| Product: |
Miracle of Castel di Sangro - Joe McGinniss |
| Date: |
15/08/01 (298 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Great writing style and never a dull moment with new action all the way
Disadvantages: Sad ending, pity it had to end in the way it did
‘The Miracle of Castle di Sangro’ is basically a diary of a football mad America, who becomes obsessed with ‘soccer’ during the world cup that was held in the US in 1994. After being enthralled by the Italian team, in particular Roberto Baggio, he goes off to Italy to watch ‘a miracle’ as a small local town side have gotten through to the Serie B, the equivalent of Tiverton getting into the English division one. He goes off to sample the thrills and spill of a season with a football team with a difference and a certain charm that this really is a miracle and it is a really good read, but first a few lessons:
Geography Lesson:
Italy is split into districts or provinces, some more famous than others, such as Lazio, and others less well know. There is a definite split between North and South, with the north having all the industry (e.g. Cars) and the south is povety stricken, poor quality farmland. Castle di Sangro is a small town of about 5,000 people located in the Abruzzo province. The name ‘Castle di Sangro’ literally means castle of blood, and the Sangro River runs through the town. The Abruzzo is in the south, high in the mountains of Italy, about 150km east of Rome. The climate is harsh with long winters and scorching summers, due to the altitude, way above sea level. The entire town was rebuilt, except one church after extensive bombing from both sides during the Second World War. In 1915 a huge earthquake killed half of the inhabitants. The population is always decreasing as people move away in hope of a better life in the north. Other places in the mountains get tourist money from skiing, but not Castle di Sangro. Overall it is a poor place, with a low standard of living, but it is a small place with a good community sprit and very clean.
Football Lesson:
Italy is one of the top teams, both at club and international level. Although the standards
have slipped in recent times, they are still a talented nation, regarded for their skill, flare and passion, and the football is very good to watch, although it is different to the English game. The fans are passionate about their team and there are some fierce rivalries. The domestic league is split into leagues, progressively working down the talent rankings. Serie A is the top league, consisting of 18 teams, containing the likes of Juventus, Roma, Milan, Inter and so on. Full of stars and big money this is the equivalent of the Premiership. Next stage down is Serie B, which contains clubs that periodically get a shot at the big time, but are generally not up to Serie A standard, such as Empoli, Torino, Sampadoria. Next is the C1 and C2 leagues, split into North and South regional divisions and below that regional divisions that are even worse. The top two leagues are full time professionals, with a mix of amateurs and semi-pros in the rest. Castle di Sangro started in the division right at the bottom and worked there way right up to the second rung down from the very top, truly a miracle considering all the circumstances.
Joe McGinniss is more famed for his political writings, including ‘The Selling of The President’. He is linked to Italian football by his friend Alexe Lalas going to play for an Italian side, Padova. On arriving in Italy he has the problem that could only be expected, a maniac driver who is constantly on his mobile, the only hotel in Castle di Sangro has a total of zero stars and of course the language barrier, most prominent when he finds himself locked in the hotel one day.
The team itself was more, how can I say this, colourful than he expected. The teams chairman is Signor Rezza, who is a mafia type person with the bodyguards, country home and tax evasion that others can only dream about. Signor Gravine is the more interactive person, he provides plenty of laughs inadvertently when he signs a player a
s a joke, then gets him to swear and insult the whole stadium, all as a distasteful joke, also producing a Dylan Dog style comic with him as the hero, and ordering useless sex pill from America, which are totally useless in pre-viagra days. The manage is Jaconi, who is tactilely inept, and keeps personal favourites amongst the players, something a manager should never do. For example he plays one keeper ahead of the second keeper who is star of the team, simply because he prefers the first. He also hates one player who is a communist, who is always questioning Joe about Americans involvement in Cuba and Vietnam. Jaconi later becomes Joe’s neighbour and despite his nickname ‘bulldozer’ he is shown at times to be a nice guy.
Joe obviously gets on well with some players better than others, three young players arrange to come over to America, for some ‘women time’ and he just describes the players like they are. At first the players, and especially the manger and president are reluctant to let in the American stranger to the teams most intimate affairs, such as the top secret training games, but he is soon accepted, even travelling to away games in the team coach. Most of the players smoke, as it ‘relaxes’ them in the words of Jaconi, and the players that are not married go to a local restaurant, run by Marcella for daily meals of pasta, pasta and more pasta. (no garlic or peppers though, rules by Jaconi). Some of the players are talented, and one goes on to big things later, but most are lower league players that would never get a chance to play in Serie B if they were sold, but through spirit, graft and work rate, as a team they have made iy.
There are some amusing parts, as one of the players said ‘never a dull moment in Serie B except the 90 minutes of the match.’ For instance Joe is invited to Signor Rezza for a tour and a meal where he has to eat everything, on pain of death, and the manage
r’s 50th Birthday party, where one of the players girlfriends presents him with an 18 inch penis with the message, ‘the season is long and hard, but for you just HOW long and HOW hard.’
There is also a blacker side to the book, and some unpleasant incidents. Once and Ghanaian international, Eric Addo come to Castle di Sangro for a trial, but Jaconi refuses to sign him, even tough he is clearly the most talented player at the club, for the simple reason Addo is black. Also two of the players, including the top scorer die in a car crash halfway through the season, and another is rushed to Rome’s intensive care hospital with blood poisoning, and is in a critical condition for some time after being injected with a dirty needle at the local hospital, one of the player and his wife are busted for drug dealing, and the season and the book ends on a bad note with a serious incident, that I will not say what, and leave you to find out., likewise if the team is able to avoid the relegation back down to C1, if you want to know read the book!
Basically there is never a dull moment. I loved it as a football fan, with plenty of action and tactic reports from the games, but you do not need to be a football fanatic to enjoy this book. It gives a really good insight to a football club, and is constantly interesting with action all the way through. I would recommend it with full marks, although seeing as it is based around football you do need a basic understanding to get the full sensation, but it is not essential. It is really well written, by McGinniss, he keeps the story flowing, and says he feeling clearly, but in a clever way through his writings. Great read, and it comes very highly recommended from me.
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Last comment:
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Cattycat - 15/08/01 Sounds like one for the boyfriend!!! |
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