Italy Hop
October last year (2022), my local garage told me my car was looking, ‘tired’ and that I’ll get another year out of it. Since then, it’s completed a trouble free, 2 and a half thousand-mile ground hopping trip etc round Scotland, got through its MOT this October and just got back from a 4300 mile trip to Italy and back, trouble free as well! Don’t ask me how it’s managed this – it’s only a dinky little Ford KA, 19 years old and rusting to bits, but what a car!
Don’t know why I’m telling you this when I’m supposed to be talking about my footballing exploits. I guess it’s because groundhopping is not all about the football. Driving through the alps, for instance, one can easily be fooled into thinking that everything with the world is going to be just fine. Amazing. On my return trip, as I approached the German side of the alps, I got all the snow topped mountains and trees etc. Awesome. Looked like one of those fictional Christmas cards you see with all the snow, only this wasn’t fictional.
Oh dear, sorry – there I go again. So, my aim on this trip was to complete my visits to all Serie B grounds – I had 7 to do. I didn’t quite make it – the international break messed everything up, but I got 6 in with just Feralpisalo left to do. Yeah – I’ve never heard of them either! Don’t worry – you probably won’t hear from them again because they’re rock bottom and aint coming back up again. Managed to squeeze in Udinese in Serie A, who I have seen before but wanted to redo because it’s basically a new stadium although they’ve never moved, just redeveloped a bit at a time.
I did manage to visit family as well although I think they’re starting to wonder if I go to Italy to see them or the football!
On my return, I stopped in Sittard to catch a game in the Eredivisie. When I left London, in early October, it didn’t occur to me that I might be needing my Long Johns on this trip (8 weeks later) - on my way back the whole of Germany was covered in snow. Sittard was freezing but it was nice to get some draught beer and hot food, at last, at a football match – facilities at Italian stadia are often found to be lacking. The beer at the Sittard game was cold as well and got colder as I drank it. Not joking.
A thoroughly enjoyable trip. Was apprehensive about doing all that mileage but a walk in the park in the end. The only thing is – I don’t think I want to put any more petrol in the car for a while!!
Written: 17/12/23
Date of trip: 7/10/23 – 3/12/23