Johnny Moscardini

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Johnny Moscardini (1897, Falkirk, Scotland - 1985, Prestwick) was an international footballer for Italy.

Johnny Moscardini was the son of one of three brothers who left the town of Barga in Tuscany to establish fish-and-chip and ice-cream cafes in Scotland. The local football stadium in Barga is named in honour of Moscardini, and each summer the town holds a fish and chip festival there to celebrate the many "Barghigiani" who emigrated from the area to seek fame and fortune elsewhere.^[1]

He was born in Falkirk, Scotland, but as he had dual nationality he was called up for the Italian army in World War One and was wounded in battle. He convalesced in Sicily where he resumed playing football and on returning to Barga was signed by Lucchese, a leading Tuscan side,and played, later, for Genoa on a tour of South America, and for Pisa. He was capped nine times for Italy between 1921-25 and scored seven goals. His last major game was against France when the Azzurri trounced the French national side 7:0 with Moscardini scoring two goals.

By this time his father, who had set out with his brothers from Sammocolonia in 1872 to set up business in Scotland, had been so astute in his dealings that he was able to retire to his villa in the Largo Roma in 1925. Because footballers were unpaid in those days, and having just married, Johnny, like many of his contemporaries, had to seek a living abroad. The opportunity arose to manage an uncle's shop in Campbeltown in the same year and within two years he was able to establish his own business in Prestwick where he lived until he died in 1985 at the age of 88. The only team he ever turned out for in Scotland was Campbeltown Old Boys.

In Barga Johnny Moscardini is the only 'local' to have played for Italy and more importantly, for the Scots, he is the only Scotsman ever to have played for Italy - he was, indeed, the "Scottish Azzurro".

You can find out more about Barga and Johnny Moscardini on the Barga News website[http://www.barganews.com/bargafc/johnny_moscardini.html and for an authentic account of his life look at Willie Johnston's interview with Johnny's son for BBC Reporting Scotland (see Google - Falkirk Videos)

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