Tim Parks wrote his cult classic about Hellas Verona two decades ago. Where are the characters in the book now?
By Rick Hough for The Gentleman Ultra
A Season with Verona, the cult classic by Tim Parks, charted the highs and lows of a year spent following Hellas Verona, an unfashionable provincial club who were struggling for survival in Serie A. Of course, the book is far more than
Football. It delves into the very essence of being a fan, while seamlessly exploring Italian history, politics, culture and society. This year marks the 20th anniversary of that epic season, so what better time reflect on an incredible story and a great book.
Hellas had a decent start to the 2000-01 season, losing just one of their first six games, but their form dipped badly as autumn turned to winter and they drifted ominously towards the bottom of the table. They fought back in spring and the season reached a dramatic climax that included a 5-4 victory at home to Bologna, a miraculous last-minute victory at Parma, and a win against Perugia on the last day of the season that set up a nail-biting two-legged relegation play-off against Reggina. I won’t spoil the story by revealing the result, but there was no shortage of drama.