History of ACR Messina

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

G.S. Garibaldi

The earthquake of 1908, which killed 60,000 people in Messina; affected the club in a large manner; Deaths included Charles Bousfield Huleatt, players Frank John Carter, Walter Oates and financial backer George H. Peirce.

Football resumed in Messina during the following year; thanks largely to Arthur Barret Lascelles who used money from his own pocket to ensure football activity in the city would continue. By 1910 the funds of Barret had dried up and the club was folded, Società Ginnastica Garibaldi Messina (Gymnastic Society Garibaldi Messina) briefly took its place until it too was dissolved due to the

After World War I, a club under the name U.S. Messinese was founded and entered to play in the Coppa Federale Siciliana the following year; an all Sicilian championship disputed in Messina, Catania and Palermo. Messina finished as runners-up.

The club participated in the Italian Football Championship of

This coincided with unifications in Messina. Another side Umberto Messina was incorporated into U.S. Messinese, and thus the club changed its name to U.S. Messinese Umberto in October 1922. The following month this new side was fused again, this time with Messina Sporting Club; creating the Messina Football Club. The club's football ground was that of the Citadel "Enzo Geraci". Only two years later in December 1924 FC Messina was melted, and the players became part of the reformed U.S. Messinese.^[8]

Finally, Messinese qualified for the semi-finals of the International league, after beating Palermo 3–0 in the Sicilian championship of

The following season, Messina was truly humbled by Palermo, who beat them 7–1 over two legs, for the Sicilian championship. Messina however, was still admitted to the semi-finals, but with similar results to the previous year. After the re-organisation of 1926, Messina was entered into the

Messina remained in the league for six seasons, finishing as high as 4th during the 1935–36 season. The spell in

A.C. Messina: numerous mergings

Down in Serie C, AC Messina were withdrawn and folded during 1940–41. The following season in 1941-42 a club named US Peloro 1906 changed its name and became US Mario Passamonte (named after a fallen hero of the war in Africa). The idea was to enter the club into Serie C in place of Messina, however this was unsuccessful, until the following season.

It would not be long before all activity was halted in

The 1950s for Messina began in glorious fashion, they were crowned champions of Serie C under the management of Yugoslavian manager Mihaly Balacics. Messina did not falter in Serie B, during their first season in the league they avoided relegation. Giuseppe Melazzo and the Comitato Reggenza owned the club during this new period of relative success. During the following season, Messina finished 3rd. This period was also notable in

Throughout the rest of the 1950s, Messina remained in the division as a whole finishing in a respectful position. Goffredo Muglia took over as president in 1958 to begin a brand new era for the club. For the first time in their history, Messina were crowned champions of

For their first ever season in

The next season for the club in Serie A would not be so fortunate, they were relegated in 17th place. Some notable high points of the season included a 1–0 victory over

Decline

The Sicilian side were not able to bounce straight back up into Serie A, and in fact during their third season back down in Serie B were relegated. It was a cruel way to be relegated for the club, as three teams who survived (

After several seasons finishing in and around the top 10 positions of

1980s revival with Schillaci

By 1983 Messina were champions of

In 1993 it was included to Sicilian Promozione and in 1994 it was admitted in Sicilian Eccellenza. In this league the club has played until 1998 when following the relegation in Sicilian Promozione was dissolved.

A.S. Messina

The decision was thought to be unjust by the club and fans, with Messina been thrown into a footballing abyss never known before. In the summer 1993 A.S. Messina was founded with the president Pietro La Malfa, beginning in the amateurs national championship (C.N.D.) with the objective to bring back the giallorossi to professional football.

They played in the Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti for four seasons, finishing high up for the first three of them, but in the season 1996-97 it was ranked last and relegated to the Sicilian Eccellenza league.

In the season 1998-99 it was relegated to Sicilian Promozione and was dissolved.

From U.S. Peloro to F.C. Messina Peloro

In the summer 1994 after the merger of Villafranca and Tremestieri U.S. Peloro was founded. It plays two season in Sicilian Eccellenza and in 1996 it was promoted to Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti. Then in the 1996 season the club has played in the same league of the town's other team A.S. Messina, where it was ranked 6th.

In July 1997 the club has changed its name to Football Club Messina Peloro. Emanuele Aliotta was the new chairman of Messina Peloro and in a few short seasons, the club ramped up the Italian league system. Stating with Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti in the 1997–98 season, Messina were promoted into

After two seasons in B, a new chairman took over at Messina: Pietro Franza. The 2003–04 season saw the Sicilian side gain promotion back into Serie A under coach Bortolo Mutti. Six sides from Serie B were promoted that season. The club had not since 1965 appeared in the top Italian league, a total of forty years.

Serie A: Messina at height

After being tipped as

Messina started the 2006–07 season with Bruno Giordano as head coach; however, he was replaced on January 30, 2007, by Alberto Cavasin because of poor results. On April 2, following a 2–0 away defeat to Cagliari Calcio, another team involved in the battle to avoid relegation, Cavasin was sacked too, and Giordano was recalled to fill the coaching position. Giordano made even worse in his second time at Messina, with four defeats in four matches; with Messina second-last placed in the table five matchdays prior to the end of the season, Giordano was sacked again on April 23 and replaced by Bruno Bolchi.

A notable achievement for Messina so far this season, was reaching the last 16 of the

The

Starting in the summer of 2014, the new name of the club was Associazioni Calcio Riunite Messina 1947.^[citation needed] In the 2014–15 season, the club was relegated to Serie D, but it was readmitted to Lega Pro for involvement in sporting fraud. Since the summer of 2015, the new owner and president is Natale Stracuzzi. The club failed to submit its surety by the 5 July 2017 deadline^[13] and was expelled by Lega Pro.^[14] A successor club, A.C.R. Messina was admitted to the 2017–18 Serie D.^[15]

References