Amici
I have a two year old daughter. My daughter only has friends; no enemies.
Her friends range from the people she goes to nursery with, our dog – to the characters on the cartoons she watches.
Things won’t always be that way for her. She’ll soon fall out with someone over a crayon, an outfit – a boyfriend; hers, or her friends. Until then, it’s great to see how she just likes and gets on with everyone.
Tifosi are rarely like this. Tifosi mark you card by the colours of the club you support. Close friends won’t let football ruin a relationship. They will mock, they will abuse – but come 5.46pm (in old money) – their friendship will far outweigh what has happened on the pitch over the last 90 minutes.
Strangers offer a different relationship. They care not for us as people, but only as rival tifosi. Only fans of clubs they despise. They taunt us, they rant at us – their use of language, English or Italian is designed to insult or enflame.
Sometimes, though, calcio can actually bring strangers together. A mutual interest, wanting to see Pro Vercelli rise back up to Serie B, offers a common bond where people that would never normally communicate with each other do just that.
That happened to me this week. This site was promoted on both TuttoProVercelli and FCProVC – the home of John Costa’s Il Muro. Two popular sites offering in-depth views of the club – providing news updates, fans forums, match reports. Through that coverage I was contacted by a supporters club, Ghigni Bianchi, and a photoblogger – Andrea Cherchi.
All of the contact was of a positive nature – come and watch the game with us, it’s great to read your site, feel free to use my photos – even though they struggled to understand why I was following their club, the consensus of opinion was that they were extremely happy I was – and that it was a clear sign that something positive was happening with their club.
And it is.
You no longer have to have one foot in the past – nor do you have to live in Vercelli to appreciate the work Mister Braghin and the team are doing at the Silvio Piola. The club may not have the current glamour of its near Serie A neighbours, or the following of other Lega Pro sides – but it has me following them – Andrea Cherchi, Francesco Impellizzeri of Ghigni Bianchi and John Costa following them. We were all once strangers, who become amici, thanks to the beauty of calcio. Thanks to Pro Vercelli.
Isn’t it time you stopped being a stranger?
Pro Vercelli – bringing friends together since 1892
Image: From the collection of Andrea Cherchi
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