Serie B

[irish_pie]

I see it's all kicking off in the second tier of Italian football, they started the season without 3 bankrupt teams so only 19 will compete, my Italian team since 1992 are Foggia who started the season on minus 8 points due to financial trouble... its amazing how teams in England like Accrington and Morcambe can survive on such low gates... is there any Cesena, Bari or Avellino fans on here?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45566113

[drillerpie]

I see it's all kicking off in the second tier of Italian football, they started the season without 3 bankrupt teams so only 19 will compete, my Italian team since 1992 are Foggia who started the season on minus 8 points due to financial trouble... its amazing how teams in England like Accrington and Morcambe can survive on such low gates... is there any Cesena, Bari or Avellino fans on here?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45566113

Wedgie might have been to see Avellino, I think he's got family down there.

I'm guessing a season ticket at some serie B clubs actually costs less than one at Accrington or Morecombe, but the fact that most Italians follow Juve, Inter or Milan on TV rather than supporting their local teams, and the fact they tend to play in decrepit municipal stadia means attendences and therefore budgets are quite low!

[MancMagpie]

Wedgie might have been to see Avellino, I think he's got family down there.

I'm guessing a season ticket at some serie B clubs actually costs less than one at Accrington or Morecombe, but the fact that most Italians follow Juve, Inter or Milan on TV rather than supporting their local teams, and the fact they tend to play in decrepit municipal stadia means attendences and therefore budgets are quite low!

Coupled with the fact that mafia helps to run the big teams.

[lunaspie]

Coupled with the fact that mafia helps to run the big teams.

They also provided Andy White with his concrete boots.

[MagicBoots]

They also provided Andy White with his concrete boots.

No coincidence that 2 of the 3 teams are based in the South. Italy seems a reverse of the UK where all the wealth is in the North, and there is definitely a north/south divide as those who have watched the comedies "benvenuti al nord" and the sequel "al sud" know all too well about.

Last year there were only 3 southern based clubs in Seria A, but two were relegated meaning there is only one club left in the entire south of mainland Italy.

Forza Napoli !

If you have never been to a league game at Napoli's San Paolo you must go. It is amazing. The ground is a bit ageing, but you will not believe the passion of the fans. They are officially adopted as my second team.

Bizarrely, our north / south divide does not affect football in the UK and the northern clubs compete more successfully than those from the south if you go by top flight championships.

[irish_pie]

No coincidence that 2 of the 3 teams are based in the South. Italy seems a reverse of the UK where all the wealth is in the North, and there is definitely a north/south divide as those who have watched the comedies "benvenuti al nord" and the sequel "al sud" know all too well about.

Last year there were only 3 southern based clubs in Seria A, but two were relegated meaning there is only one club left in the entire south of mainland Italy.

Forza Napoli !

If you have never been to a league game at Napoli's San Paolo you must go. It is amazing. The ground is a bit ageing, but you will not believe the passion of the fans. They are officially adopted as my second team.

Bizarrely, our north / south divide does not affect football in the UK and the northern clubs compete more successfully than those from the south if you go by top flight championships.

Some very interesting facts there Magic, I see one of the teams that went out of business is Bari... am I wrong in thinking David Platt played for them at some point?

[Wedgie_pie]

No coincidence that 2 of the 3 teams are based in the South. Italy seems a reverse of the UK where all the wealth is in the North, and there is definitely a north/south divide as those who have watched the comedies "benvenuti al nord" and the sequel "al sud" know all too well about.

Last year there were only 3 southern based clubs in Seria A, but two were relegated meaning there is only one club left in the entire south of mainland Italy.

Forza Napoli !

If you have never been to a league game at Napoli's San Paolo you must go. It is amazing. The ground is a bit ageing, but you will not believe the passion of the fans. They are officially adopted as my second team.

Bizarrely, our north / south divide does not affect football in the UK and the northern clubs compete more successfully than those from the south if you go by top flight championships.

Interesting post that MagicBoots, like Driller said in post 2, I have family who live in Southern Italy, Sant'Agnello just outside Sorrento (my wife is from there) My father-in-law supported Sorrento and in the 70's and 80's I would go with him to watch them, it was really lower league like football...They did rise to the dizzy heights of Seria B I think in the 70's but it went quickly pear shape for them (I guess a lot like Notts back then)...
I'm afraid Sorrento had a bit of a dodgy history since, the've been bankrupt a couple of times and have had to merge with a couple of local clubs to keep going...

Like you said in your post watching Napoli and their fans is something else, my wife's brothers are both Napoli supporters and when I'm over there I go with them, it is amazing, but can be sometimes a bit of an intimidating atmosphere...and like you Napoli are my second team, with Sorrento a close third totally out of respect for my late father-in-law...