Plymouth Argyle superfan Tatsuki Usi has travelled all the way from Japan to watch the Green Army take on Bolton Wanderers in an all League One clash this afternoon. Tatsuki, who has followed the Pilgrims for almost two decades, has been flooded with messages from other fans and has said arigatou – thank you very much – to everybody who has got in touch.
Tatsuki, who even has a print out mask of PlymouthLive’s Erin Black, a presenter on Argyle TV, will be joined by more than 38,000 other fans, including some from the US, Germany and Argentina for today’s EFL Trophy final.
Bumping into a PlymouthLive reporter outside Wembley Stadium, Tatsuki, who started supporting Argyle after watching them lose 3-1 to Everton on TV in 2005, said: “I have had a good trip and thank Argyle fans for all their messages. Arigatou- which means thank you very much.”
Tatsuki told the BBC: “I think this will be the best day ever.”
He added: “Plymouth Argyle are still not very well known in Japan. But, despite that, because I’m posting pictures of them on Twitter and stuff – more people are becoming interested in them now. I think there’s now about five supporters in Japan, at least that I know of.”
Dubbed ‘The Fan from Japan’, Tatsuki is in London to watch Plymouth Argyle play Bolton Wanderers in the Papa John’s Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium, kicking off at 3pm.
Tatsuki said he was looking forward to joining fans at Wembley: “The thing I’m most looking forward to is, of course, watching Plymouth Argyle play a match. I’m looking forward to showing my support, chatting lots, taking lots of photos, and making it a wonderful memory. I think it will be the best day ever.”
Both sides have proved to be among the strongest in League One this season so a very close contest is expected as they battle it out to lift the silverware. Argyle last visited the national stadium in 2016 when they lost 2-0 to AFC Wimbledon in a hugely disappointing League Two Play-Off Final defeat.
The only other time that Argyle have played at the national stadium was in 1996 as they beat Darlington 1-0 in the Division Three Play-Off Final. So the clash against Bolton is the first time the Pilgrims have played in a cup final at Wembley in their history.
Source : Plymouthherald
