It's Almost Closing Time

Hey Everyone,

So it's almost been a month since I last wrote so I figured it was time for a bit of an update for you all in my travels and studies around england! So for those who read this for the travel aspect this post might be a little dry however if you want something a little more travel centered stay tuned later this week, and the upcoming weeks!

We'll after getting back from Nationals in London things started to gear up for deadline time. I had two papers, a few quizzes, and a sales video. Shout out to the boys I worked on the video with for putting up with me filming my part as I only had a few hours of sleep that morning. But even though the deadlines seemed endless I got through them all and I am moving to get my last two done as well.

Things with Enactus are slowing down as I take a step back from Recreo. I'm glad I'm leaving now so they can focus on the ideas that were built on this year and take it even further. I can't wait to see what the program will look like in the following months, and I will be the first international buyer of our product! From my time here I look forward to seeing what I can do to see what I can accomplish back with Enactus Plymouth State, it will be a lot of hard work starting a project from the ground up again, but I relish the challenge once again.

I did make the journey with a few of the Enactus crew up to Exeter to watch some horse racing. It was something I will remember for the rest of my life! I think I might have made some money I'm not sure, but I did pick one winner. I will always remember the Gone To Far for being the first horse I had win for me! It was a great time out with the gang and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.

                                          Photo Credit: Hannah Yarr, @hannahyarr

Then about a week after that I celebrated my 21st birthday. I can finally drink a legal beer in the States! However since I've been following the english laws for the past year it's going to be nothing new to me when I get home. But it was the first birthday in a long time that I got to celebrate it with people. My flat surprised me with a cake, and so did my Enactus team in our meeting. Then there was a crew that went out on a Tuesday with me. Needless to say it was a great time and thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate, and making it a birthday I will never forget!

Quick side note, thanks to committee having the last Enactus Social after my birthday. Even though I was dragging it was great to go out with the Enactus crew at least one more time.

So besides my birthday I also got to play my final games as a member of UPFC Sparrows. I know most of the boys wanted a shout out in this blog, because of all the banter I get from them. So boys here is your moment. I want to thank you all for letting the token American play the sport your country had created. I know I wasn't a Tim Howard or Clint Dempsey but I did my best to try and play the position you asked of me. Seb, I wish you and Newcastle the best of luck in getting back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Ismael, you keep up with that touch on the ball, and yes the Plymouth 2 Plymouth banter was good. Scott, keep that backline in check and Lucien keep calling for the ball on the wing you'll get Morgan to switch the play at some point. And for the rest of the team, especially Adam, and Will it was a pleasure to play with everyone of you, and I wish you luck on whatever team you get to play for next season, and I hope I get to see you on my side of the pound at some point.

On the topic of Football I did attend my final English Football match on the 7th of May. Argyle took on Hartlepool United winning 5-0. It was a perfect way to end my English Football experience. I am going to miss how inexpensive tickets are, and how close to the park I was. But above all I will miss the amount of heart that is showcased every sunday on both the pitch and stands. Plymouth has turned me into a green, so up the Argyle boys and get the win at Wembley to get to League one. I'll be supporting wherever I am.

But I think that is it for right now. I have one more final deadline and then I have an exam next week and then my England adventure is coming to an end. I still have a ton of travel plans that I will be telling you all about so keep on the lookout for that. I hope you're having a good day well you're reading this and remember be safe and enjoy the moment.



-Tucker    

The Devon Derby: Plymouth Argyle v. Exeter City

Hey everyone,

So few weeks ago I told you all about my trip up to Grantham with Enactus Plymouth, and all the awesome things that I learned well I was there. But now it's time to tell you a different story, a story of hatred between two cities. Plymouth. Exeter. The Devon Derby. This is how I saw it and what I experienced in my first derby match.

I had gone to Home Park to see Argyle play, it was always a happy vibe everyone was welcome and everyone that walked into the stadium wanted to see how Argyle would do that weekend, but it was different this time. Just on the short walk up to the ground from my flat you could tell that every fan that you passed seemed on edge and wanted to get one over on Exeter. I walked up to the ticket booth to get my tickets and you could hear both groups of fans volleying back-and-forth with song after song.

The atmosphere was tense and you could tell that both sides wanted to win, and side that lost would lose their mind. Because of the the local Devon & Cornwall Police were out in full force and riot gear to make sure order was kept from kick off. But after walking by a legion of officers I made it into the park and taking my seat I sat there and took it all in. For these people, some of whom have supported Argyle from the day they were born wanted nothing but a clean game and and solid win over their rivals, for some this game was more important than going up to league one. You could feel the passion these fans had before the ball was even kicked.

Moments before the whistle we were all asked that if we have something under our seats to hold it up. I had never been apart of a tifo and I finally got a chance to. I held up my piece of green plastic and I started to sing with all of the green army to push the argyle boys. It is a moment I will not forget. The plastic went down and then the whistle blow and the game kicked off.

From that whistle you could tell that Argyle were on the back foot and went down 2 to null in the first half. The fans knew the the boys had something in them that they were not showing, and Derek Adams the manager needed to get the boys going. They clawed one back in the second half but it wasn't enough. Plymouth fell 2-1 against rivals Exeter. I felt as angry as some of the fans, but I put it aside knowing that it was only a game, but for some it's not just a game and for those people they had armored police on the pitch right after the match. I hurried out of the park to make sure that I wasn't going to get caught up in the violence if any was to happen, and made it home in one piece. But that game will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was by far the most passion match I've been to behind any USMNT games with the Outlaws, but the fans made the match. When they say football is nothing without the fans they mean it 100%.

Well that was the Devon Derby. I hope you found reading this as interesting as it was for me to be there. I want to take a second and just say thank you to everyone who has helped me get here. If it wasn't for you all I wouldn't be able to experience these amazing things, and I thank you all for that. I will be out of Plymouth for the holidays so I will keep you all updated on my whereabouts in the next few weeks. Till then, stay classy everyone!

-Tucker

 

First Time at Home Park

Hey everyone,

I know I just posted a few days ago, but with Plymouth Argyle playing away this weekend at Notts County I thought I would tell the story of my first time watching English football.

First let me say this for any of my American readers. When you come here get out of the habit of calling it soccer, it's a dead giveaway you're from the states. It's not a big thing just trying to make sure you don't stick out like sore thumb when you come here. But I will say that I will not look at football the same after going to a Plymouth Argyle Football Club match.

Since I love football and I was coming to England I wanted to see if there was a team in Plymouth to see play when I was here. It only took a few minutes and I found out about Plymouth Argyle. They are a Football League Two side, which is the fourth tier of English Football. Even though the team is a League Two Side they still draw an attendance better than some MLS teams back in the states.

But back to the story, I knew from the first day I was here I wanted to see them play and I asked a few of my flatmates if they wanted to go and Sophie wanted to go. So last saturday we took the half an hour walk to the match. During the walk to Home Park (the name of Plymouth Argyle's stadium) you have to walk through Central Park. Getting to walk through the park before the stadium is great, because I found out the park was just so beautiful. This walk ended with the front of the stadium.

After we got the the stadium we walked over to the ticket office and waiting in a short line to get our tickets. I had to grab a program it was my first game how could I not right. I have to make the journey back to the stadium one of these days to get a scarf and a Custom top with Boateng on the back. After getting the program we went through the turnstiles, and even though it's a small club the moment I went through I felt at home. 

But we both realized that we walked through the wrong turnstyle and the provided for a moment I didn't think I would get to do. We had to get stewarded to our sets, and because of that we had to walk across part of the outer pitch at home park. Even though I will never get a chance to play on a pitch like Home Park in my life it was still nice to say that I've been on that pitch.

We finally got to our seats and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed at all. We were one row back and a walkway across and then there was the pitch. When Sophie told the guy get us close I didn't realize how close he was going to get us. We were only sitting for a few seconds until the players took to the pitch, and from that moment nothing could have pried me from that seat, because there was no where else I wanted to be.

I had an idea of what English football was like, and all I've ever wanted was to see it in person. Well I finally did, and I don't know if I want to watch it anywhere else again. There was a support section, but all they did was start the song everyone else began to sing. All 9441 spectators started to sing, and it's something that I can't describe. Reuben Reid scored for Argyle just before the half and when every single person went up on their feet and started to celebrate I was amazed. Watching as much football as I do back home when our team scores back home only a good chunk stand and cheer, but not here every single person did.

We ended up conceding late in the second half, and a lot of us thought it was going to end in a draw, but Boateng had other ideas. We scored in the 89th minute, and because of that goal it meant that on points and goal difference we would go top of the table, and the chants begin when we realized that.

All you could hear for the next 15 minutes was "We're Top of the Table!", and not even 3 minutes into the chant I had to join in. That day was an experience that I want every person in the world to experience, the heart and passion that every fan showed to the players that day made them dig deep and get the result. That alone is why I love this game. I've walked by the stadium a few times since, and all I've wanted was another home game so I can go and be a crazed supporter. Needless to say I think I might have become a Plymouth Argyle supporter.

"We're Top of the Table!"

-Tucker