U.S. Alessandria Calcio 1912

Football club infobox
clubname = Alessandria


fullname = Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912 srl
nickname = "I Grigi" (The Greys),
"L'Orso" (The Bear)
founded = 1912
ground = Stadio Giuseppe Moccagatta,
Alessandria, Italy
capacity = 8,182 | chairman = Gianni Bianchi
manager = Salvatore Jacolino
league = Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - A
season = 2007–08
position = Serie D/A, 1st
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
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Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912 is an Italian football club based in Alessandria, Piedmont founded in February 1912 and continuing currently. The team's nickname is "Grigi" (Grays), because of their grey kit.

The club's most successful period came when they spent 13 seasons in Serie A between 1929 and 1960, their best finish being 6th in 1930 and in 1932. The team plays its home games at the Stadium Giuseppe Moccagatta in Spalto Rovereto, Alessandria.

History

In 1896, the first sports team in Alessandria, named "Unione Pro Sport", was established, then followed by two other teams, "Forza e Concordia" and "Forza e Coraggio". Whereas Unione Pro Sport and Forza e Concordia withdrew from competitions after 1900, Forza e Coraggio opened its football section, called Foot Ball Club Alessandria in 1912. The original jersey was white and light blue, which was successively replaced by a grey one with white edges. The team was first admitted to Serie A in 1929, following a third place in the Girone A of "National Division" (one-time Serie B). Alessandria played eight consecutive seasons to Serie A, with a sixth place as its best result, being relegated to Serie B in 1937. The team returned to play Serie A after the World War II, in 1946, for two consecutive seasons, and again from 1957 to 1960. In 1958, Gianni Rivera, probably the most famous player to have ever played for Alessandria, made his Serie A debut against Inter Milan. Since then, Alessandria has played Serie B until 1967 and then Serie C, except a one-year Serie B return in 1974/1975.

More recently the club, after having experienced in 2002/2003 its first relegation ever on Serie D, went bankrupt. A new club, named U.S. Alessandria Calcio 1912 and direct heir of the old Alessandria, was admitted to "Eccellenza", a regional amateur league, which readily won on 2003–2004. Then the club joined Serie D, and won the Girone A in the 2007–2008 season, thus returning back to professional football.

Notable former players

*flagicon|AlbaniaRiza Lushta
*flagicon|Italy Gino Armano
*flagicon|Italy Adolfo Baloncieri
*flagicon|Italy Oreste Barale
*flagicon|Italy Luigi Bertolini
*flagicon|Italy Valerio Bertotto
*flagicon|Italy Gabriele Bongiorni
*flagicon|Italy Felice Borel
*flagicon|Italy Renzo Cappellaro
*flagicon|Italy Renato Cattaneo
*flagicon|Italy Gianni Fanello
*flagicon|Italy Enrico Fantini
*flagicon|Italy Giovanni Ferrari
*flagicon|Italy Dino Galparoli
*flagicon|Argentina Francisco Ramón Lojacono
*flagicon|Italy Benito Lorenzi
*flagicon|Italy Gianni Rivera

External links

* [http://www.alessandriacalcio.it/ Official Site] it icon
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/alessandria.html Unione Sportiva Alessandria 1912 - Short Historical Overview 1896-1961] en icon prepared by Enrico Acerbi for RSSSF
* [http://www.orgogliogrigio.it Associazione Orgoglio Grigio] it icon ‘Grey Pride Association’: a supporters site
* [http://w3.serie-d.com/sd/vwgdummy.asp?DEFLANG=it&node=ir_societa&open=contacts.asp%3FDEFLANG%3Dit%26campionato%3DCP_r00%26squadra%3Dalessandria Alessandria page @ Serie-D.com]