Seems like ages when Dereck McInnes and Aberdeen where playing the Scottish Cup Final agains Celtic back in 2017. Scott Brown, Celtic former captain and legend is now a Dandy Don player and that inspired me to write about being an Mexican-Aberdenian fan of Aberdeen Football Club. The date was exactly today four years ago!

So, this is my first attempt to write in English just for the fun of it, not because I am working on an academic paper or applying for a job. This is me trying to connect with the people I care and met along the wayand for any reason, it doesn’t matter, they don’t speak or read (neither they have to) Spanish. Who would have  said all those English classes in the afternoons when I was a kid (and discussions with my parents along with them) would pay off in a post blog? You have any tips to improve my writing? Welcome! let me know!

I am listening to The Langan Band to get in the mood, you will  thank me later. And right after finishing this post, I am on my way to the kitchen to cook something Scottishly-familiar to me, a Coronation Chicken sandwich to honour my great friends of The City Bar & Diner (if you are in Aberdeen, you can’t miss that place, delicious!) where I had the privilege and joy of ‘working’ as a waiter, I write quotation marks because I spent a lot of time talking about football with the Big Boss, Davie the chef and owner. I learnt  from him about the Scottish Premiership, culture, food and ways of life. While being there I met George and Irene, a lovely  elderly couple who – lived in  in Aberdeen for most part of their lives. That is  another reason I am writing this in English. They all are family.

I mean it, try The City Bar & Diner, the food is really, really good, but the real added value is the people who work there, you’ll love it.

• 

• 

Aberdeen, Scotland. What a place! I had the privilege to live there for a year while studying for a postgrad degree. I was way in love with Celtic and Scottish culture, specifically the bagpipe music but that deserves a special post. I remember very vividly the first day I got there, it was Saturday, I already had my student visa with me and nothing else to do than discover the city.

– I have always been a football fan and due to the very existence of Necaxa, I  became an enthusiast of the underdog stories. Moreover, due to my connection with Scottish music and football, I found The Old Firm, the amazing rivalry between Celtic FC and Rangers FC, both based in Glasgow. I became aware of the meaning by reading about it. In fact, I have been writing about it for Mexican media.

On my first day in Aberdeen, Scotland -, September 10th, 2016, I went to a pub full of Celtic and Rangers fans.  Little did I know, that day, The Old Firm was – playing after being  absent  from the  Rangers in the Scottish Premiership for 4 years due to bankruptcy. I was impressed by the fans yelling at the TV, steaming; at the entrance was a very strong policeman watching over everyone, in order to avoid trouble, nobody could use any football shirt of any team, -. In the end, everything was about laughs and the spirit of the game… There are some pubs designated for Celtic fans and other pubs for Rangers fans. I wanted to write something about it, and this is the time.

• 

• 

Soon after finishing a couple of pints, I realised Aberdeen Football Club was about to play in Pittodrie. I went there on bus, paid 20 quid and got to South Stand. I enjoyed every second of it. At the beginning I took some pictures of the Dandy Dons fans and when I saw Donny The Sheep and Angus The Bull interact with the kids I was totally mesmerised. However, it was followed by  -a boring football game – Aberdeen Inverness Caley Thistle 1-1… Here you have the Match Report of that day: Evening Express.

All of this because that day started a long relationship between me and the Dandy Dons, not only as a fan but as a journalist too. I went there several times as a fan disguised with the red shirt; then I applied for a job as waiter serving pies and ice cream in the tunnel of the Richard Donald stand, and that was also another experience which deserves it own post. Yesterday, Aberdeen made official the signing of Scott Brown, former Celtic captain and main icon.I can’t think of any other  Scottish player to whom I feel the most respect because of how he defended his beloved team and loathe (as a rival fan), and made me remember the Scottish FA Cup Final of 2017. He lifted the trophy that day.

A few weeks before the Final all the city was covered with Aberdeen football players, restaurants were giving discounts to Dons fans. Everyone was expecting the final game against Celtic.

• 

• 

Oh! the FA Cup Final, the Scottish one, I am not sure, but it must be the second oldest tournament. I got tickets through a friend who knew a friend who knew friend an so on… Kostas and I went Glasgow by train, with nothing but great expectation for the game and the crowd. While we were walking near Hampden Park (so far I understand is like the Scottish Wembley Stadium), we noticed a huge wave of red shirts walking towards the stadium, it was the Red Army. As each culture has its own folkloric way of celebrate football, there was people drinking ale everywhere, some pipe players along the street and the constant singing.

The Dandy Dons started the game winning with a tremendous shoot from Johnny Hayes. I didn’t realised after several days that I have that goal recorded on my phone, and here it is. It was an amazing feeling, Aberdeen was beating the giants…

But soon enough Celtic levelled the game. As a matter of fact, Kieran Tierney, Arsenal’s star player was part of that Celtic too, but he left the game early due to an injury, he was hit in the face. The game was played roughly. On the stands people were chanting and screaming to the referee for any reason given.

It was close to the end of the game when Celtic got the advantage, but it could have certainly went to red side as well, they had several opportunities.

The most amazing part of it was being in the stands with all the Red Army, chanting, admiring the mosaic. Half of Hampden Park was red, with ’Stand Free’ iconic phrase on it, the most important underdog in Scotland. There, I understood the importance of what Sir Alex Ferguson –I tell you that story clicking Ferguson before Sir Alex– before being Sir did with Aberdeen in the 70s and 80s.

Aberdeen lost in the last minutes but the crowd at Hampden Park was amazing. The way the players performed that game and the way the former Dons’ manager Derek McInnes coached made me realise I was living a whole different football experience -. That day, Kostas and I became part of the Red Army.

Scott Brown wearing the Aberdeen shirt is the official beginning of a new era for my relationship with the team. Players like McKenna, Logan, Crosgrove, Considine, McGinn, Ryan Christie (I know he’s a Celtic player…), Lewis Ferguson, Joe Lewis, Hayes, Scott Wright and of course the captain Graeme Shinnie made me fell in love with the team not because I was living there, but because as real underdogs stand in front of Celtic with honourability and effort. With balls as we say in Mexico!

Witty destiny, happens to be that Davie was born and raised in Inverness, although he is a Celtic fan mostly. That Aberdeen vs Inverness Caley Thistle of my first day in Scotland came around with Scottish FA Cup Final where Scott Brown lifted the trophy with Celtic. Now, the minimum I expect of him, is to play fiercely with the Dons as he did for Celtic, at least, as well as Graeme Shinnie.

This is me, mixed with tons of different stories and emotions.  Aberdeen is starting a new era next season, and yeah, I am following it from Mexico! That is it, a bit of food, Scottish football and tons greetings to my –Scottish friends!

---