From Campo Testaccio to the Olimpico: the long love story of a fan who predates Roma

It is another story in which the sense of belonging that binds Roma and its fans shines through.

Born prior to the foundation of the club, Alessandro Paoloni was a keen Romanista from day one and passed down his passion for the two iconic colours to generations to come. He still refers to the club as ‘my Rome’, while clutching a flag hand-sewn by his wife many years ago.

Alessandro is 99-years-old. Born on 24 January 1926, a year and a half before Associazione Sportiva Roma was founded, he helped foster a nascent sense of Romanismo. It was a spark, a love at first sight: "I lived on Via Vicenza, and when I was eight or nine me and my friends would go to Campo Testaccio. We’d take tram number 5." He attended Istituto San Leone Magno, and one of his classmates was future Roma president Franco Sensi, who was also born in 1926.

Images from a bygone era: the Campo Testaccio stands made of wood, painted yellow and red. "Often small fires would flare up in the stands because the fans smoked. The referee would be forced to suspend the match to allow firefighters to put them out."

This Roma side, featuring the iconic trio of Guido Masetti, Eraldo Monzeglio and Andrea Gadaldi, made history. The club’s first goalkeeper "had a bar in Largo di Torre Argentina where we fans often went" and Alessandro still remembers his ritual when he came on the pitch: "He would head over to the goal, kick the left post and then, dragging his leg along the goal line, he would also kick the right post."

From Campo Testaccio to the Olimpico, with a brief spell at the Stadio Flaminio, Alessandro's passion remains intact. On 17 November 1963 his wife was due to give birth to their daughter Corinna. At 14:30 he went to the stadium, saw Roma beat Torino 3-0 ( Picchio De Sisti scored that day) and then returned to the hospital in time to witness the birth of his daughter. "Had I not my wife would never have forgiven me!," Alessandro recalls.

Roma are the cornerstone of Alessandro’s life, and his family’s as well. They would follow Roma's training camps as part of their holidays, and in August 1964 they went to Abbadia San Salvatore, where Francesco Marini Dettina often took the team for pre-season preparations. "After training our German player [Karl-Heinz] Schnellinger took my daughter in his arms."

And of course, Corinna would go on to become a fan of the Giallorossi. Dario - Alessandro’s grandson - would follow in their footsteps. He is a season ticket holder in the Curva Sud, attended recent European finals in Tirana and Budapest, and alongside his grandfather sings present and past chants: "My dear Roma, you’ll beat every big team, you’ll dominate the game!." A few years ago they paid a visit to the entrance to Campo Testaccio: "I was really happy here," commented a wistful Alessandro.