The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Italian’s 3,600-mile trip to Gable Endies
Game manager falls in love with Montrose FC through computer
An Italian football fan who fell in love with Montrose FC after managing the club in a computer game has made a 3,600-mile round trip to Angus.
Sabio Nolasco, 21, from Trani in southern Italy, became a far flung fan of the Gable Endies following his tenure in charge on Football Manager.
Since then he has followed Montrose from afar – and convinced friends to forget about the likes of AC Milan and Juventus and lend their support to the team from Links Park.
Sabio, who is a part-time footballer, recently travelled from Trani, which is next to the Adriatic Sea, to Scotland to watch his beloved team play Raith Rovers.
He was given the red carpet treatment and invited to meet the players and take a souvenir strip home with him.
He said: “I have always had a soft spot for Montrose, probably because I played with Montrose in a Football Manager game a few seasons ago.
“Since then, I’ve followed Montrose before any other team, and I’ve also made a lot of my friends Montrose supporters too.
“In 2016 we played a tournament, we called the team Montrose and made a customised kit with the Montrose logo and local sponsorship.
“Top of my to-do list for a long time has been to visit Montrose and its football club but, for many reasons, I have not been able to do that, until now.”
The Italian watched the Ladbrokes League 1 fixture against Raith Rovers although his team was undone in the second-half when Raith’s only shot on target all afternoon found the bottom corner.
Club secretary Brian Petrie said: “Sabio’s day was still special though, made even more so with the chance to meet his heroes after the game, and he presented the club with one of his unique tops.
“Captain Paul Watson, in turn, presented him with a signed home shirt to take back to Trani.”
Teams hailing from Tayside have recently become a magnet for footballdaft fans from sunnier climes.
In April a football-daft Polish teenager jumped on a plane to Scotland to cheer Arbroath on their way to a historic title.
Piotr Borczyk from Zawiercie realised his dream of watching the Lichties in the flesh after striking up a long-distance love affair with the Gayfield club.
He was first told about the club by his friend Troy Scott from Edinburgh who updates him on the club’s fortunes during Fifa football games which they play online against each other on the Playstation.
A crowdfunder has also been set up to help bring an Argentinian teenager across to Dundee so that he can watch his beloved Dundee United.
Agustin Mervic, who hails from Buenos Aires, has been passionate about the Tannadice side since 2014 after researching the nation’s sport on the internet and being drawn to Dundee United’s shield and colours.
The 19-year-old will soon get the opportunity to watch United play in real life thanks to the generosity of strangers who raised over £2,000 after a crowdfunding page was set up.