ronnierattleby
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Gianfrancos Background:
My mother was italian and my was father english, which clears up my odd name. My fathers side of the family were not really into football. My mothers, however, were passionate lazio fans. So i chose them as my club.
1990: As a teenager, i was slightly more abled than others at my school at football, and with my sunday league team in leicester, Anstey Nomads where i played centre midfield along side alan jenkins. I had attracted interest from leicester city, and notts county. I performed above my ability during a 2 weeks trial at Leicester city and was handed a pre-contract agreement. I loved football and I didnt have to think twice.
1993: I was now 18 and still hadnt made a first team appearence i didnt expect anymore at this age,however, my contract ran out in one month. I guess i had left school for nothing. I didnt have a future. Until one day my father, Peter Jones (also my agent) said to me,"Your not going to believe it, son. Ive got an offer for you."
1995/6: I had moved to italy and i was seen as a promising youngster now for Cisco Roma, who list lazio as there main rivals. In Serie C1/B i had made 14 appearences in the 95/96 season 7 of which were from the bench and scoring 3 times and laying on 5.
1996/7: A team called A.S. Melfi had signed me for a club record £15k. I had a great season in 96/97 playing 32 times assisting 14 times and scoring 7 myself, i felt this was the turning point in my career, it could only get better. How wrong i was...
1997: Pre season training was brilliant, i had never felt fitter. But on the 23rd of july 1998, I was going to be late for training, and as a result i had to drive faster so i didnt miss any of it, the car infront broke sharply, i was going too fast, i slammed on the brakes, but i went into the back of the car infront, The woman infront died in hospital later that day.
at my court hearing i pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving. I was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
2001: I was released 3 years early due to good behavior, but i thought i would never be able to live with myself now. and what was the point, melfi had released me i had no job prospects, no football team would take on a murderer surely.
2009: 8 years had been and gone and not one productive job, i decided to take my coaching badges and try and get a job in coaching, but even that would be difficult. I was on the verge of going back to leicester, when the A.S. Melfi chairman emailed me, it simply said "My office, tomorrow, noon."
I met up with the chairman who looked at me with a grin, "youve aged gianfranco" he said. and handed me a peice of paper. "Am i reading this correctly Mr.Maglione?" I said. He nodded, I signed the paper immediately. My second stint at A.S. Melfi was about to begin.
My mother was italian and my was father english, which clears up my odd name. My fathers side of the family were not really into football. My mothers, however, were passionate lazio fans. So i chose them as my club.
1990: As a teenager, i was slightly more abled than others at my school at football, and with my sunday league team in leicester, Anstey Nomads where i played centre midfield along side alan jenkins. I had attracted interest from leicester city, and notts county. I performed above my ability during a 2 weeks trial at Leicester city and was handed a pre-contract agreement. I loved football and I didnt have to think twice.
1993: I was now 18 and still hadnt made a first team appearence i didnt expect anymore at this age,however, my contract ran out in one month. I guess i had left school for nothing. I didnt have a future. Until one day my father, Peter Jones (also my agent) said to me,"Your not going to believe it, son. Ive got an offer for you."
1995/6: I had moved to italy and i was seen as a promising youngster now for Cisco Roma, who list lazio as there main rivals. In Serie C1/B i had made 14 appearences in the 95/96 season 7 of which were from the bench and scoring 3 times and laying on 5.
1996/7: A team called A.S. Melfi had signed me for a club record £15k. I had a great season in 96/97 playing 32 times assisting 14 times and scoring 7 myself, i felt this was the turning point in my career, it could only get better. How wrong i was...
1997: Pre season training was brilliant, i had never felt fitter. But on the 23rd of july 1998, I was going to be late for training, and as a result i had to drive faster so i didnt miss any of it, the car infront broke sharply, i was going too fast, i slammed on the brakes, but i went into the back of the car infront, The woman infront died in hospital later that day.
at my court hearing i pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving. I was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
2001: I was released 3 years early due to good behavior, but i thought i would never be able to live with myself now. and what was the point, melfi had released me i had no job prospects, no football team would take on a murderer surely.
2009: 8 years had been and gone and not one productive job, i decided to take my coaching badges and try and get a job in coaching, but even that would be difficult. I was on the verge of going back to leicester, when the A.S. Melfi chairman emailed me, it simply said "My office, tomorrow, noon."
I met up with the chairman who looked at me with a grin, "youve aged gianfranco" he said. and handed me a peice of paper. "Am i reading this correctly Mr.Maglione?" I said. He nodded, I signed the paper immediately. My second stint at A.S. Melfi was about to begin.
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