A.S. Martina Franca 1947

A.S. Martina was founded on 5 January 1947, by Giuseppe Domenico Tursi, a trailblazer for football in Martina Franca. Tursi built the town's first football pitch and served as both coach and club director, supported by local figures including lawyer Giovanni Serio, then-mayor Motolese, and Pierino Marinosci. The club played its first official match on 24 November, drawing 1–1 against Grottaglie. Campobasso scored the historic first goal for Martina in the 44th minute, converting a penalty. After competing in local tournaments, Martina entered the regional Prima Divisione in the 1947–48 season. The club adopted white and sky blue as its official colors and chose a rearing horse as its symbol—a nod to its fighting spirit. For many years, Martina remained in the lower leagues. In 1970, under president Benito Semeraro, the team achieved its first professional promotion by winning the Serie D title. That season was highlighted by player-coach Biagio Catalano, goalkeeper De Iaco and nd a young Mario Laudisa, who would go on to become a club legend with 426 appearances. The club held its own the following year, finishing 11th, but suffered relegation in 1972. What followed was a period of ups and downs: a drop to Promozione in 1974–75, then a quick return to Serie D. In 1980, Martina earned promotion to Serie C2 after a dramatic penalty shootout win against Pro Vasto in a playoff held in Nocera Inferiore. The club's momentum continued into the 1985–86 season, when it secured…