parla calcio?

Buon anno

Yes, I am sure you’ve read, heard or said that a hundred times or more so far in 2012 – but this is the first chance I’ve had to reach out to some of you that read this blog.

Blame the winter break. Oh, that dammed winter break. Pro Vercelli – how I’ve missed trying to find your highlights, three days after you play.

A bit of advanced warning for this New Year - I’m looking to change the way I blog about Pro Vercelli. I had a good chat with a friend who was over from Torino. I explained that I was writing a blog, in English, about Pro Vercelli – how I was using the club to try and improve my Italian development. She pointed out that I should try to write the blog in Italian; write to those Italians I speak to – in her language.

I’ve been full of excuses. My Italian is nowhere near good enough to put up a full post. I am currently trying to learn through the use of a Michel Thomas CD course. For some reason the late Mister Thomas has started me off with the phrase Mi dispiace (I’m sorry). Mi dispiace for not knowing more Italian. Mi dispiace for not getting out to Vercelli for a game in person. Mi dispiace for – well – not giving the English speakers a better insight in to the club I’m following.

So maybe Emma is right. Maybe I need to stop making excuses; stop saying Mi dispiace – and just say OK – time I really made the effort, both with this site and with my language development.

Even if I only accompany the highlights with a sentence or two – and keep the bigger previews in English, it will be more than I am currently doing. More benefit than simply churning out yet another guide to lower league Italian football, but only for the English readers out there.

Oh, Pro Vercelli won by the way. It’s hardly news – almost a given at times this season.

The 2-0 win keeps them very much in touch with the pacesetters at the top of Girone A. The win sets up a competitive start to the year, which sees I Leoni take on a number of lower placed sides – keen no doubt to build up as many points as possible, before the difficult run in over April and May.

Forza Pro. Forza Italiano.

If you want to read a blog in Italian, why not try Emma’s food blog – North, South, West, East. It’s rather good. Or at least Google Translate makes me believe it is good.