‘Cause we made a promise we swore we’d always remember No retreat, baby, no surrender, Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend, No retreat, baby, no surrender’.
I’m almost certain that Bruce Springsteen wasn’t thinking about the Curva Nord Milano when he crafted this booming chorus for the track ‘No Surrender’. However, each time I begin the seemingly never ending trek to reach my regular spot on this iconic terrace, these are the lyrics that swirl around in my head. As I discussed in my previous editorial, being able to see Inter play at the Meazza last season was the realisation of a dream but in reality ‘the dream’ was only just beginning.
In a city of aesthetically pleasing structures, the Giuseppe Meazza is probably best described an as an eyesore. Whilst being grand in its proportions, it carries very little of the architectural delights that can be found elsewhere in Milano. The truth for a supporter of Inter is a little different; when I arrived at this gigantic structure it might as well have been The Colosseum in Rome or the Taj Mahal in India. Never has the saying ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ rang so true as the moment you stand outside Ingresso 1 (entrance 1) of the Meazza.
After making your way up what seems like a thousand steps you are not greeted with an array of fast food outlets or plush merchandise stands. In fact the first thing that hits you is either the smell of coffee from a very small drinks counter or the stench of a) the toilets b) the Sambuca or c) the smoke coming from people or the flares which many Ultras take great delight in setting off before, during and after the game. Now to some this is sounding like a nightmare but soon it’s just a part of your visit and by your second or third trip you’ll acclimatise. Now the fun part:
I often think a sign should be placed on each entrance ‘Welcome to the Wild West’ or maybe ‘Survival of the fittest’. This, as the famous film quote states ‘Is not Kansas Dorothy’. As you emerge from the concourse your heart will start booming and it doesn’t matter how many times you return, that first glimpse of the pitch and stadium will leave you virtually breathless. It truly should be on everyone’s bucket list. I usually head to the back and in the corner, which gives a perfect view and still gives the atmosphere (which is why you came here anyway right?). After navigating the steps, surviving the toilets, peering through the smoke you can now take your seat (any seat, this isn’t a restaurant and your ticket number means nothing!). When I say ‘take your seat’, I should actually rephrase it to ‘Stand on your seat’ because that’s the only way you’re going to see any of the action up here.
Here comes the magic, it begins with the Nerazzurri taking the field to the sound of C’e Solo Inter and won’t end until long after the final whistle. ‘It’ is the noise and support from the Curva Nord, a constant chorus of songs, chants and firecrackers to help our boys to another win. It won’t stop if the opposition score and the longer Inter take to score the louder you and your ‘brothers’ will become. You will sing until your throat can’t take anymore, you will jump up and down until you feel like Mike Tyson has just taken you ten rounds, you will be a part of something that is so adrenaline filled that Sky diving from outer space would have a tough time supplying this high. When we score? The emotion you will feel is so electric that you’ll want to bottle it, frame it and remember it for the rest of your Inter supporting life.
You are now part of something; you stand with people who want the same thing you do. Collectively you provide the voice of Inter while the players fight for your colours on the field. You will sing songs of support, songs to deflate the opposition, songs to defend your club and colours against your biggest rivals. This is the Curva Nord, This is Inter, and this for me is football. Finally let’s return to where we started this story, with Bruce Springsteen:
‘Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend, No retreat, baby, no surrender’
