa in 2009.

A few months earlier, I had been to see Leeds play & now, 11,000km away, I was at the place where Bielsa was first worshipped.

The pilgrimage didn't really feel complete until I got to the top of the 'Platea Alta' stand & caught my first glimpse of the pitch where so many famous players have played.

As the stadium slowly filled, the flags came out, the flares started burning, and the songs got louder.

Shortly before Maradona came onto the pitch, where he would be presented with a shirt to commemorate his time at Newell's, there was a sporadic fireworks display behind one of the stands.

It's hard to put into words the kind of energy & buzz that this atmosphere creates

Before the game, I was introduced to Nico's family, The Blojs, who have been coming to Newell's for decades.

They embody what it means to be a Newell's fan. They made me feel like I was part of their family. They say that Irish hospitality is unrivalled - I know that's a myth!

What we didn't know at the time is that Diego Maradona had been given an outrageous throne to sit on at the sideline.

It was all over the news after the game but we were not too aware at the time as all the focus was on the football being played on the pitch...

...and the less said about that, the better.

I watched in disbelief as Newell's lost 0-4 to Gimnasia, who were bottom of the league.

It was a completely bizarre match & rumours went around after that it had been 'fixed' for Maradona to enjoy a win the day before his birthday

Despite the result, my first visit to Newell's was unforgettable. What a stadium, the best fans in the world, and a welcome like no other.

I would return to Rosario two weeks later to finally witness a Newell's win (against Defensa y Justicia) and in between that time, there were visits to some other clubs in Argentina and Uruguay while Newell's were not playing.

The entire trip was unbelievable. Football aside, I met so many cool people (you know who you are) who showed me the Argentine way of life...

I even got to appear on my favourite podcast @HandOfPod & play football at the stadium of Buenos Aires side Atlanta (thanks @dierholic!)

But I'll never forget reaching the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa in Rosario on that first day, after setting off from my house in the West of Ireland the day before.

One thing is certain.... I'll be back soon!

For Newell's Old Boys in English, follow @Newells_en

Newell's Carajo!