Chronicles of the Berkshire Pig: Autumn Eurocrankhop- Day 13

Italy v Wales, Rugby League World Cup Qualifier.

Juvenilia 3 v Gerardiana 1, Italian Second Category.

Back at Steinrach station at an unearthly 0545.

A short hop over the Italian border to Brenner. The Brenner pass was the first route across the Alps, chosen by the romans in the second century as it was the lowest altitude crossing. It remained an important trading route to Germany. The Austrians were keen to open the railway across it in the 1850s, so they could invade north east Italy. This they initially did, but the plan backfired, as the Italians re-grouped and captured the railway, using it to retake their land and also parts of Souther Austria. Even more of the mountains were given to Italy at the end of WW1. Thankfully this didn't rile any Austrian nationals into a genocide based attempt at world domination. Oh.

So a walk down the platform to the Italian platform, and it becomes Brennero. The town used to be an important customs post, but Szengan has made it largely redundant. It has also vastly increased trade (fancy that, free movement in Europe increasing economic activity), so that the road is now gridlocked. There are therefore a series of tunnels being constructed, with completion due for summer 2025 (see rule 1 about operating a railway).

Next was a three hour slog down to Verona. By the time we had reached Bolzano, we were in daylight, revealing our passageway through the Italian Alps.

Into Verona and football grounds visible from the railway, the Marco Antonio Bentegodi Stadium.

Into Verona Porta Nuovo, and only chance for a quick glimpse outside.....

....Before joining a rancid Trenord service for the Milan outskirts....

.....and a change at Milano Lombardi.....

....finally got me to Monza.

Monza was set up as a royal palace in the 5th century. Since then, its fortunes have been closely tied with its near neighbour Milan, 15km away. At various points, it has passed into Spanish, French and Austrian hands, largely as a result of its occupation being seen as symbolic of power due to its royal status. The regular attacks means it has had a staggering 32 sieges, still less, according to Martin Tyler, than the average number of sieges that an away teams goal comes under in the last ten minutes when they are hanging on to a slender lead. These days it has s most well known for hosting the Italian F1 Grand Prix, on a circuit located in the former royal hunting forest.

Although the royal palace seems to have fallen by the wayside, the parks are still intact and are adjacent to the motor racing circuit, so I headed off for a wander round them. However, they were a hell of a distance away, and half way there, I checked the rugby details, and found that the game had been brought forward from 1800 to 1600, and there was an Italy A v Belgium game before hand, so I diverted to the ground, which is also a distance out of town.

So an hour and ten minutes later, I finally reached this.

Stadium Brianteo was opened in 1986, for some reason taking four years to build. It doesn't appear to have the most illustrious history, it's Wikipedia entry being four paragraphs, two of which are the dates of 1992 Elton John and Michael Jackson concerts, and by the fourth paragraph "Metalfest Italy was going to take place in the stadium on June 5 to the 7th, 2012, but it was moved to Alcatraz Milan instead". What it doesn't mention is that the stadium has twice hosted the International Gran Galà for Marching Show Bands, 11 times WMSB Champions the USA band Blue Devils winning on both occasions. Stadium Brianteo is of course, the home of SS Monza.

Società Sportiva Monza 1912, well, I'll let you guess when they were founded. After a few mergers, and playing in the regional leagues that at the time were at step 2, they joined serie C when the national league system was introduced in the mid 1940s. Over the next sixty years, they constantly moved between serie B and C, even challenging for promotion to serie A in the 1970s. However, the cub went bust in 2005, reforming in the Lega Pro Prima. They were bought by alliterative Anglo-Brazilian property developer Anthony Armstrong Emery, who promised them much glory, only to see them go bust again in 2015, this time restarting in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, which is the second division of the old Serie C, and the lowest professional level. However, they have since dropped down to the amateur serie D. Notable players who started at Monza are Alessandro Costacurta and Pierluigi Casiraghi.

With no obvious way of paying, and the gate open, I wandered in, to then bizarrely be given a ticket by a steward to access the main stand.

Italy 14 v Wales 20, rugby league World Cup qualifier.

Italian rugby league was covered in last weeks game.

Welsh rugby league has had a mixed history. When union and league split in 1895, there was real fear that Wales would go to league. However, the strong national side, and the fact that it was the one time Wales could compete as an equal against the world, coupled with the players mostly being tied to village clubs tied to the local main industry, meant they did receive payment in kind, so at the last minute, Wales stayed with union. However, there has always been an influx of Welsh players moving to league for the money it could offer. This meant the Welsh national side was always fairly strong, and would also contribute players to the Great Britain team. The expansion of rugby league in the 1980s saw a team in Cardiff, well supported initially but a lack of success saw crowds dwindle and the team die out. The next move was in the 2000s, when debatable South Wales businessman Leighton Samuels, as a blatant fuck you to the WRFU, who had disbanded the Bridgend regional team, took the Crusaders branding to rugby league, and a swift rise up the leagues saw them get a Super League license in 2008. However, after a relatively positive first season, Samuelson had made his point, pulling out of the club, which then moved to Wrexham and subsequently dropped down to the championship. The RFL still wanted a South Wales presence, the winning bid coming from a group of Neath businessmen. Initially with success, but then the major backer got stung by Neath FC, Neath RFC and a hefty divorce, meaning the club had to return to Wales RL control, and have since moved to various locations, currently at Merthyr Tydfil as the South Wales Iron Men.

The Welsh national team used to have the riches of ex union players who had converted to league. However, with union becoming professional, this is no longer the case. In the 1990s and 2000s, it relied on English players with Welsh descendancy. The emergence of the two Welsh club teams, has meant that there is now a pool of decent Welsh born and based players. The team is now comprised roughyly half way between the home born, and ancestors players. The early 2010s saw the side have a lot of success, formally becoming the European number 2 behind England. However, the use of the younger home based players, and the loss of Lee Briars and Ben Flower, meant the Danny Brought inspired Scotland emerged from the 2013 World Cup ahead of Wales, who had a disastrous competition, losing all their games. Since then, experienced coach John Kear has taken over, and brought the squad on a long way.

I'd got there just for the end of the Italy A v Belgium game. There had also been a touch rugby game at midday. Because it involves minimal physical contact, mixed teams are permitted.

The ground is dominated by this huge stand, with cable stays at each end to support the cantilever.

Opposite is a large terrace, the upper tier having been added since the stadium was built.

Behind each goal are single tier terraces, but with foundations already in place behind them, in case the upper tier needs to be added.

Despite early Italian dominance, Wales scored first with a breakaway try.

Which was converted through some decidedly unstraight posts.

From then on, it was almost all Italy, with them scoring a couple of trys and converting both.

I was distracted by the real action going on behind the goal.

The Italian team was mostly second grade Australians, and niggly little fuckers at that. Inevitably, this led to an all out fight, which resulted in both captains getting a ten second talking to.

Kicking for Italy was Hull KR half-back, Terry Kampese, nephew of rah-rah legend David. Here he is taking a penalty that made it 14-6, in front of what Craven Park will look like next season.

Wales got another try just before half time, taking advantage of a fluky interception, although this kick was missed.

Half time and Italy in front 14-10.

There was a strong Welsh contingent in attendance, mostly from the Crusaders.

Straight after the break, Wales got another try....

....which was duly kicked. 14-16 to Wales.

John Kear wasn't difficult to spot.

The timekeepers had an impromptu set up.

Wales then got another try, but it wasn't kicked, taking it to 14-20. Italy needed two scores as if the game was tied, Wales would qualify on points difference, as they had beaten Serbia by two more points than Italy had. In the end, they couldn't get any, and Wales hung on for the last ten minutes.

Everybody then piled on to the pitch to celebrate with the team.

These lot are all mates of full back Elliott Kear, and wore masks of his face. Kear had played for Crusaders, Scorpions, Bradford and is currently at London Broncos after a spell back in union with London Welsh. His main claim to fame though, is that he doesn't have a single story about Gareth Bale, despite going to school with him for 11 years. 'Yeah, he was always in my class, and we played in the same sports teams, but we didn't really hang out with each other'.

Guess which one of these is Mad Dai's darts partner? The Russian hat, shades, rugby shirt, danger mouse Bermuda shorts and Doc Martens, are the look for A/W 2016. He informed me that Dai had turned up in Cardiff on Thursday, without being able to name a single country he had been to after we got split up.

I headed back into the centre, this time the direct way, through the Monza projects, with some Mother Theresa/Star Wars crossover murals.

Fuck you cereal cafes!

On reaching the centre, there was a familiar glow emanating from behind the station.

I knew this was Monza's old ground, but had been unable to source any local league gen to try and get an evening game, so I headed towards it and was very pleased to see that the stands were occupied.

The ground is now the home of the towns women's team, ASD Fiammamonza, and also the amateur Juvenilia side. The women's side compete at a very high level, and was the team that Milene Domingues, the wife of the fat goofy Ronaldo, played for, though this almost bankrupted them as they had to start flying her back from Madrid when Ronaldo moved there.

Juvenilia 3 v Gerardiana 1, Second Category.

The name Juvenilia more or less means 'youth things' in Italian, they have no connection to Juventus. Free of the shackles of the professional clubs marketing bollocks, they have a quite wonderful club mission statement. "Entrusted to the inexhaustible vein of its operators, Juvenilia constitutes a glaring testimony to the possible coexistence between the agonistic and those human values; style and fitness in the competition, engagement with altruism and virtuous football, together, harmoniously on our turf. In perfect harmony they contribute to the assembly of homogeneous and united teams, whose glue is education, friendship and passion". In the Premier League, this would be #weareunited or some such mundaneness.

Union Sportive Gerardiana were founded in 1946, seemingly as the catholic non-league team. Since then they have played at various levels, from regional league down to third category, though mostly in the second (which is step 9 in the Italian system) as they are today. Their ground is only half a mile away down the railway line, visible from the main stand, so this was a real local derby. The best translation on their club history, relates to the supporters who used to gather on a grass hill to watch the team. "And on the 'mound', which has now become a real flight of steps, the Canova are always here to cheer 'Gera', and also to scrutinize the hocks and calves of tomorrow's champions". Again, English teams would just have "Melchester Ultras - these colours don't run".

Stadium Gino Alfonso Sada was built in 1946 as the new ground for AS Monza. The old ground was both next to a foundry that pissed out smoke, and also had no washing facilities. The players treat for winning the championship in 1934 was to be taken to the best hotel in Monza, for a bath. The land was a disused cemetery, if such a thing exists. The initial wooden grandstand was replaced after three years with the current edifice. Until the 1950s it was known as Il "San Gregorio", but was renamed after Gino Alfonso Sada, the club president that took them back to Serie A. The small capacity of the ground, combined with its cramped surrounding streets, meant it was difficult to separate rival ultras in the ground, whilst this outside it, could easily throw missiles into the ground. Therefore, a new stadium for AS Monza was built on the outskirts (as my aching feet could attest) in the mid eighties, leaving the ground to the women's team of Fiammamonza and the non-league side Juvenilia .

The main stand is of concrete cantilever, and has stood the test of time very well.

The terrace to the right....

....and also on the opposite side, have both now been fenced off and are returning to nature.

The one at the other end has been flattened to make a car park, with a bust of the eponymous club president. It was impossible to find an angle that didn't make him look like an IVF cocktail of Prince Phillip and Mr Burns. If you were wondering, he operated Italy's leading corn beef cannery.