I have followed Newcastle United very closely since the 1997-1998 season. Nikos arrived in the spring of that season. I remember being very exciting at his arrival because we were not having the greatest season and he was a fresh face and a younger player. I remember that he made an immediate impact and that the reviews he was getting were very positive.

Anyway, I live in the United States, in the state of Minnesota. As soon as I heard that Newcastle United was coming to Washington DC and Columbus, Ohio, I immediately made plans to see my team in person for the first time. The first game was in Washington. When I got to the game, I remember being overwhelmed by finally seeing the players I had been following for so long. Nikos started the game and played the whole game. When we went down by a couple of goals, he started getting forward more, making good moves and drawing some blatant fouls from the DC United defenders. Newcastle lost the game, but I was not concerned as they had only been practicing together for a week as a team and had flown several thousand miles to do so. Also, it was obvious there was a lot of talent in the team and that they just needed time to build an understanding of how each other played.

My one regret was that I did not get more time off from work so I could get to Washington a couple days before the game. By now I heard stories of how nice the players were to the fans who had come to see them train during the week. As the team left the field, I thought my chances of meeting any of them had vanished.

After the game I went out on the town. At about midnight, my friend and I decided to head back to the hotel. I wanted to get a picture of the White House at night so we set off to find it. We got lost and I started looking at a map. We came to a light and stopped; I looked up from the map and looked at some people walking on the sidewalk. My eyes focused on three people specifically who were walking one right behind the other. In order they were: Nikos, Alain Goma and Daniel Cordone.

I was unsure that I was actually seeing these men from across the sea. But I knew what Nikos looked like and he was a lot taller than most of the people on the street, so I figured it had to be who I thought it was. I told my buddy to stop the car so I could get out. I did not want to bother these men as it was their personal time, it was late at night and they had just lost a game. I decided I was only going to bother Nikos as he is one of my favorite players on the team (along with Shearer and Speed).

I called out his first name as he had gotten some distance from me. He turned around and saw me wearing the Black and White. I ran up to him and did not really know what to say. To this day I don't really know what I said. I did ask him if I could take his picture (as I did not have a pen for an autograph and I wanted proof I had met him). He agreed to let me take a shot. I had not really thought about it, but I realized when the flash went off that it probably not feel good to his eyes. I was really embarrassed when I took the picture. We parted by shaking hands, which meant more to me than having the picture or an autograph.

This piece is the only way I can repay Nikos for being so nice to me and for making an special experience an unforgettable one.

Thanks,

Aaron Lang

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