The air in Manfredonia today is fresh and lively, we are finally returning home: the bureaucracy has run its course and the stadium doors reopen months after that 15th October in which the “Miramare” hosted the his audience during the match against Santa Maria Cilento.
Some home fans have been wearing trendy gear since the morning, they found out on Friday that they can sing again for Manfredonia and are walking around the Castle, with that mad desire for the stands that have been missing for too long.
There is also a special adrenaline rush, because the fans who will arrive in Manfredonia today are not opponents, but friends, brotherly friends. The people of Fasano and Siponto have been together on the Ultras scene for years now and the banner of the home sector speaks clearly: “For over twenty years it hasn’t just been a match, Manfredonia and Fasano are the story of a life”. The people of Fasano are very welcome guests here.
When the match begins, the East Stand, with the winter sea in the background, sings loudly and loudly. And he pushes, regardless of the progress of the match. Today is a double celebration for them and they want to satiate themselves with cheering and enthusiasm: they wave the flag and sway to the rhythm, some torches are lit. A beautiful image for the whole match!
On several occasions, I nostalgically distract myself by looking at the old southern sector that hosted the local Ultras, and I realize that it was beautiful and authentic: undefined steps and paired people, and a few balconies with a stadium-sea view. A nice colorful vintage mix that I loved seeing in Sunday evening services.
The “red carpet” entrance reserved for Loosen up (about 50 units) takes me back to today: the Fasano people take to the field for the ritual flag-waving and the exchange of banners, they form a square and make themselves heard in alternating phases. They sing louder for the opening goal and don’t hold back at all when they celebrate unity with the home ultras. At the end of the match they celebrate with the protagonists on the pitch, who they “embrace” again after complicated months in the team-caretaker relationship.
Finally, they display two banners: to remember Fabio, a Rionero ultras, who was hit and passed away on 19 January 2020 after a road collision with Melfi’s rivals; the other to ask “Respect for the Siponto fans”. The unlikely situation created on the “Miramare” stadium after the jump to Serie D is causing quite a few problems for a city that loves its team and deserves to be able to enjoy it within friendly walls after a previous very long exile for work which, according to the facts, proved to be insufficient.
At the end of the match, when the stadium empties, the two sets of fans stay a little longer and exchange some ironic choruses and then continue the party outside. For the record, Fasano wins 1 to 0.
When I return to the street, I come across the beautiful image of some little boy with flag on his shoulder dejectedly making his way out; the adults on the other hand, albeit with a bit of regret, see the glass half full for their important victory, that of finally returning home with their friends and their usual ultras brothers.
Text by Fortunato Carparelli
Photo by Lucia Melcarne
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