Welcome to Volume Two of my blog which covers all clubs and stadiums outside the English League System along with the wonderful people responsible for keeping them going and their maintenance.

Since I was a little lad I've been fascinated in football and more so where games are played. With my love of travel and curiosity of the game I wanted to visit as many grounds and see games wherever possible.

I was fortunate that my Dad also loved the game and spent so much of his spare time taking me to matches. As I got older the boundaries widened owing to my location and increased wages to Europe and indeed the world. The sight of a stand or a floodlight pylon in the distance immediately heightens my senses and eagerness for a closer look.

I hope this site gives you the chance to share in my pleasure and experiences and maybe one day set you on the road to adventure. If you get half as much out of the hobby as I've done, I can guarantee some great memories, good friends and stories to pass on to future generations.

Give your local club a try today. They'll be delighted to see you!

Everlasting thanks primarily to my late and very much missed and dearly loved parents; my Dad Bob Bernard and my Mum; Ann, who put up with endless years of football chat and my brothers Nick and Paul who gave me the chance and encouragement to do what I have. Thanks to all my friends who offer encouragement and Sally and Stan who inspire and give me great pride. Stan is showing a keen interest in my hobby as he grows into a young man!

Please feel free to post any comments (please use sensible language - I want everyone to be able to enjoy reading) or ask any questions relating to visiting grounds or events. If you want to see any ground reviewed please let me know. It will take quite some time for everywhere to appear, but make sure you keep having a look as the site is continually updated.

If you click on a lot of the pictures you will get a larger version on your screen.

I have also added links to video clips on YouTube where appropriate for those of you who are bored of reading or are filling in time at work. I haven't always gone for the most obvious choices, but items that will be in some cases unusual but always historically interesting.

Click here to see volume one of HAOTW for everything in the English League System.

Rob Bernard

London

May 2020

Wednesday 10 February 2016

ACD Lucento (Italy)



Associazione Calcio D Lucento is an amateur football club from the city of Turin in Italy which was formed in 1974 by a group of friends who frequented the Bar Mario on Via Forli.

Franco Riconda was appointed as club President soon after their formation, and it was his foresight to which the club owed so much. He passed away in 1998, with Lucento winning promotion to the Eccellenza, the fifth tier of Italian football shortly afterwards, as the youth development grew with over three hundred boys representing the club.


The club played matches at Campo Vinci and Campo Agnelli before moving to a new ground at C.so Lombardia. The new venue was inaugurated with a game against Serie A referees and was built by hard working volunteers of the club.

The club continued to progress with many youth sides while the first team advanced to fifth tier Eccellenza football for the 2006-07 season where they were placed in Girone A where the team initially stabilised their status.


Lucento had a narrow escape from relegation in 2008-09 prior to being moved to Girone B for the following season where they improved to fifth place in 2010-11 and then third twelve months later.

A succession of mid table finishes ensued before the team was relegated in 2014-15 to Girone D of Promozione. After missing out in the play-offs at the first attempt, Lucento made no mistake in 2016-17 when they defeated USD. San D. Savio Rocchetta T 5-2 on aggregate.


The club returned to Girone A of the Eccellenza, where after a season of consolidation the team was relegated in 2018-19. Lucento were top of Promozione Girone D when the 2019-20 season was abandoned owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus, leaving the club awaiting their fate.

ACD Lucento will play in Promozione Piemonte-Valle d'Aosta Girone D in the 2019-20 season.


My visit

Wednesday 3rd February 2016

The early morning mist was still blocking out the sun on my day out in Turin. With a few hours to kill before the Juventus v Genoa clash, I was checking out a few local venues and doing some sightseeing.


I’d alighted at XVIII Dicembre on the metro after my visit to CBS Scuola Calcio. The number 29 bus arrived within a few minutes to take me into the city’s northern suburbs. My IPhone map app helped me follow the journey so that I knew where I was. Later in the evening I travelled on some of the same avenues to get to Juventus Stadium.


The bus travelled outside the ground, which was named Franco Riconda after the old president. I got off at Fermata and walked down corso Lombardia 107 to the entrance. There was no way I was going to risk entry as two wild looking barking dogs were through the gate!


Again I went down the side and managed to take some shots over the side fence using my height and standing on a wall along Via Val della Torre. The clubrooms were behind the far goal and on the far side there was some open wooden steps and then a smart seated stand.

Small ball courts made up the rest of the side. There was no spectator accommodation on the other three sides, and only the dug outs on the road side. Another full sizes pitch was behind the west goal. Both surfaces were artificial.


The number 29 took me back towards town where I alighted at the top of Corso Svizzera where I found a charming local food street market and even used a supermarket for pastries, which was an experience all of its own!








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