To be completed post-match on Wednesday.
Reginald Rose probably didn’t have a small town in Campania in mind when he wrote his seminal classic courtroom drama “12 Angry Men”! For a start, he pitched his novel with one too many players.
Sydney Lumet raised the bar on the text with his powerful cinematic adaption. It sits in the pantheon of ‘must see’ movies to this day. If Lumet helped sell millions of copies of the book, which was poured over by my teacher in my Higher English school days, my mission here in Angri is to encourage at least one football fan to sample its delights. When it comes to niche Italian football, I appreciate I am in the minority, but as a point of humour, Angri is as good as it gets. The Python fan in me can see endless mileage in the name.
As I walk the streets ahead of a midweek, Campania Eccellenza Coppa Italia round of 16 second leg gig, I am constantly on the lookout for anger! The chances are that he/she is most likely to be behind the wheel of a car, a safe space for the angry, disrespectful, who lord it over the mere pedestrian here in Italy. Cross the road? How dare you, sir, is the attitude.
If that sounds like a chip on one’s shoulder, I have form in Angri! A few years ago, in putting together a studious piece on all teams dotted along the Napoli Campi Flegri to Salerno rail line (there are a lot, and Angri are falling behind), I got off here with a view to capturing a snap of the Stadio Pasquale Novi. It was a Sunday morning ahead of going to see a game in nearby Nocera Inferiore, so it seemed rude not to say hello.
The gate to the ground was surprisingly open, so I popped in. I never saw a soul, but somehow, once I had captured my shot, the gate was locked. The same happened to me in Livorno years earlier, but in both cases, all hail the internal pushbar exit!
It was on my way back to the station, negotiating a portion of non pavement road, my elbow was whacked by a wing mirror of a passing car. That smouldering resentment needed to be addressed, and with no psychologists chair considered worthy, Angri was being re-visited.
Sadly, Angry in Angri is lost on the non English speaking Italian, of which their are many. Angry is ‘arrabiata’ in Italian, which will put a different spin on your fiery penne next time you order!
I am sure we are all familiar with the Cremonese colour scheme. Indeed, I was pretty convinced it was a unique kit until Angri entered my world. The local side trot out in the same red and grey stripes.
In town for this one were Battipagliese. A club that used to frequent the C2 world, now Serie D, and occasionally get into the third tier, C1, back in the day, now just C. Alas, the club can no longer play at their Battipaglia home, as the colossal sized main stand has been condemned. It is a real travesty, as the stand was very unique. With no money to make the necessary repairs, for a few seasons, now the club has relocated to Stadio M Provenza, in Macchia di Montecorvino Rovella, a proper lengthy name! The original home venue, the Luigi Pastena, also featured in my Campania article despite being south of Salerno. They are essentially another of these sides I keep an eye on.
The ‘famous’ black and white stripes of Battipaglia is still missing from my collection of such kits, which stretches from Wick (although I wish it was Tvoroyri) through Grimsby, Partizan Belgrade, PAOK Thessaloniki to Besiktas. I did try to add Battipagliese whilst in the town, and I kind of knew I was onto a loser when I walked into a local sports shop and asked. Naturally, he didn’t have any, but rather brazenly held up a Juventus shirt and suggested it was the same! Well, technically, he was correct, but neither Juve or Ascoli will darken my collection, which presently only includes little Nola from Italy in bianconeri stripes!
Angri were in Serie D until a couple of seasons ago, but it was always a struggle surviving, and being in the southern grouping of the two Campania Eccellenza divisions is maybe a happier place for them to be. Certainly less travel. The opposition Battipagliese are serial play-off reachers at this level but invariably come unstuck. Both will play each other in the league, as well as these two-legged cup ties. Progress in this competition leads to a national tournament, with the overall winner guaranteed a promotion slot. It is a nice incentive, even if it requires a lot of extra games. Bisceglie went all the way last season, a final in Teramo that I will never forget.
A fortnight earlier, the two had played out a 2-2 draw in Macchia di MR. It was all poised nicely for the return leg. The Pasquale Novi stadio in Angri has a fine main stand, as well as two sides of depressing wall, then a caged away area behind one goal. I experienced such a hideous viewing area in Giurgiu in Romania on ICT’s sole competitive European fixture, but maybe more recently, the sight of the unused cage at Rijeka (or Fiume if we want to get all historical Italy on ourselves), when England went nap in front of a bunch of school kids, will give you a better mental picture.
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