It had been a few months since I felt the strong call of a minor league match, also to regenerate myself a bit among those who, animated by great passion, live football and support in this beautiful world, far from the stardom that, fortunately, not everywhere , reigns on the golden shores of professionalism.
This year, despite going around the various categories, I had never gone beyond Promotion, so I started looking into the intricacies of football, obviously taking into account the stakes that would put a little adrenaline both on the pitch and in the stands .
Unfortunately, with the end of the championships approaching, with the first verdicts already matured, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a match with certain requirements. To narrow down the field, the Serie D championship final on Sunday in Piancastagnaio, which has been scheduled for some time. Only Saturday remains and finding a suitable match becomes a real feat, but fortunately, after a long search I find something of sure interest.
The choice falls on Grotte Santo Stefano-Virtus Acquapendente only because, after careful research, I discover that for some years, the hosts have enjoyed the following of a discrete ultras group, the VEZZA BRIGADE. So I leave on Saturday around lunchtime in the direction of this center in the province of Viterbo which has almost five thousand inhabitants. The local team is in first place in the standings, three points behind their immediate pursuer, Bagnaia, so even a draw may suffice on this last day. The sparring partner it is, as mentioned, Virtus Acquapendente, a less well-known team than Vigor which, before the bankruptcy, had been a protagonist in regional promotion for several years.
I arrive early in the morning to enjoy my other two passions which over the years I have noticed are common to other true “partitellari”, namely the station and the historic centre. Walking through the streets of the town, I notice some flyers posted by the red and white ultras group, which invites the people of Grotte Santo Stefano to the stadium, to experience an important day together with them and the players who have accomplished this feat.
After the various laps I retraced my steps towards the Stadio Comunale to complete all the formalities before setting foot on the pitch. It goes without saying that as soon as I entered, the managers immediately showed themselves to be friendly and tried to get me everything to follow the match. I’ll settle for a chat and a coffee in their company and I even get to know the referee and have a chat. A relaxed environment as you can hardly find elsewhere, in other football shores.
To further deceive the tension and the wait for the match, I focus on the conformation of the small local stadium, which isn’t that small after all, given that it is made up of a long iron grandstand with various seats arranged in four rows on one side. On the opposite side there is instead a small grandstand, also in iron with seats, most likely intended for visiting fans who, in these categories, are not that numerous.
For the occasion, the grandstand is almost completely full and obviously there is the public of the big occasions and also the VEZZA BRIGADE prepare a respectable show, to honor the team that is preparing to take the big leap. Mathematics seems to veer towards certainty when you learn that only six players showed up for the away team, but as a guest manager says, it’s better to show up like this than not come at all, also out of respect for the club itself, for the local team, del Bagnaia second in the standings and to honor the championship until the end.
When the teams enter the field, the local grandstand is colored by the lighting of various torches but also red smoke bombs, as well as the explosion of some large firecrackers. Three distinct horizontal tarpaulins are also exhibited: the group’s symbol is imprinted on the first and its name below; in the center is a photo of a formation in the Grotte Santo Stefano; finally, on the last sheet, there is the symbol of the red and white team. On the fence a banner, simple but which further explains everything: “TOGETHER WITH US”. If I may make a note, the only drawback is in the arrangement of the banner of the group, a little too secluded.
After the customary photos of the whole team with the ultras show behind it, the game finally begins, but I don’t have time to change the camera’s objective that the Grotte Santo Stefano, after about thirty seconds of play, is already ahead with the players cheering under the sector of their supporters, who wave the flags to celebrate the goal.
Choirs are sung and several claps are made and in the fifth minute the Grotte Santo Stefano already doubles for a new exultation of the local supporters. In the meantime, a visiting player gets hurt, resumes the match but after a few minutes he has to give up, he can’t stay on the field, so the visiting team remains with five men and the match is declared over by the referee, who sends everyone in the locker room.
Thus begins the party of the hosts, with the ultras who immediately do their utmost by lighting other pyrotechnic material and moreover a couple of smoke bombs are also passed to the players, who contribute to widening the party and the color also on the pitch. After a few minutes, the fans in turn join the players on the green rectangle, all celebrating the goal set at the start of the season together.
The party lasts for more than an hour and there is also time to say goodbye to a couple of players who will hang up their boots, including Miralli who makes a very moving speech, with his team mates listening to the his words in a circle. Then other usual photos with the president of Grotte Santo Stefano who even gives me a scarf and yet another bottle of water, after which I greet him and let him continue the celebrations with the rest of those present.
All I have to do is get back to the car and take the road home happy for having found exactly what I was looking for, that humanity and genuineness on the pitch and in the stands that make these categories something unique and inimitable. Light years away from those cold and aseptic major categories and the paradox is that this trifle would really be enough to get people back to being passionate about football, to shorten the distance between “us” and “them”. And today’s match was proof of that.
Marco Gasparri
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