The Roman Roots series gives Roma fans from outside Italy the chance to explain why they support the Giallorossi.
In this edition, Carl Davies, who you can find on Twitter @carl_unofficial, tells his journey as a Roma fan. It’s a story with two timelines, the first of which goes back nearly 30 years, and features some memorable matches along the way…
When and how did you become a Roma fan?
There are two timelines for me with Roma. The first was late ‘92 and Football Italia landing on my TV screen with Gazza front & centre. Having lived in Tottenham during the Gascoigne years and not being a Spurs fan I’d grown to dislike him. With Lazio shirts appearing all over London I instantly went for Roma. Aldair was undoubtedly the standout player. The second timeline came in 2002 and a job which took me to Rome one week a month for two years. My colleagues were all Roma fans and there started my true love with the Giallorossi.
What are your earliest memories of Roma?
Embed from Getty ImagesMy first game at the Olimpico came in November 2002, a Champions League match vs AEK Athens. It was an important game for Roma who needed to avoid defeat to progress through. Marco Delvecchio gave us the lead with a header, a late AEK goal made for a nail biting finish. My biggest memory though wasn’t seeing Montella or Cafu or a first visit to the iconic stadium, it was the noise of exhausts and the smell of two-stroke oil, I’d never seen so many scooters!
Not long after I went to the Arsenal games home & away.
Who were the first Roma players you can remember liking and why?
My first love was Batistuta. I’d been a fan of his at Fiorentina, the power he used to generate both shooting and heading was phenomenal and then there was the Batigol machine gun celebration. To get to see him play first hand in a Roma shirt was wonderful. I was also a big Montella fan, a great finisher and another player with his own celebration.
Embed from Getty ImagesHave you been able to form connections with other Roma fans? If so, how?
I have a very good friend who lives in Perugia who is a massive Roma fan. When he’s in London on business we non-stop talk Roma & and watch games together. I was with him & his son in January at the Olimpico to watch the Juve game.
What makes you proud to be a Roma fan?
I love everything about Roma, the city, the food and the people. I’ve always been made to feel very welcome on the Curva Sud. The thing that makes me feel most proud about Roma, it transcends a football club. Roma is wired into the community, it proactively helps those in need as we have seen with the Roma Cares initiative. We might not have won too many trophies in the last 20 years but we captured many hearts. Daje.
GET INVOLVED!
If you would like to be featured on Roman Roots, please send your answers to the five questions listed above to giallorossiyorkshire@gmail.com, including your name and Twitter handle.
Are you an #ASRoma fan from outside Italy? Giallorossi Yorkshire wants to hear from you!
— Giallorossi Yorkshire (@RomaYorkshire) April 17, 2020
To share your story of why you support the club and be featured on the #RomanRoots series, please send your answers to the following five questions to giallorossiyorkshire@gmail.com. pic.twitter.com/VCoqmXMBPr
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