The amazing life of the only Darlington-born footballer to play in the World Cup finals

The club were paying “l’ultimo salute” to the legendary captain, Giuseppe “Pino” Wilson, who had led Lazio to their first ever “scudetto”, or championship, in 1974. He died, suddenly, in early March of a stroke at the age of 76, and the club was marking his place in history.

Giuseppe “Pino” Wilson, or Joseph as he was known in Darlington

He also has a unique place in the history of his birthplace of Darlington: the only person to be born in the town and play in the football World Cup finals.

“That’s great,” he told Memories eight years ago when we informed him of his great claim to Darlington fame.

He was speaking on a mobile phone as his chauffeur drove him through Rome to the TV studios where he was to commentate on the opening match of the 2014 World Cup, Brazil versus Croatia.

It was a difficult conversation: the line crackled in and out, and he apologised for his broken English, saying: “I just remember what I study in school.” It was not helped by Memories’ “totale mancanza di Italiano” – a complete lack of a single word of Italian.

He was born Joseph Wilson on October 27, 1945, in Arnold Road (above), off Hundens Lane – “you know more than me”, he laughed as we explained how it was famous for its 1824 farmer’s tunnel beneath the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

His father, Dennis, worked for Darlington Forge until being sent overseas to fight in the Second World War, where he met Lina D’Francesca in Italy and brought her back to Darlington to get married.

“My father was the friend of the brother of my mum and their meeting is in Naples – I never asked them any more,” said Guiseppe. “My grandfather was director of music in a band and my grandmother, Elizabeth, is I think an ordinary woman.”

The Darlington winter of 1945-46 proved too gruelling for the young mum who had grown up in the warmth of Naples, and so the three of them, waved off by Dennis’ family at Bank Top station, went to Italy to start a new life.

“I don’t know exactly the reason why my mum decided to come back, but the climate, the weather, and my father got a job as a supervisor at a Nato base – there were a few reasons,” he said.

Young Joe grew up in Naples, and quickly caught the eye of the local professional football team, Internapoli. His mother, though, insisted he finished his law degree first – until top-division Lazio, of Rome, became interested in him.

This was the big time, and he was already being spoken of as a potential international player. But, if he were to represent Italy, he had to become an Italian citizen, and to get that, he had to do 15 months’ national service.

He took the plunge – and fully immersed himself, changing his name from a very Darlington Joseph to an Italian-sounding Giuseppe, but known as Pino.

Lazio in the early 1970s, with captain Pino Wilson seated third from the right. Standing second from left is Giorgia Chinaglia, with whom Pino also played for Italy and New York Cosmos

He moved to Lazio – the club where Paul Gascoigne made his name in the 1980s – in 1969, aged 24. A central defender, he was only 5ft 6in tall, but he was strong. He was an elegant yet physical player, and with a deep tan and bushy sideburns, the Darlo lad looked every inch a typical Italian defender. He was classy but clinical, and perhaps cynical.

He stuck with Lazio when, in 1970-71, his second season, they were relegated to Serie B – the second division.

He was installed as captain and led them back to Serie A at the first attempt, and then, surprisingly, to challenge Juventus and Milan for the 1972-73 Scudetto – the championship. The spine of the Lazio team consisted of Pino as the sweeper at the back, Luciano Re Cecconi in midfield and Giorgio Chinaglia up front, and the manager was Tommaso Maestrelli, “the maestro”.

In 1973-74, Pino led Lazio, founded in 1900, to their first ever title, assuring him a place in the fans’ hearts – he was their “capitano”.

Capitano Wilson with the 1974 scudetto (championship) trophy and Lazio president Umberto Lenzini

Lazio, though, were not everybody’s favourites. Italian football of the era was violent and Lazio were among the worst perpetrators. There were ugly scenes when they played Arsenal and Bobby Robson’s Ipswich Town in European cup matches – one report said that Wilson was “a player Ipswich will not forget” – which resulted in Lazio being banned from Europe for a year.

Giuseppe memorabilia prepared for his loyal fans

Belatedly, at the age of 28, Pino was selected for Italy. He sat on the bench in Turin for a friendly against an England side which included Peter Shilton and Bobby Moore – Italy recorded their first win against England for 40 years and Pino seemed to describe it as the best game of his life, even though he didn’t play – and then he made his debut in a friendly in January 1974 against West Germany.

“I was against Beckenbauer, Muller and Scharwzenbeck,” he said.

West Germany hosted that year’s World Cup, and Pino was given the Italian number 15 shirt. Italy were one of the favourites, their squad packed with players who are still renowned to this day: there was Dino Zoff, one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time; the captain was Giacinto Facchetti, the first great attacking full-back; at the back was Romeo Benetti, the tough-tackling sweeper who practically invented the catenaccio system that dominated world football for a decade; and up front there was Gigi Riva, who was nicknamed “Rombo di Tuono” – “the Roar of Thunder”. He remains Italy’s leading scorer.

Giuseppe Wilson was a no-nonsense sweeper who also had the skill to set Lazio on the attack

Pino sat out the opening 3-1 win over Haiti but, with 20 minutes to go, Pino’s Lazio teammate, Chinaglia, was acrimoniously substituted, and as he passed the manager, Ferruccio Valcareggi, he flicked a rude gesture at him – “il vaffanculo”, as they say in Italian which was very naughty indeed.

The Italian squad fractured, and never recovered.

Pino was called into action in the second game, a creditable 1-1 draw against Argentina, but in the final group game he couldn’t prevent Poland winning 2-1. Italy were eliminated, much to the dismay of an unforgiving Italian public.

Pino’s international career was over, but he stayed another five seasons at Lazio, becoming the club’s most capped player and cementing his place in the fans’ hearts. His 2014 biography was called “Pino Wilson – True Captain of Yesteryear”, which captured his standing well.

Pino spent the twilight of his career in the late 1970s playing for star-studded New York Comos in the US, but, after his true Darlingtonian father Dennis died in Italy in 1979, he returned to Lazio.

However, in 1980, he was arrested as he left the pitch as part of the “totonero” match-fixing scandal that brought down many leading players and clubs. He was banned from playing for three years, so his career ended in ignominy.

However, he rehabilitated himself as a TV pundit for RAI, the Italian equivalent of the BBC.

Giuseppe Wilson became a renowned TV pundit in Italy

When Memories caught up with him in his chauffeur-driven car in 2014, he said he had never been back to Darlington since the day he left Bank Top as a baby to escape the bitter winters.

“I played with Lazio against Sunderland and Newcastle, so I have been near,” he said. “I would like to come.”

He was, though, he said, still in touch with a cousin, Ian Wilson, who was the only family he was aware of in Darlington.

He died on March 6, aged 76. Lazio tweeted a simple message “Capitano” with a sky blue love heart beside it.

His coffin was taken to lie in Rome’s city hall on the Capitoline Hill, and he was buried in a mausoleum alongside Maestrelli and Chinaglia – the great defender and captain had joined the manager and the striker from Lazio’s first title-winning team.

In 2014, our interview ended as Pino approached his TV studio after half-an-hour in which he had battled patiently with the flickering mobile signal and a wide language gulf.

“I like to remember Darlington first of all for my father,” he said. “He was very important for me. My father will be happy that this conversation took place.”

Pino Wilson – Vero Capitano d’altri Tempi, the official biography written by Vincenzo Di Michele was available on Amazon yesterday for £10.81, but it is in Italian.