Chicken Run

To be completed after game on Sunday.

Forli did once feature in FW, but merely in a region wide overview after my two matches here in April 2017. Emilia Romagna is a prosperous region of Italy, especially those cities from Bologna north, where it is a hotbed of famous Italian exports, from cars and balsamic oil in Modena, to the shared responsibility of hard grating cheese and cured hams from Reggio Emilia and Parma. Bologna, the capital is of course a culinary hotbed and doubtlessly the star attraction of the region.

A small knot of readers, who ventured on FW’s sole Italian escapade thus far, might still have shivers down the spine of the absolute Sunday drivel they were dragged to in Fiorenzuola D’Arda. A sleepy hamlet on the most northern edge of Emilia-Romagna. While this small crowd gig, with an equally tedious match wasn’t what everyone was looking for that day in Fiorenzuola, it remains a nigh water mark in my world of supporting Ancona, as it is still my only away win witnessed. Almost exclusively for that band of men present, Fiorenzuola have fallen two levels since, and are now sitting second in the regional Eccellenza, the fifth tier. Probably about their level.

South of Bologna, the famous crops and cars kind of dry up, but these are still prosperous places. Imola is well known in F1 circles, with Imolese playing right beside the circuit. Next along the line headed south towards Cesena and Rimini is our featured club, Forli.

Forli, which is pronounced as “For Lee” with the emphasis of the double ee at the end.

Back in the spring of 2017, matches versus Maceratese and Bassano Virtus (now part of Lanerossi Vicenza) were both lost, as indeed, soon after was the clubs third tier status. They were managed at the time by an Ancona legend, Massimo Gadda. It was largely his dugout appearances that encouraged my visits. Alas, he was shortly afterwards gone. He did pop up as Ancona boss last season, but it didn’t work out, even having his old boss Vincenzo Guerini as figurehead Chairman of a new club takeover. That old adage, never go back is perhaps true in this circumstance.

Forli stayed away from the third tier after 2017 for 8 campaigns, dotting around in Serie D without looking likely to threaten. That was, until last term, when they took a very strong Girone by storm, eclipsing more established names like Piacenza, Ravenna, Pistoiese and Prato to win the title quite easily. That winning habit hasn’t quite propelled them as high as Ravenna. The fellow, coastal Emilia Romagna side, won the Coppa Italia D last season and sat fairly high in the ranking table from where the FIGC, the football authorities go fishing for replacement clubs when clubs go bust mid-season (Rimini this term), or fail to pay the necessary bond to join for a new campaign. 

A bit like any club, or indeed country that is given a late reprieve or chance, Ravenna have astonished this term, sitting second as I write, and looking well placed for a last 8 slot when the playoffs come around. Forli might well be joining in those playoffs, but if they do achieve it, they’ll have at least three rounds to play before Ravenna gets involved. Forli are on the cusp of 10th, the lowest qualification position, which would send them on a one off away day to however finish 5th in round one. As luck would have it, the visitors when I paid my third visit to Forli were Livorno, a side just above them in the table and with games running out, it was a classic case of all to play for in this one. 

Forli has a sizable population at 116,700, nearly 50,000 more than neighbouring Cesena. Yet, I am sure most people are familiar with Cesena, and not so much Forli. It is a classic case of population not equating to anything worthy of the number in terms of footballing success. Indeed, when you also consider the old velodrome stadium in the city, Stadio Tullo Margagni only holds 3,385, compared to Cesena’s 20,000, nearly a third of the population, it all seems out of synchronicity. 

Forli sits on the Roman way Via Emilia, which helped establish it as a prosperous dwelling and trading city on the Roman road. It has over the centuries been a place of learning, and excellence in the arts and science, which might partly explain why its football team has never been above the third tier. Today, like Cesena, it is home to some of the extensive campus of the University of Bologna, which adds a youthful feel to its streets on “school days”.   

The centre of the city is delightful, with many fine buildings, none more so than the municipal palace (Palazzo Municipale), with its old Roman entry point, Porta Schiavonia. There is a fort, Rocco di Ravaldino, an imposing structure. It is also a very green city with large park lands in which to escape the maddening crowd. Resistance Park certainly gets the mind whirring as to why it was so named! 

The walk from the main square to the stadium is less than 20 minutes, pretty much in a straight line. A velodrome venue is something that still exists in many, especially northern venues. It’s almost undetectable at Como now, but the Sinigaglia was a velodrome, as was the stadium in Serie B at Mantova. Also in Lombardia, a club still sitting on my decreasing list to bring to light, Varese, a once big club, whose stadium is perhaps the best preserved as a velodrome. Along with Forli in C, Carpi was a velodrome, easily spotted where the away fans are housed. Forli’s venue is still a working velodrome, with no Curva at either end, allowing the high sided curves for the cyclists at either end. Further down the pecking order, Pordenone was also a velodrome. Whisper it quietly for those who ventured, so was Fiorenzuola. 

i Galleti, the cockerels (offering Spurs fans a quick opportunity to change allegiance) as Forli are known, doubtlessly taken from the club badge, have been going since 1919. Originally known as Foot-Ball Club Forli, the club did make Serie B, but it was last graced in 1947 just after the WWII. However, that modern malaise, the art of bankruptcy came visiting upon relegation for Serie D in 2005/06, and the snake led them from the 4th tier all the way down to the 9th! Quite a dramatic fall. Having made it to the third tier when I was visiting 11 years later was no mean feat, but Serie C seems to be the club’s glass ceiling. That said, the facilities are not B acceptable and maybe dotting along in the third tier is as acceptable as is required in this laidback city. I am sure, given the proximity of Bologna and Cesena, while doubtless frowned on back in the day, the nature of modern allegiances might see those with more ambitious intent heading north or south in search of mild gloryhunting. I use the term mild, because let’s face it, save Bologna winning the Coppa Italia in 2025, the region isn’t renowned for bringing in the silverware. 

It was a lunchtime kick off for the visit of Livorno and ………..