The map shows the three clubs which have won promotion from Italy’s Serie B to the Serie A, for the 2009-2010 season.
Serie B winners in 08/09 were AS Bari, the biggest club from the province of Apulia [Italian: Puglia ], which is located in the “boot-heel” of the Italian peninsula, on the Adriatic Sea. Bari has spent 28 seasons in Serie A, and are back in the top flight after an eight year absence. The club’s last four-season spell in the top tier ended in 2000-’01; they drew 26,415 per game in 97/98, their first season back up. Bari saw a 300 percent increase at the gate in 08/09 (15,345 per game) versus 07/08 (3,773 per game). The club plays at the Stadio San Nicola, which was built for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The city of Bari has a population of 320,676 (2008 figure), and is 220 kilometers (137 miles) east of Naples.
Second place in Serie B in 08/09 were Parma FC, who bounce straight back up to Serie A. The club has had difficuties ever since their former owning company collapsed in the wake of the Parmalat scandal of late 2003. But from the early 1990′s through to the early 2000′s, the club amassed an impressive trophy haul, with 3 Coppa Italia Titles (1992, 1999, and 2002); 2 UEFA Cup Titles (1995 and 1999); and the 1993 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Title. Parma also finished in 2nd place, just 1 point behind Juventus, in the 1996-’97 Seria A season. During this time period their turnstile count peaked at 25,364 per game in 1993-’94. Parma’s average attendance their last season in Serie A (07/08) was 15,427 per game. The city of Parma is in the region of Emilia-Romagna, 115 km. (72 mi.) southeast of Milan, and has a population of 178,000 (2007 figure).
The third and final promotion place in Serie B in 08/09 was decided by promotion playoffs. AS Livorno, Brescia, Empoli FC, and US Grosseto competed for the qualification. Livorno survived a 0-2 first leg deficit away to second division upstarts Grosseto, going on to win 4-1 in the second leg. Then the club from the Tuscan port city took a 2-2 aggregate v. Brescia and trounced them at their Stadio Armando Picchi, 3-0 last Saturday to win promotion straight back to Serie A. Here are the highlights of Livorno 3-0 Brescia (20 June, 2009) {click here (Youtube)}.
AS Livorno are known for their considerable contingent of left-wing supporters {see this}. Livorno have spent 16 seasons in Serie A, with their best season being a second place finish in 1942-’43 (when they lost the title to Torino by 1 point). The club’s high at the turnstiles was in 2004-’05, when in their first season back in Serie A for 55 years, they averaged 15,334 per game. But by 07/08, when they were relegated, Livorno were only averaging 9,901 per game. The city of Livorno has a population of 160,000 (2007 figure), and is 145 km. (90 mi.) southeast of Genoa.
[Note: on the map I have shown the 6 largest metropolitan ares in Italy {see this (Mongabay.com)}.
Thanks to CityDistance Tool @ Geobytes.com {click here}. Thanks to the E-F-S site, for gate figures {click here }. Thanks to WorldStadiums site {click here (set at Stadiums in Europe)}. Thanks to Stadium.Football.co.uk {click here (set at European Stadiums)}. Thanks to the contributors to the pages at Wikipedia {click here (set at Serie A 2009-10)}.
