There are still two free seats, say the ultras on social networks, on the bus that will bring a slice of the Rossoblu people to Monday’s derby in Casale. It is a small event, in its own way: in the months when everything seems to be slowly starting up again, there is also a return to cheering away. It hadn’t happened since 8 February 2020, with Biella breaking out of Bergamo (the very city that a few days later would become the sad epicenter of the pandemic) and the fans sealing a twinning by inviting to drink an aperitif outside the building to the sound of choirs. The very hard core of people who love basketball and their favorite team, in short, is still there in the usual place, despite the fact that the category is no longer Serie A and the prospects are not exactly top. Yes, but the rest? Last Sunday, a glance at the stands of the Forum was enough to understand how far it was from the mini-sold out, the three thousand spectators of the capacity reduced by the anti-coronavirus regulations.
The data confirm this: 1,358 people in the seats at the first home against Assigeco Piacenza, just over a thousand in the face to face with Orlandina, moreover characterized by the shift of time to 16.30. In absolute terms they are few, even very few if compared with the history of the rossoblù in A2: in 2013/2014 it took just a few weeks to sweep away the skepticism and to restore the passion if it is true that the Biella-Casale of that year at the Forum hosted 4,293 people. In 2017 of Ferguson, Hall and the other Coppa Italia final the record was 4,058 against Trapani. The Christmas derby won against Turin in 2019 exceeded 3,000.
But, looking around, the situation is similar elsewhere and a peek at the presale via the web of Jb Monferrato-Edilnol on Monday still finds many empty seats available. Turin itself went from 1,389 in its debut at Pala Gianni Asti to 979 in Sunday’s victory over Bakery Piacenza. To find a paying quota above the psychological threshold of two thousand you have to go to Cantù-Turin: at the sports hall in Desio there were 2,019. Biella before the coronavirus would have considered them few in a midweek.
The pandemic effect is indisputable, not so much due to the use of the green pass which, given the percentage of vaccinated people in hand, should no longer be a limit. But getting a ticket is more complicated than it used to be: most of the pre-sales, at home-Edilnol as elsewhere, are confined to the web world thanks to the specialized agencies that support the clubs. At the Forum in the pre-match the box office is closed to avoid the formation of lines without spacing. More generally, a year and a half of fasting from live sports has changed habits and going back to the past doesn’t seem to be such a quick process.
Patience is needed, in short, and the rossoblù universe must do everything to keep the flame of enthusiasm alight, a question very present in the offices judging by the season ticket campaign with discounts for the Under 25s, so as to rejuvenate even the average age. in the stands. But there is a giant shadow that hangs over Biella and all Italian basketball: it’s called Nba. If, from the dream of the player, it became the only interest of the beholder, it would be the end.