The Benevento Connection (Prequel to Enter the Dragon)
Serie B Matchday 27: AS Citadella v. Benevento Calcio
Williams Jones was a calm looking figure ahead of this clash. He was the only one associated with Benevento Calcio, be it players, staff, or support who could do so. He had to. But then cool comes naturally to "Black Belt"
The team were languishing in 21st place ahead of this encounter, though they were currently on an unbeaten run of four games which would have been four victories, had it not been for a late equaliser by visitors Carpi in their last home match.
Recent good form aside, the team were in the position they were deservedly. An absolutely shocking first half of the season, though the mafia syndicate operating close by the Stadio Ciro Vigorito seemingly vanished into thin air overnight in late December. Nobody has seen nor heard from the syndicate's boss, Cifano (Kai-fano) since. A personal victory for Jones in amongst the clubs turmoil? If so, his superiors in Langley haven't wired through their congratulations on a job well done, or sent over the ultra-rare vinyl of Lee Dorsey's
Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky which he insists will help team morale; mix the tempo up a bit; Archibald & The Drills can't rely on Billy Preston's
Outa Space ALL the time as the theme music to those intense Offensive Full-Back sessions for local boy, club captain and rising star, Luca Giorza.
The winter transfer window was kind. Seven of the starting eleven were now Italian. Giorza and first My Favourite Player inductee Milillo, now had Ferrini along with Mattiello joining them in defence. In midfield, a slowly improving Abelli in DMF was blessed with Pellini in the other DMF role and the energetic Cozzari in CMF. All frees, with the exception of Ferrini who was snatched on loan from Serie A's Sassuolo.
Elsewhere the squad was bolstered by the arrival on loan of two Brazilians recommended to him by Archie. CF Kempes and LMF Cavalcante. Jones was ready to give the transfers the go ahead on their names alone - then he saw them. Not play, but when he saw their profile pictures. Both had Afro's. Archibald was on the same wavelength as Jones. His Scottish first team coach, a man who played his entire career as a baldy, and who's current hair situation was more suited to a French player in the Ligue 2 whom Konami didn't put in effort into was, in fact, Jones' best signing. Archi-bald by name, but his appreciation for quality hair-game had been unearthed by Jones. Things were clicking into gear.
Alas, it wasn't all sweet when it came to Italian personnel. Diego Fuselli (edited Neillander, or whatever his name is) was sold to some French Ligue 2 team nobody cares about. Rumours were that an Eredivisie side were sniffing around and Fuselli was keen on that move, but Jones wanted to teach him lesson. Although not an Italian himself, Jones was falling for the country and Fuselli appearing as an Englishman in spite of edits-I mean talks, was second only to Kung-Fu treachery in the opinion of Jones when it came to ultimate wrong-doing. His constant hogging of the news feed images likely made the decision easier. To be fair to Fuselli, his constant presence on the news feed wasn't nearly as annoying as that of Eric Canning. Canning was the defacto leader of the squad, and a tidy player in his own right, but Jones was sick of Vasilj always talking about him being an inspiration. Jones was concerned that dropping the likeable Scotsman would unsettle the squad, and maybe even upset Archie, but Archie again showed his commitment to his boss by refusing to question him, even speaking up in Jones' defence at the decision. Good old Archie.
AS Citadella were in 19th place and 4 points better off than the Benevento Boys heading into the match. It was probably the biggest test of character for the new look squad thus far, even if it were to be played in front of a half-empty Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato.
A game of little in the way of great goals, but an important one. A game in which a goal saving block from Giorza, followed later by an immense sliding tackle by Ferrini, suggested that while the spooks in Virginia hadn't come good with the Lee Dorsey, these two young Italians were already hearing
Everything I do Gonh Be Funky...
The next day Jones headed to the Stadio Ciro Vigorito; to Archie's office in particular.
That music... something he hadn't heard since...
He asks Archie what he is listening to:
"Och, just some stuff on Soundcloud I came across. Pretty good, no?"
https://soundcloud.com/andreas-r-hl-1/us-1979-the-tattoo-connection-black-belt-jones-2
Good old Archie.
To be continued... maybe.
