History

On October 10th, 1906 the Swiss merchant Hermann Hurry, along with some of his compatriots, founded the football section of the Sports Club Spezia. The activity was limited to challenges against formations of passing military.  The official birth of Spezia Football Club can be dated November 20th, 1911: it was a company formed with a regular organizational chart that had as first elected chairman Francesco Corio. Among the directors, with the position of treasurer, there was also Alberto Picco. As player and captain of the team, he took part in the first "official" friendly match of the team, Spezia-Virtus Juventusque Livorno, played on January 21st, 1912, and ended with a score of 2-2. He was the author of the first goal scored by Spezia. His career as a footballer was interrupted by the call to arms.
Alberto Picco took part in the First World War as second lieutenant in the Alpine corps, in the "Exilles" battalion, and died heroically in the conquest of Monte Nero, on the left bank of the Isonzo, above Caporetto, on June 16th, 1915, at only 21 years of age. Alberto Picco is considered, as well as Cesare Battisti, one of the most famous and glorious alpine soldiers. He was awarded of silver medal "motu proprio" by the King Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy after that, in only twenty days of war, he had already received two bronze medals. In 1919 Spezia enrolled for the first time in the Federation Championship, winning the Promotion Championship, and thus accessing the First Division. The stadium was equipped with an elegant and capable wooden grandstand in British style. In that championship, Spezia reached an honorable third place with 18 points, behind Andrea Doria and Genoa. In honor of Pro Vercelli, a great team of the time, the official color of the shirt changed from light blue to white with black shorts and socks. In occasion of the match between Spezia and Genoa in the 1922-23 season, after violent fights between the fans, the Alberto Picco stadium was disqualified for one year. That same year, on the pitch of Casal Monferrato, Spezia beat Juventus 1 - 0. In 1925 came the first relegation to the Second Division, but a great Checco Caiti brought Spezia back in the First Division the following year. In the championship of First Division, round A, 1928-29, the "Aquilotti" (definition coined by a journalist in 1913) gained the right to participate in the upcoming Serie B; at the end of that season, Spezia beat Parma in the final and won the title of Italian Champion of the First Division.