Football Adventures with James Rendall
My football adventures all over the world
The last couple of years has seen a great number of wonderful footballers pass away. None were bigger than Diego Maradona and more recently Pele. Aside from these giants of the game, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Paolo Rossi and Gianluca Vialli all struck a chord with me. All taken by cancer far too young, and everyone of … Continue reading Chasing Heroes
If you have made it through the four levels of calcio to this point, and made it to La Spezia, well done, thanks for staying with me! The journey has been nudging north, significantly at first, but between Carrara and La Spezia, Parma is a bit of a diversion, although a direct train heads across … Continue reading Viva La Spezia
Having ran out of recollections of Wick encounters in the Scottish Cup, for the clubs third home match in the competition this season versus Falkirk at the end of the month I was asked to write a piece about the Coppa Italia, but I couldn't resist comparing it with a similar ladder layout in Uruguay. … Continue reading Savaging the Coppa Italia
I guess not many from outside Italy, maybe even Roma have seen five teams from the Italian capital, but without even trying that forms part of my Calcio legacy. Those who merely have a passing interest in Italian football are probably thinking, there are more than two teams in Roma! Every city, even one team … Continue reading Laziale Thinking
I finally made it to Carrara! Four years ago I thought I was headed to the Stadio Dei Marmi, only to discover on the day of the game, it had been moved to Pontedera due to upgrading work at the stadium in Carrara. Thankfully Pontedera was doable too, but Carrara remained elusive. My Eleven Sports … Continue reading The Marble Men of Carrara
I have been to Parma a few times, and always enjoyed it immensely, but oddly this was the last major Emilia Romagna stadium for me. I can now follow the train route through the region headed north from Cesena (5 games, first 1987); Forli (2); Bologna (2); Modena; Reggio Emilia (3), and now Parma. Parma … Continue reading Perfectly Parma
I recently had to completely redraw a trip to Italy when it became apparent Finland was following Estonia in closing its borders to Russia, thus precluding my girl from getting a land exit, and that time, the alternative of a flight via Istanbul had reached the realms of silly money. There are a lot of … Continue reading Bouncing Back in Bisceglie
When the UEFA competitions reached the group stage draws, there can be few quartets to rival those placed in Group A of the Conference League. Firenze (Florence), Edinburgh, Riga and Istanbul, all four historical and dripping in beauty. Personally, there has never been a situation in my football supporting days (50 years by the time … Continue reading A Tale of two beautiful cities
I have been invited to write a piece for the Hearts v Fiorentina match programme on 6th October. This is my submission. The rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside have long been inspiration for painters, writers, photographers and tourists alike, all seeking pastoral beauty. The capital of the region, Firenze (Florence) is of course the … Continue reading Florentine Days
I write about football, I read about football, and I genuinely care about football. I couldn’t care less about the monied end of the game, and I cannot abide the divisive, almost encouraged sectarianism that two teams from Glasgow cause in our Scottish society. In this day and age such entrenched attitudes are dreadful, and … Continue reading Left-Right, no place in football
Football Adventures with James Rendall 
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