12th June 2010 will remain forever an indelible day for the city of Novara. That night its football squad, Novara Calcio, beated 2-1 Padova in the Bwin league playoff final and it got the pass to participate next season to its 13rd Serie A of its history. An incredible result because the withe-azure left Serie A in  1955/56, that is 55 years far from the Italian football counting, about which 33 years consecutive played between the 3rd and the 4th Division (C1 and C2), to be more precise the edge of Italian football.

After two enthusiastic seasons where the team got as much promotions (2009/2012 LegaPro, 2010/2011 Serie Bwin), this season Novara Calcio is up with very humbleness the principal Italian league, within its organic 10 elements played two years ago in Lega Pro,  among which Raffaele Rubino, the captain and the symbol, the only Italian football player able to scored with the same shirt in every professional football league: Rubino realized that deeds during the match against Parma, last 26th November, with a good header, his favourite characteristic.

Let’s see to profile the history of this small squad equipped to get Serie A with craftiness, simplicity together with a solid, concrete and serious management behind, that in 5 years took the team in the “same” C1 to Serie A, building a wonderful sports center, called “Novarello-Villaggio Azzurro” (Novarello-Azure Village) and the historical exodus to the “G. Meazza” stadium of Milan because on 13th January 2010 Novara played against Milan for the match valid for the last-sixteen of Coppa Italia. That day over 12.000 Novara supporters, on 15.000 totals, went to the stadium. For the first time a C1 football squad treaded the grassy mantle of “San Siro”, Novara lost 2-1, but supporter were happy as team won.

Novara Calcio was born on 22 December 1908 in one of the most import meeting place where local upper middle class, “Caffè Bertani”, thank to the itch to eight boys seen, notwithstanding them age, the future of the sport in the football. From that moment some little football team joined in together (Libertas, Forza & Speranza, Pro Scalon, Ginnastica & Scherma). The first match played by Novara Calcio was against Torino in 1912, who won 1-2. The first goal by Novara was scored by Mario Meneghetti.

Between the postwar and the institution of the “girone unico” (1919-1929), the Novarese squad was part of the famous “Piedmont four-side”, the four football teams wanted to be at the same level of the strongest team of Piedmont (Juventus and Torino) which gave a host of players to National squad. “Four-side” was made by Novara, Alessandria, Pro Vercelli and Casale. These last two teams won respectively 1 and 7 “scudetti” untill 1922. With the “girone unico”, Novara was placed in Serie B, while the other three in Serie A.

The first time of Novara Calcio in Serie A was in 1936/1937, but immediately the squad moved down. It came back one season later and stayed for three season, just to 1940/41 when it moved down to B with a host of polemicals. In 1939 Novara played the final of Italian Cup against Ambrosiana Inter (the present Inter) in Roma, but it lost 2-1.

The return of Novara in Serie A was in 1948/1949, spurred on the most important Italian football player of all time, Silvio Piola. Piola stayed in Novara from 1947 to 1953, closing his career as the eldest player scored a goal (40 years old, this record last to 2007 with a scored by Costacurta, 41 old) and he has been the last Novara football player dressing the shirt of National team. After his death, in 1996, the local public administration decided to give the name “Silvio Piola” at the stadium situated in viale Kennedy, where Novara play at the present time.

From 1956 to 1977 Novara played several times in serie B and few time in C. From 1977 to 2010 it played for 33 years consecutive in Serie C. After the defeat in the 1989/1990 C2 playout final it played for few days in Serie D, the first amateurish league. Luckly the detested Pro Vercelli busted up and Novara came back to C2.

During the 80s’ and the 90s’ fans have seen continous societaries changing united to football players changing with doubtful skills and capabilities. In 2000, luckely, Novara won C2 playout final (another time in ten years) and it avoided to become banktupt.

The miracle came on fall 2007 when a young businessman engaged in health care from the Brianza, Massimo de Salvo, arrived in Novara. A new “Messiah” arrived but results arrived low and low the first time. Just he took the “power”, he built “Novarello”, even if supporters were not happy because team lost positions in the rank. “Novarello” was born on the ashes of a ancient mill of XVII century, far 7 km from Novara. It’s became the new management seat within football fields and a big hospitality area between the Novarese ricefields.

The season 2009/2010 has been open under good auspices because the squad and the management radically changed: new coach, new director of football, new football playes very important for the league. The new coach was Attilio Tesser, skilled for the category, director became the young Pasquale Sensibilie, with experiences got in Juventus and Palerno, while the new players were the middlefield Marco Rigoni (former Juventus player), as goalkeepers arrived the young Albanian Samir Uijkani and Alberto Fontana, from Palermo and Torino, the Argentinian Pablo Andrei Gonzales, a former postman, “bomber” Simone Motta and a young stopper that in few matches has been able to hit the heart of “Curva Nord”; the core of Novara supporters, Andrea Lisuzzo, the “major”. Final results? Hands-down victory of the league, Supercup of the League, last-sixteen of Italian Cup. After 33 years the Boys advanced in Serie B. Finally!

The new adventure in B, since 1976, saw the purchases of Marianini from Empoli and Morganella from Palermo, a right middlefied and a right wingback. In spite of all, Novara played all season with 9/11 player from C1 and they closed the rank at 3rd place, behind the “battleships” Atalanta and Siena. Novara won “Winter Champion” title together with Atalanta. Italy knew the “Novara system”, its patterns and the magic tandem Bertani-Gonzales, able to scored 32 goals. The stadium has seen a only defeat, at the last match of regular season. Malicious said the pillar of Novara was the field, realized in total sintetic grass, the first time between A and Bwin. Even if the bubbly play scheme was the same in Lega Pro.

On 2 and 12 June 2011 Novara was up 4 very exausting matches: playoff semi-final and final against Reggina and Padova. On 5thJune a super goal by Rigoni at 89’ saved Novara and tried to the final where the miracle became reality. In an owercrowed “Piola” (12.000 spectators), Novara beated Padova 2-0 with a penalty shot by Gonzales and a dribble by Rigoni: the former postman and the “young promise” tried Novara in the Olympus of Serie A. In that match, for the umpteeth times, played 9/11 from Lega Pro.

In these last two years, Novara “brand” de Salvo is from rags to riches and know everywhere. During summer market the director of football has changed, because Sensibile went to Genoa, side Sampdoria, and his role has been taken by Mauro Pederzoli from Milan, new player ad hoc for Serie A were purchased, but “symbols” were sold: talking about the “goal twins”, Bertani and Gonzales (called by local press “Smith&Wesson”), sold to Sampdoria and Palermo.

Serie A enthusiasmed a place football-starved: in two mounths have been sold over 7.200 season subscriptions, treble than last season (2.200) and five times than season 2004/205 when with 1.700 subscritpions, but with a business promotion inside.

The squadwas shown on 17th July in a crowed piazza Duomo (where team was shown last two lucky season). The most important purchase has been the Japanese superstar Takayuki Morimoto from Catania: for the first time a Japanese player has came undere the Church of Saint Gaudenzio, Novara’s saint patron. The most important thing happened in Novara Calcio has been the enlargement of “Silvio Piola”, unable for Serie A because wan too small as capacity. For that reason in two mounths the capacity became 18.000 seats because in Serie A supporters of team contender follow the team more than in serie Bwin and C1: for example, Juventus, Milan, Inter and Napoli are followeb by over 5000 supporters outside home.

A part from the final result obtained by Novara, the team has inclined a city to football, over all children, where finally can support them football team and no longer the team more stronger, as juve, Inter or Milan. And maybe this is the most important winning post.

All the stadium sing “Fino alla fine forza Novara”