Football Adventures with James Rendall
My football adventures all over the world
The Campania region is on the rise in the Italian football world. Sitting as kingpin over everything else in this corner of the country is Napoli, not just in terms of recent Scudetto success, but economically too. Its presence looms almost as large as Vesuvius does in this area, with everything sitting in the shadow … Continue reading Milling Around
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 … Continue reading I, Spartacus
Sergio Rachmaninoff, pianist and great composer might seem a curious way of starting a tale about Serie D football, but his famous piece “Theme from Paganini” has been whirring in my mind as I start to write this article, a romantic ditty at its core. The correlation of Paganini and the team from Pagani, Paganese … Continue reading Theme for Paganese
My opening tale from Italy in this 2025/26 season was from a match between Sambenedettese and Carpi. It was the first time I had seen the visiting team from Emilia-Romagna, and seeing a game at their stadium suddenly appeared in lights as the last of the “big” grounds missing off my viewing roster from that … Continue reading Carpi Diem
When UEFA brought in the Conference League, it was meant to be a competition where the wee club could compete. Alas, those who reach the final and win it, still come from one of the “big 5” nations, but certainly in the group stage, the likes of Malta, Gibraltar and Armenia are in the mix … Continue reading Italia, Away, Away, Away
Basilicata is one of the last four regions of Italy (20 in total) where I hadn’t watched a game. Indeed, prior to this trip, I hadn’t even set foot in any of the four missing places, let alone seen a game. Yet, like buses, you wait 38 years, and two games come along together to … Continue reading Basilicata, baby!
The poet and comedian John Hegley probably wouldn’t expect to get a name check in a story about Italian football, but because of him, Luton and Crotone are inexplicably and forever linked in my addled mind! He always said he tried so hard to get Luton into a poem, and while it’s largely a verbal … Continue reading Pythagoras Country
In the southern reaches of coastal Marche and the vast seaside plains of Abruzzo, which is the next region down, football is on the up. In the vanguard, and leading the way are Pescara, who successfully negotiated many a round in the Serie C play-offs last term to step up to Serie B. Indeed, only … Continue reading Border Lands- A Samb Tale
Bank Holiday Monday, that curious old chestnut that used to be the first Monday of August in Scotland, but was moved in line with the rest of the UK. My colleagues who had kids used to moan, as essentially all schools are back by the time this day off comes around. A day without your … Continue reading 1,2,3 No.4 – Darlington
In early June 2016, doubtlessly in a pique of boredom I decided to go and have a look at New Central Park, home at that particular time to Junior side Kelty Hearts. I used to work beside a Fife chap, Gordy, who, if he wasn’t at the San Starko, would frequent the Junior grounds in … Continue reading 1, 2, 3 – No.3- Kelty
Football Adventures with James Rendall 
You must be logged in to post a comment.