There’s nothing Eric Nemes enjoys more than watching the big game on TV while having a few beers with friends – even if it is 7:30 a.m. That’s because Nemes and his fellow fans follow Plymouth Argyle, an English soccer team which has live matches often airing bright and early in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
“We have watch parties, usually at my house,” he said. “The tough thing is that some of the games are very early in the morning since England is five hours ahead of us. We usually have 12 or 13 people watching. Some are drinking beer, though we have coffee, too.”
Nemes is the coordinator for Plymouth 1620 Fleet, the local supporters’ organization for the team playing in the Championship League, the highest division of the English Football League. He became interested in the club because it plays in America’s Hometown sister city – from where the Pilgrims set sail more than 400 years ago.
“The team’s logo has the Mayflower on it and their mascot is Pete the Pilgrim,” he said. “The city really has embraced the Mayflower. They have a museum there and a third of it is devoted to the Pilgrims.”
About 30 people belong to Plymouth 1620 Fleet, many of whom are Anglophiles or British expatriates living on the South Shore. Some grew up with the Argyle Football Club and want to cheer on their former hometown team.
“We had a couple from Groton, Massachusetts, come down for one of the watch parties,” Nemes said. “The husband is from Plymouth, England. The wife made a pasty, sort of an English turnover with meat and vegetables. It’s the food of Devon and Cornwall, where Plymouth is located.”
Nemes became loyal follower of the Argyle in September, when he started the local group. He was in an online chat group following a friend’s son who was overseas when he was introduced to members of the soccer club, including team owner Simon Hallett. They suggested he start a supporters’ club here because of the link between the two communities.
“The Argyle people were excited because they didn’t have a supporters’ group here at the time,” he said. “They have clubs across the United States and around the world. ArgyleUSA, which represents groups in this country, wants to hold their annual meeting here in the next few years.”
Through the chat group, Nemes connected with Hallett, who lives in the United States. The two have bonded over their connection to communities that share the same name.
“Hallett’s a very down-to-earth, nice guy,” Nemes said. “He’s from Plymouth, England, but lives in Pennsylvania now. He made a lot of money in asset management, then bought his childhood team five years ago.”
Nemes’ support of the English football club has earned him international fame. The BBC featured him and other global supporters in an article and video, where he proclaimed, “We think that Plymouth Argyle is America’s team!”
It has been a challenge following the Argyle this year, Nemes said. The team is mired in last place and may get “relegated,” or demoted, to a lesser league at the end of the season. Still, Nemes was excited by the club’s performance earlier this year in the FA Cup “knockout” tournament, where teams of all capabilities battle it out for top honors.
“First they beat Frankfurt, then they defeated Liverpool, which was the number one team in the world,” he said. “They eventually lost to Manchester United, but it was very exciting.”
For supporters here, attending watch parties is a fun way to view the games via streaming services. Nemes said finding venues that will hold these events early in the morning is a challenge, though Vitamin Sea Brewing and the Galway Pub have been happy to oblige.
The next Plymouth 1620 Fleet watch party is scheduled for this Saturday, March 29, at Nemes’ home on the Plymouth waterfront. It starts at 7:30 a.m.
“I provide the coffee,” Nemes said. “Some people will bring beer and I have provided Plymouth Gin for big games.”
Dave Kindy, a self-described history geek, is a longtime Plymouth resident who writes for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, National Geographic, Smithsonian and other publications. He can be reached at davidkindy1832@gmail.com.