History of A.C.R. Messina

Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is the top football club in Messina and among the major ones in Sicily. It currently plays in Serie D. Its colors are yellow and red.

The club's history begun in 1900, when the club was founded under the denomination of Messina Football Club, and spanned until the most recent successes, with a total of four Serie A campaign, three of them being in the 2000s.

The club was refounded a number of times, more recently in 2009 as A.C. Rinascita Messina and has played in all the Italian professional leagues from Serie A, the first time as A.C. Riunite Messina to Serie C2 in different times, but also in amateur leagues Serie D and Eccellenza following the most recent club disbandment.

The history of Messina Football Club began when Alfredo Marangolo returned to Sicily in August 1900 from studying in London, England. In Great Britain the game of football was fast gathering popularity with The Football League in its early stages.

Messina Football Club was officially founded on 1 December 1900 by Marangolo with the help of Anglican reverend "Caulifield". The first club manager and captain was a man named F. L. Padgett, who stayed only for a year and Messina played their home games at San Ranieri.

The staff foundations of the Messina football organization, was composed of 9 Englishmen, 4 Italians, 2 Swiss-Danish, 1 American and 1 German, including;

At the college where Marangolo visited he had also made the acquaintance of Ignazio Majo Pagano who formed Anglo Palermitan (Palermo) on his return, only a month before Messina. Indeed, the first Sicilian derby was held between Messina and Palermo on 18 April 1901, 1000 fans turned out to Via Notarbartolo in support their respective club for the match. The game ended 3-2 to the Palermitan side. After the match, the two club celebrated the arrival of football in Sicily in a cordial fashion with a banquet thrown at the Hotel Milano. The press at the time noted the good sportsmanship and fair play between the clubs.

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