Who would you say is the most famous person you have ever had a wee chat with or shared a selfie? I am sure we have all had at least one such encounter. I guess, post an utterly depressing 1-0 loss for Scotland at Italia ‘90 to Costa Rica (it is why Haiti remains fearful to us) in Genova, arriving back in our “resort” nearby, we got chatting with Rod Stewart. There was an alcohol ban on match day within a significant radius of the venue, but even down in Santa Margherita Ligure, being Rod meant such an order could be overlooked. He was standing at the bar door, clutching a pint to drown his sorrows, and chatted away quite happily. England were playing The Netherlands later that day, and we suggested he come watch it with us in our hotel. Remarkably, he was up for it, but his “bouncer” whispered something in his ear, and it was off. Upon arriving back at our accommodation, the English host was thrilled Rod was in town and offered us “free board” if we got him to the hotel to watch. We fairly scampered up the hill to the bar where we met him, but alas, he had gone. Sean Connery was allegedly in SML too, but we never did see him.
Anyway, I digress. Perhaps a lesser known celebrity, but certainly one who could put Rod in the shade when it comes to all things historical and archaeological, is Professor Alice Roberts. Back when I ran into her at Birmingham Airport check-in queue for Midland Airways (long gone), she was merely a bit part player in the BBC show Coast. She was flying to Inverness to get involved in a dig, I remember that much, but she was such a warm, effusive character. When I see her doing a programme on TV these days, or has written a book, I am all over it. The latest production saw her tracing the influence of the Roman Empire. In one episode, she set off from Napoli to the slight mouthful of Santa Maria Capua Vetere. My goodness, it was mind-blowing stuff, and delightfully (until this show was aired anyway), a real off the tourist trail town.
Readers will know I am a regular down in Italy, and while she was chuntering on, I realised why the local football team has such a fabulous and cracking name; Gladiator. With two trips planned before the season is out, I desperately tried to squeeze a game in here, but the Campania Eccellenza is almost rigid in its 15,30 kick off on a Sunday, and with bigger fish to view (rather than fry), the notion of seeing them play in 2025/26 would have to be parked. However, I was close enough after watching Benevento play, to make a pilgrimage in Alice’s footsteps to Capua. She headed straight for its Colosseum, understandably, while I naturally would combine visiting there with tracking down the Gladiator’s home stadio, the Mario Piccirillo.
Now I know the magazine likes a game to be involved in its tales, and rightly so, and as luck would have it, the evening before I flew out, Edinburgh’s very own, high flying club (well one of them!) The Spartans were playing. What could they possibly have in common with ASD SF Gladiator 1912? Well, nothing per se, but what a friendly match that would be brilliant, The Spartans v Gladiator, you couldn’t make that one up! However, the Colosseum in Capua is most famous as a Gladiator training school, as well as hosting all the usual paraphernalia that went on in such a venue back in the day! Its most famous son was the one and only Spartacus, and not the Kirk Douglas character in the movie! Hence the tenuous tie-up!
The coincidence was too great, and even though I wasn’t going to see Gladiator play, I packed a Spartans shirt to get a keepsake with a Gladiator badge somewhere around the ground. It turned out to be inadvertent wizadry on my part to park seeing a game in Capua until next season, because upon trotting along to snag some shots of the ground, I discovered they have moved out! A new pitch is being put down, back in September is the plan.
Edinburgh football is enjoying a bit of a renaissance this season, only Edinburgh City are struggling, and whether Scotland’s capital will have not one but two league titles on roster come May is an intriguing prospect. A Spartans title and a step into the third tier would be rejoiced in small quarters, while a Hearts title after 66 years of waiting would see a celebration the likes of which even a colosseum couldn’t match. History, though, tells us not to get carried away, as strange things can happen.
While Hearts need to stay ahead of the Glasgow giants, The Spartans must eclipse the new boys on the block East Kilbride, and despite thrashing them 6-0 away, the North Edinburgh side need to win their two games in hand to get back to the summit of the table. The Glasgow commuter town has long wished for a league side, and its population has the ability to sustain one. The trouble is, not only are many already inured in supporting other nearby sides, the club seem to spend all their money on wages and very little on facilities. Quite how any ground with a capacity of less than 1,000 is even allowed into the league is bewildering. Such a capacity is bad enough in League Two, but to go higher in the pyramid with 700 or so as it officially stands is frankly unacceptable. Even more ludicrous when you consider Bonnyrigg Rose (who might be back at first attempt) were docked six points that ultimately cost them last season and their crime? Have a slope on the pitch! Yet, League Two lost its best supported side when they drifted down, albeit potentially temporarily. The club crowd funded and have spent a lot of money getting the facilities demanded. Quite why East Kilbride can be allowed to maintain such a small capacity, just doesn’t feel right. It all adds up to the notion in the East that there are rules for some and rules for the West. Do not get me started on the new 5th tier creation for next term, the Lowland League West, where as many as 8 “Junior” sides as they continue call themselves, even though they aren’t, can collectively move up, thereby preserving the lack of need to travel East. Conversely, the Lowland League East will remove a need to head in that direction and, indeed, suffer any B team involvement with Hearts resigning at the end of this campaign.
The Spartans have always enjoyed being one of the top non-league side on this side of Scotland, and while it might have taken a few seasons in League Two, they are showing all the signs of those previous success stories to get into a position where another promotion is potentially just around the corner.
For some reason, a few ardent fans of lower league football dislike Ainslie Park as a venue. I couldn’t disagree more. Very few stadiums in the lower leagues have two stands, as well as adequate places around the perimeter for a fine view, complete with a grassy bank that helps for a bigger crowd should the need arise. They have hosted Hearts here in the Scottish Cup, only narrowly losing out, and this season held out versus my side Inverness to claim a win in the penalty shootout, even if they didn’t muster one shot that afternoon. Cup exploits are written into the DNA of the club, and with many an exploit coming across the road at the clubs old City Park venue. That has now long gone, with the new venue still claiming many scalps from a higher level.
Stirling Albion were in town for this clash, a side who are about as predictable as the weather. One minute nosediving towards the bottom, the next putting a run together that might get them a promotion playoff slot. It had all the ingredients for a nice match.
The Spartans would trot out worthy winners in this game. There was little between the sides in the first half, but home side went in front just after the half hour mark after a fine move. An early goal in the second period settled things down, and it was largely one way traffic after that. Despite creating many openings The Spartans couldn’t find the net again. The important aspect was the win, narrowing the gap on East Kilbride to merely 2 points, with another game in hand in two weeks versus Forfar at home. It’s going to be an intriguing finale to the season.
Santa Maria Capua Vetere to give it the full title was a Roman city. The very existence of the Colosseum is evidence enough, and with a modern day population of 32,000 or so, it would be a sizable town in Scotland certainly. Back in the day though, Capua as it was singularly known was the biggest city outside Rome. The Arch of Hadrian is a nod to its importance on the Appian Way, a trading route from Rome to Brindisi. For many centuries thereafter it was known as Santa Maria Maggiore until 1861. The main church in the town still carries this name.
The Colosseum in Rome is well named, it is colossal, but Capua’s is an absolutely huge gem too, with large parts of it still intact. It is a sight to behold, standing as the biggest such structure anywhere in the world outside the Italian capital.
With all that Gladiatorial history, it is perhaps almost fitting that the local team went for Gladiator as the club name. The club have occasionally dabbled in loftier circles than the top regional league where they are housed presently. Technically the Campania Eccellenza is the fifth tier, and back in the day when they managed a few terms in the now defunct Serie C2 (‘84-86 and ’01-03) it was two tiers higher than the Eccellenza. However, getting rid of the three Serie C2 leagues and compacting those clubs down into Serie D and beyond, Gladiator are now only one level below where they have previously been at their height.
A bankruptcy event in 2012 saw them buy the title of a Nola based side, San Felice, and having taken over their league status, the fulfilment of one term as San Felice Gladiator was sufficient before moving home to Capua and carrying on as ASD SF Gladiator 1912 as they are now known. I can confirm that they hadn’t taken inspiration from a certain TV show! In recent years, the club did rise into Serie D, but they were relegated back just after the pandemic. Gladiator remains competitive, as you would expect of such a name and will be hoping to reach the fourth tier once more.
The stadium, the Mario Piccirillo is well looked after (or will be once back home), with a capacity of 2,000, more than adequate for D. It was built in 1927, with a long overdue upgrade in 2016 (and another now), which was a nice coincidence what with the clubs more recent uptick in fortune. This term, a promotion playoff spot is most likely, with a potential convoluted route to promotion via fellow Campania sides, before getting involved in a southern Italian region play off round or two.
En route to the ground, I suddenly had a famous old tune playing in my head. There really was an urge to stop a local and ask, so I did, or at least I tried too. “Scusi” I said, the only Italian word to interrupt, otherwise it wouldn’t work, “is this the way to Piccirillo”. Alas, my boyish humour got the better of me, and before I could finish my enquiry, I was practically singing it, and a laugh spilled out! I apologised and tried to explain, but it was lost on the poor chap. Tony Christie would maybe have appreciated it I am sure!
The ground is good proximity of the Capua Colesseum, about 1.8 kilometres from the local train station, a relatively straight and flat walk through a town, largely unburdened by tourism, which given what historical gem is housed here, that is truly astounding. It is easily accessed too, with a train from Napoli Centrale, which will get you there in just over an hour, or a mere 5/6 minute hop from Caserta, with its very own palace and other fabulous buildings to attract as well.
The club colours are Inter Milan-eque but the badge, as you would expect, carries a Gladiator, as does The Spartans. Something both have in common, and whether they know about each other is up for debate, but after this article who knows. A new friendship across the distance? A joust between the tow maybe?! I would love to see that! Gladiator, ready? I just wanted to throw that in!
Football Adventures with James Rendall 