Miglioranzi - Big Apple Soccer

I thought he would have enjoyed it. Great stuff, and well worth a read.

THE BUTLER DID IT
Nothing like a good, old-fashioned derby
Nov. 13, 2005

By Dylan Butler
BigAppleSoccer.com Associate Editor

SWINDON, England -- With my matchdays whittled down from five to three for several reasons detailed in previous columns, Friday night would be my final taste of English soccer.

And what a taste it was.

I went to a Premiership match (Newcastle vs. Birmingham City), a Championship league match (Reading vs. Sheffield Wednesday) and Friday night I attended a League One match. But this was not just any league game, it was a derby match -- rivalry to you and me -- between Swindon Town and Bristol City.

While it's not quite Liverpool vs. Everton, where the two teams are literally seperated by one mile of parkland, this is THE game for people in these parts and they take that very, very seriously.

My first indication that we'd be in for a special night was when we got off the train from Oxford and saw a very sizable police presence at the station.

When we arrived at the County Ground, again it was clear this was no ordinary match. The sound of fans singing inside the corner pub were drown out by the barking of police dogs, who were clearly not going to stand for any trouble in the parking lot.

The stadium was electric a full 45 minutes before kickoff. Perhaps it was that the game was broadcast live across the country on Sky or that it was the big match -- or a combination of both -- but fans from both teams were already taunting each other.

Younger fans, not interested in cursing the opposition in song, threw confetti and red streamers and passed around beach balls.

While my colleague Kathianne Boniello has sent out e-mails to friends about how pampered sports writers are when they attend games, this would not be one of those occassions.

Sure there was tea and sandwiches, more important in this limited menu being the tea, the press facilities were atop the County Ground with no heating.

I know, woe is me. Believe me, I loved every minute of being at the stadium.

Almost everything that could happen in a game did in the opening half hour. Bristol was awarded a penalty kick -- which was saved -- and then given a second PK when referee Andy Hall ruled Swindon keeper Tom Heaton moved off his line before the kick was taken.

The second effort by Scott Murray gave Bristol a 1-0 lead.

Swindon would equalize, though, in the 12th minute when Neale McDermott ran onto a quick free kick and beat Bristol keeper Adriano Bosso inside the far post from 14 yards out.

Things went from bad to worse for Bristol after seeing two players leave the pitch to injury when Osei Sankofa was sent off in the 25th minute.

Former St. John's standout Stefani Miglioranzi helped give Swindon the lead in the 31st minute on a brilliant buildup through midfield.

The Portchester, NY native burst into space and played the ball to friend and roomate Rory Fallon. The lanky New Zealander took a touch into the box and beat Bosso into the bottom right corner of the net.

For his efforts, a pass that led to Bristol City being reduced to 10 men and setting up Fallon's winner, Miglioranzi was named Man of the Match.

The second half wasn't quite as exciting as the first with Swindon settling in to defend and Bristol coming close on few occassions.

When the final whistle blew, the crowd of a little more than 7,500 erupted over Swindon's 2-1 win. They didn't care that their team was bottom of the table, that it was a rare win during a difficult stretch.

For the Swindon faithful, it was a win over hated Bristol City, and that's what mattered the most.

And that's one of the things that makes the beatiful game even more beautiful here -- the passion the fans have. Some of the youngest Swindon fans didn't necessarily become Swindon fans out of choice, it was passed down from generation to generation.

This is their club, good or bad, and they come out to support them because it's in their heart.

Can this happen in America? In MLS? Let's hope. But I think it would take years for that kind of passion to make its way across the Atlantic.