Sunday 13th May 2023 2pm – Serie B – Stadio Guiseppe Sinigaglia, Como

It takes just as long to get to Como from London as it does Manchester and based on the state of our railway infrastructure, invariably costs less. So whilst you could enjoy the delights of Old Trafford and its leaky roof, or various other less salubrious destinations in the north of England, you could fly 90 minutes south-east(ish), hop in a car and drive 30 minutes and be enjoying some pasta and a glass of Pino Grigio on the edge of Lake Como…and naturally taking in a game.

That’s how I had sold this to CMF. “Fancy lunch in Italy on Sunday?”. Of course she knew there would be strings attached, and I had already done the groundwork…meaning I’d bought tickets that came with “hospitality” for Como 1907’s last home game of the season.

Whilst there was a world were both Como and visitors Ternana could still make the complicated Serie B play-offs (both in terms of promotion and relegation), it was unlikely either would be in a prime position and there was a danger this game could be a meaningless match where both teams play for a draw, although that was a thought far from our minds as we touched down in a rainy Milan Malpensa with just 90 minutes to kick off.

A massive advantage of watching football in Como is that the stadium is located central to almost everything that is good about the city. The disadvantage of rocking up 10 minutes before kick off is that there is nowhere to park because it is so central. We got lucky in finding a Fiat 500 leaving a space a short walk from the ground, and although our hire car was *slightly* bigger than the one that departed, the benefit of having a zero excess insurance policy came into play. Car squeezed in, hoping we wouldn’t return to find it damaged we hot-footed down towards the lake edge.

We got into the ground just as the tifosi were in full flow in the Curva Como. It was quite a scene, with thousands of them waving their blue and white plastic sheets around. Our seats were at the back of the Tribuna D’Onore and “armed” with our VIP wristbands we could help ourselves to some pre-match snacks and a beer but it was the view across the Distinti to Lake Como and Switzerland in the distance that was the money shot. There’s few stadiums in the world that have such a superb location, which at times is a bit of a distraction to the football.

The visitors had brought a hundred or so fans, making the 700+ mile round trip from just north east of Rome, enjoying the sunshine and the best of the early play, whipping their shirts off to twirl them around their heads.

The Stadio Guiseppe Sinigaglia may have an unenviable location but doesn’t meet the ambitions of the club. Whilst a play-off spot for a place in Serie A wasn’t still out of the question with two games to go, a capacity of just 13,600 would make it one of the smallest in the top division. The Curva Como was a scaffold-style stand, whilst the upper tier of the Distinti was out of bounds. It’s no wonder that Technical Director/President/Administrator (delete as appropriate in what you have read) Dennis Wise, yep that Dennis Wise, is looking to find a location for a new ground. That won’t be popular among many of the fans, and the football tourists like me, but to take the club to the next level and replicate the ambition off the pitch with what’s happening on it, it needs to happen.

The away side took the lead in the 32nd minute when César Falletti cut inside the Como defender and fell easily to the floor. It was enough to convince the referee to point to the spot and Favilli slotted it home.

At half-time we got to enjoy more Italian hospitality, an irony of some prawn sandwiches (rolls) washed down with Prosecco, and a chat with former Gillingham FC owner Paul Scally, resplendent in his Gills blue suit, who had travelled out to “discuss business with Dennis”.

Whatever was said in the Como dressing room it certainly worked. Cesc Fàbregas (yep, the one and same) was hauled off and it gave Como more freedom in midfield, and they were rewarded by three unanswered goals in a fifteen minute spell through Vignali, Da Cunha and Chajia, punctuated in between the equaliser and the 2nd by a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity by Davide Agazzi.

There was a real celebratory feel at the full time whistle. The win had given Como a slim chance at finishing in the top eight, going into the last game. The defeat, their fourth in a row, saw the visitors hopes extinguished.

The players and their families slowly left the pitch and we headed out, although our romantic walk along the lake edge was halted by the 100 or so Carbonari blocking the road, providing 1 on 1 protection for the away fans.

A meal sitting in the Duomo square finished off a superb day trip and certainly one that should be on any Football Tourist’s agenda for the next couple of seasons before any decisions are made about the future of the stadium.

How to get to Stadio Guiseppe Sinigighi
If you are not pressed for time, or planning to do Como on a day trip from the UK then a train from Milan Centrale to Como S Giovanni should take around 40 minutes, running a couple of times an hour. The station is a five minute walk to the ground.

If you are on a day return flight then your best bet from Milan Malpensa is hiring a car. It is a 40 minute drive using the toll roads, 55 minutes on the free roads your Grandad would have taken.

Tickets for Como 1907
Tickets for most games go on sale 10-14 days before the match at Vivaticket.com. Tickets start from €18 for a place in the Curva with the Ultras but if you want a view of the lake then you’ll need to go in the Tribune Coperta at €38. If you want the hospitality option then they will set you back €72 but includes food and drink pre-match and at half-time, as well as the superb views of the ground and the lake behind.