Modena-Belgio 0-5 (0-1), Modena, Campo dell’ex Velodromo – Piazza d’Armi, 7 giugno 1917. Formazione belga in divisa prima del match. (Belgian National team, with all the avaluable players still in service with the belgian army after the invasion in 1914)
Modena-Belgio 0-5 (0-1), Modena, Campo dell’ex Velodromo – Piazza d’Armi, 7 giugno 1917. I calciatori militari belgi raccolti alla stazione. The belgian team is welcomed at the train station and brought to the ground.
There are things on which I don't agree but this is a fine article (the first). In Italy most of the players of pre world-war I were of the middle class. They were student at the high school or at the university. In general they were part of the 3% of so of the upper middle class who had at least or was getting at least an high school diploma. As suach they were geninely patriotic and were among the first to volounteer even before Italy entered the worl (may '15). lready in october-november 1914, when it's becoming increasingly clear that it was just a matter of time before the country's entry into war, many players went to the military schools to become lieutnant. They could read (which was not true for many of their soldiers, as it was for most of the italian, even if great improvement had been made since the unification in 1861), they were trained to be the "ruling middle class" of the country, and so they went to do their duty. In the first months 6 months of war (june-november) as all of the leutnant in the Regio Esercito (Royal Army) they led the charges of the infantry platoon to the KKA trenches and died or were wounded in great numbers so that a great shortage of lieutnant undermined the efectiveness of the army for all of the 1916. Still they wanted to play football and when they were on leave they often played for their team, sometimes also using a false name. After the wars all of the clubs remembered their fallen players and members with marble tablet which, sadly, all seem to have been lost...
In a friendly game the captain of Modena (Forlivesi) and the captain of Bologna (Della Valle) lay a crown of laurel on the marble tablet which honor the names of the fallen members and players of Modena F.C. in WWI. Modena-Bologna 1-1 (0-1), Modena, Campo di Viale Fontanelli, 1 novembre 1923 MODENA: Brancolini; Boni, Scacchetti; Dugoni, Scaltriti (51’ Mazzoli), Benassati; Breviglieri I, Cuttin, Vezzani, Manzotti I, Forlivesi. All: C.T. (Parisi) BOLOGNA: Bazzeghin; Borgatto, Gasperi; Genovesi, Baldi, Spadoni; Martelli, Della Valle, Schiavio, Pozzi, Muzzioli.All.: Felsner. Arbitro: Gama di Milano Marcatori: Modena: Vezzani (52’) Bologna: Della Valle (40’) Note: match benefico “Pro Casa del Soldato”. Prima della partita i giocatori del Bologna depongono una corona di lauro sulla lapide dei soci del Modena F.C. caduti in guerra.
RUINI Paolo Born in Pieve di Trebbio di Guiglia (Mo) 21.1.1893 Died in the Adriatic Sea 8.6.1916. Role: fullback Debut for Modena: 3.11.12, Modena-Venezia 0-2. 1911-12 ASCM IIcat 1912-13 Modena Icat 4 - 1913-14 Reggio FC Lieutnant in the 55th infantry Regiment "Marche". Died in the sinking of the transport ship "Principe Umberto", hit by an austrian torpedo while in route to Italy from Albania.
ROSSI Mario Born in Modena 10.10.1893 Died in Monfalcone/Cave di Selz 14.6.1916 Ruolo: right winger Debut for Modena: 16.2.13, Volontari Venezia-Modena 3-1 1910 ASCM 1911 ASCM IIIa cat 1912 ASCM IIa cat 1912-13 Modena Ia cat 1 - 1913-14 Modena Ia cat 15 1 1914-15 Modena Ia cat - - 1915-16 Modena Ia cat Mathematic Student at the university, enlisted as a voulonteer and become leutnant for the 75th and 76th Infantry Regiment of the "Napoli" Brigade. He died while leading his platoon's charge against an enemy trench near Monfalcone (north-eastern border). The platoon arrived at the trench just to find it was undamaged by artillery fire and Rossi was deadly wounded by the burst of a hand grenade. To his memory was awarded a silver medal for this and other acts of bravery.