Italy Away

It's been a few weeks since I got back from Italy but managed to get to 2 matches, AC Milan v Fiorentina and Pavia v Alessandria. An excellent trip despite the constant rain (and people think Manchester is bad!).

Highlights of the games can be seen below.

 

Loyalty or Insanity?

Not sure how many of us played in a game like this at under 12 level.

Lech Poznan v Spurs (U-12)

Paninaro

Paninaro (Italian pronunciation: [paniˈnaːro]; feminine: Paninara; plural: Paninari; feminine plural: Paninare) is a name that was born behind a group of youngsters that used to meet at the bar Al Panino (At the Sandwich) in Via Agnello, in Milan, during the early 1980s. after that, they used to meet in Piazza San Babila where the "Burghy", an Italian fast food chain, just opened his first restaurant - later bought by Mc Donald's. The subculture was famous for its apolitical nature and its twin obsessions with fashion and Americana, contrasting sharply with the politically-aware generations of 1960s and 1970s.

The Paninaro scene developed in tandem with the vapid hedonism of the 80s, fostered by Reaganomics, Thatcherism and deregulation liberism and was eagerly embraced by the sons of well-to-do professionals who benefited from the widening gulf between high-income families and salaried workers.
It was also reinforced by the diffusion in Italy of Berlusconi's television channels, which transmitted messages of consumerism and fostered a fetishistic urge of self-affirmation through the acquisition of status symbols. Among these one station Italia 1 was explicitly aimed at a younger target, broadcasting then-popular US series, movies, cartoons and comedy shows which had unparalleled popularity in the 10-25 age range.
The Paninaro look's cornerstones were: Timberland boots or Vans deck shoes, Armani jeans rolled up to ankle height, El Charro belts with Texan or western-style big buckles, Best Company sweatshirts, bulky Moncler jackets and brightly colored Invicta rucksacks.
Other popular items were Ray-Ban sunglasses, Naj-Oleari underwear, Fiorucci and Moschino accessories, Controvento and CP Company clothing.

In their heyday, Paninari were lampooned in the Italia 1 comedy show Drive-in by Enzo Braschi, who played a character depicting the shallowness of the subculture and its unending vulnerability to newer trends and fads of the 1980s (New Romantic, Dark-Goth, Rambo-like, and so on...). Braschi later dropped the character after a season in which he appeared in military uniform relating his experiences in the then-compulsory service in the Italian Army (then a rite of passage signalling detachment from the teenage years).
The Paninaro movement was also diffused in some European countries, and is immortalized in the cult song "Paninaro" from 1986 by the Pet Shop Boys.

Stone Island/CP Company Discount Code

Being a priviledged Stone Island and CP Company customer, they have sent me a discount code for 25% off. The code to enter at checkout is: SANTA2010

Items For Sale

I'm in the process of having a much needed clearout and have listed a few things on ebay with more to come in the coming weeks. If you are interested in any of the items, please contact me and we should be able to come to an arrangement. The link for my ebay is: My Ebay Selling

Our Proving Grounds (13) Garnlydan

Playing in the North Gwent League Premier Division, not far from Ebbw Vale in the Welsh Valleys, this ground was a brief stop off on the way home from a weekend in Crickhowell.

Our Proving Grounds (12) AC Pavia

On a recent Italian jaunt I had the pleasure (?) of attending AC PAvia v Alessandria in the third tier of Italian football. Situated 30 minutes from Milan, the town was easy enough to reach, however the stadium was a 3 mile walk from the station with no buses running to the ground on matchdays. An 8EU taxi ride got us there 2 hours before kick off which turned out to be a complete waste of time as the stadium is in the middle of nowhere. A crowd of about 700 were treated to a 1-1 draw with both goals coming in the second half.