“My best goals? From outside the area, with the left foot, with power”. Benevento also had its thunderclap in the Sixties. And he almost went on to collect the legacy of the original, in Cagliari: the “sliding doors” effect decided differently, making the Meomartini and not the Amsicora the theater of his exploits. A few more lines and everything will be clearer. But as you may have already understood this is a black and white football story. Distant times when the yellow and red shirt was worn for free, just for love and belonging. Maybe that’s why those who were there Franco Bovio they have never forgotten him and indeed they still invoke him as soon as the ball goes a few meters beyond the halfway line. For everyone else, for those who arrived later, it is the statistics that present him: the Strega’s fourth striker ever, only Clemente, D’Ottavio and Evacuo better than him. Which also means another thing: no Samnite has scored as much as him with the home jersey. This is something to be proud of, especially if you kicked a ball for the first time just a few steps away from what will later become your stadium. “I learned to play football in Piazza San Modesto, in my neighborhood. I remember at least three street camps and games that lasted hours and hours. I grew up like that. And it’s not just me: that neighborhood was a hotbed of talent, many ended up wearing the Benevento shirt”.
And how did you end up wearing the Witch’s tunic?
“Benevento had failed, they had to start again from the First Category which at the time was the championship that came immediately after Serie D. I was with Atripalda and Benevento – like San Vito – had faced them as an opponent. I decided to return to my city to lend a hand, to revive the fortunes of the team. And so are other people from Benevento like me ‘dispersed’ in other teams. There were seven or eight of us, we agreed to play for free, at least for a while. On the other hand, I couldn’t receive compensation because I was employed by the Municipality as a traffic policeman: to play I asked for permission. My debut season was 1965/66, I was 25 years old.”
“Reviving the fortunes of the team”: did you succeed?
“Yes, even if the merger with another team, Sannita, and the protagonism of the knight Abete who wanted and obtained the repechage to Serie D was decisive. When we returned to the fourth series we had three good championships, the atmosphere was different. And as a team we were strong: besides me there were Chiumiento, Fracassi, Pellegrini. And Fedele, who later became sports director.”
And finally they started paying for it, I guess
“I had also become captain. Abete gave me a weekly bonus and at the end of the month I took home more as a footballer than as a traffic policeman”.
The relationship between the City and Benevento?
“A relationship of passion. And with great participation. I remember a match against Sorrento where there were 5500 people. And at the Meomartini they could be heard a lot: the effect was that of bedlam. It was always like this in the derbies: with Juve Stabia, Turris, Casertana.”
The first memory that comes to mind about returning to the fourth series?
“A match with Ischia, at their home. They were very keen on winning and to waste time they continually threw the ball out, also taking advantage of the fact that the facility was small and the ball was not easily recovered. But the referee, a gentleman from Venice, granted one minute of injury time for every ball that went out. And so we ended up equalising, with a goal from me. All hell happened and the goalkeeper – Barilli, who I knew well because we played together in the fourth series representative – attacked the referee with a punch. “Are you crazy? You just told me that Napoli bought you! This way you’ll ruin yourself” – I told him. “I’ve lost my mind, let’s hope for the best” – he replied. But he was banned for life.”
A different football
“Absolutely, I remember that we had two or three kits: once we played in yellow and red and the other in red and black. And then the clothes hung out by Allegretti right behind the pitch, where the changing rooms were.”
Forty-five goals with Benevento: the best one?
“Against Puteolana. They had a very strong goalkeeper, if I’m not mistaken his name was Illiano: he took everything. To score I invented a very strong looping shot, from right to left. And speaking of great goalkeepers, let me remind you of a goal in seven for Ottavio Pietrantonio, obviously before he came to play in Benevento, perhaps he was with Aversa: Ottavio, my great friend, was someone else who when he was on a match day you didn’t care pass one”.
A footballer from his Benevento who could have had a different career?
“I say Mario Allegretti: very strong. He had everything to become a great footballer but not the right mind. We were always called up to the category representative and the next day, in the newspapers, the headline was always the same: Allegretti and Bovio the best on the pitch. I remember that the selector, a coach from Avellino, at the end asked me to go with him in the summer to do a trial with Inter. He asked me and Boccolini. I didn’t go because I had won the police competition and my working career was already underway. But I also advised him to bring Allegretti.”
Have you ever thought about that failed audition?
“Never, have I had fun with football and that’s fine. And then for me it’s a pride to still be the Samnite with the most goals in Benevento.”
Other times when his career could have taken a different turn?
“When I played at Atripalda, first category, Avellino won the championship. The two matches were very close, we lost but I played very well, scoring. The president of the Wolves – who had a shop in Benevento, in via Perasso – wanted to meet me to buy me. I went, albeit reluctantly: my legs still felt the beatings they had taken in those derbies. “I offer 2.5 million to Atripalda and 2.5 million to you, for one year”. A decidedly important proposal which I accepted, among other things I had not yet won the competition. But after a few days he called me back. “Franco, I’m sorry but Atripalda wants 5 million for your card and it’s an amount I can’t spend”. I got very angry with the club: “So you’re stopping me from becoming a footballer.” But they didn’t want to listen to reason. Then, however, they sold me to Puteolana for 3.7 million. This time it was I who refused and they who got angry. They also came to Benevento to talk to my father: “His son is our property.” “My son is the mother’s property” – dad replied.
And then?
“And then there was Cagliari”
Stories
“There was a prosecutor from Naples, Bolsacchi, who took care of the category representative and organized auditions. We went to Caserta but not for Casertana but for Cagliari, playing in Cosenza on Sunday in the Serie B championship. We played a training match and I scored two goals. Comunardo Niccolai was also with me: “These people will get you” – he told me. I didn’t give weight to his words but on the fourth day we were in Caserta the Cagliari coach called me aside: “Listen, – he tells me – if you’re a lucky person we’re not going to Serie A. At that point we’d have to sell Riva and the first purchase in attack is you. If you’re unlucky, we’ll go to Serie A and keep Riva.”
What did he answer?
“That they would have won in Cosenza and obtained promotion. And that I would become the first Cagliari fan: he hugged me.”
Five years with Benevento: and then?
“Then I decided to say enough: the fourth series was too sacrificial. I decided to move down a category, going to Montesarchio: three training sessions a week, a situation that was better suited to work. Here too I achieved my satisfaction, scoring 27 goals in the year in which we won the championship. After three years, however, I said stop. “Franco gave everything” – I replied to president Izzo who wanted to see me again in July”.
But the bond with football has never been interrupted
“Let’s imagine: I played with the Traffic Police representative until I was 55. In Florence I scored a goal from midfield that even my opponents came to hug me. And then I became a coach, until I managed the youth sector of Benevento, with Ciro Vigorito. Beautiful years, every Monday and Friday Ciro came to watch the training sessions, sitting next to me. He wanted to know everything: why he trains like that, what characteristics that boy can develop… he really cared about it.”
Stadium?
“Always a subscriber since Vigorito appeared. He brought Benevento to levels we didn’t even dream of being able to reach.”
Lately, however, the Giallorossi attackers have revealed some problems with their goals…
“But it’s not their fault. Now we’re playing to get the ball into the goal. And not just Benevento: modern football is like this. Even in Serie A I see very few goals from outside the area. Nobody tries anymore.”
We would need a Franco Bovio
“Do you know how many times they tell me that in the stands? As soon as someone reaches thirty metres: “Eh Brother, if you were there”. But even on the street, they still stop me while I’m walking with my wife: “Madam, you have no idea how much fun your husband made us have.”
