Dundee United superfan Agustin Mervic was reduced to tears after travelling 7,000 miles to watch his beloved Tangerines — four years after seeing Covid wreck his dream trip.
Argentinian Agustin’s love affair with United started when he was 14 years of age.
Already intrigued by Scotland and Ireland due to their history, architecture and scenic landscapes, he decided he should also find a team to follow.
“I saw the badge of Dundee United, the colours and thought, ‘woah, that’s very nice’,” he tells Courier Sport.
“I started to search more about the club — about the history and all the big successes; about Tannadice and the supporters. It all seemed beautiful to me. It is hard to describe, but the more I learned about United, the more I liked it.”
Agustin, 23, is anything but a glory hunter. The halcyon days of the 1980s were long before his time. However, he still had his own heroes, recalling the swash-buckling United side of 2014/15.
“Five players were inspiring to me when I watched my first Dundee United game: Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven, Paul Paton, John Rankin and Nadir Ciftci,” he recalled.
“They have a big responsibility for how much I enjoyed watching Dundee United.”
Agustin: Generosity of Dundee United fans is ‘incredible’
Agustin set up the Dundee United Argentina Twitter account in April 2016 to connect with fellow supporters because he — in his own words — “couldn’t believe a club like Dundee United would be relegated”.
He visited Dundee as part of a whistle-stop holiday in Scotland and Ireland in 2018 but, as it was the close-season, had to be content with a tour of Tannadice.
However, with Agustín’s fandom catching the attention of fellow supporters, a GoFundMe campaign was organised by Arab Iain Strachan, so that he could finally attend a match. It raised more than £2,000; double its initial target.
But around a fortnight before he was due to visit, the Covid pandemic curtailed travel.
“Covid came and made this trip impossible,” he recalled. “Many things have happened and time has passed but to be here now is incredible.”
And it proved to be worth the wait, with United claiming a 6-0 triumph over Arbroath and Agustin able to enjoy the party atmosphere as the hosts celebrated exactly 100 years since changing their name from Dundee Hibernian.
“I couldn’t hold back my tears as I was entering the stadium and when United scored,” he continued. “Tannadice under the lights and a United win? I couldn’t ask for more.
Reflecting on the fundraising that allowed him to make his pilgrimage, Agustin adds: “The generosity of those fans is incredible. I still cannot believe it. I do not have enough words to say thank you.
“I want to meet as many supporters as possible because I have spoken to them through Twitter and Facebook for so many years, and I want to meet in person and talk and take a lot of photographs!”
Trans-Atlantic connection
Hailing from Buenos Aires, it goes without saying that football-daft Agustin is a season ticket holder in his homeland.
Boca Juniors? River Plate?
“No, not them,” says Agustin, batting away the notion. “The best team in Argentina: Platense! They are my team. I have a ticket for all their matches.”
Just as he shunned the stature of Celtic and Rangers when searching for his team in Scotland, he passionately follows one of Argentina’s underdogs.
“Of course, everyone knows about Rangers and Celtic, but I have never liked to support the biggest teams,” he added.
“Platense and Dundee United actually have some coincidences. Damian Casalinuovo played for both clubs and there is one other, I believe — so it is nice to have that connection between my two clubs.”
There is indeed one other: Gustavo Fuentes. Agustin can be forgiven for the striker’s name slipping his mind, given he played just three times for the Tangerines.
But back to Casalinuovo: “He was good at Dundee United but at Platense, it was a bad year for us. It was not his fault. I met Damian in Buenos Aires and he is a lovely person.”
Superfan Agustin on his travels
Agustin will attend his second United game on Tuesday when he makes the trip to North Lanarkshire for their contest against Airdrieonians; part of a packed itinerary.
3-0 AT HALF TIME WOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/wdaLeNPcYU
— Dundee United Argentina (@DUFC_es) October 27, 2023
A passionate follower of the Argentinean rugby team, he’ll go to Murrayfield to enjoy the stadium tour.
A visit to the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden is on the agenda, along with The Kelpies, Dunnottar Castle and experiencing an Arbroath Smokie.
“I’ve loved Scotland since a very young age,” he continued. “Scotland and Ireland have always been special to me. The landscapes; the architecture; the history; mountains and hills — and the people are nice, as I have experienced so much.
“This journey is very special.”
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