22-09-2016, 12:52
Sorry, I`ve just realised I didn`t finish the story about Salamanca; I sort of lost the will to live a bit at the end there.
I lodged with a family whilst I was there; the parents are long gone now, but they had several kids, on of whom - Paco - was about the same age and we got on like a house on fire. He was football-daft, like a lot of Spaniards, and would never miss a home game of UD Salamanca`s. He introduced me to them not long after I got there by taking me along to their crumbling old stadium, El Calvario (believe me, Saltergate was a palace in comparison) but assured me that they were about to move into a brand-new stadium just outside the city, El Helmantico. Sure enough, they did and we (me, him and about a half-dozen of his mates) went along to the the opening ceremony and inaugural match. It was officially opened by Juan Antonio Samaranch, the president of the IOC, followed by a match against Sporting Lisbon.
It was a beautiful little stadium that I called a 'mini Wembley'; capacity about 20,000, fully covered, way ahead of its time for a club like that. Anyway, as a result I got hooked on the club and went along with them all pretty much every week during my time there. They were all crazy about English football and I couldn`t tell them enough about it even then. Truth was, in some respects they were as knowledgeable about our game as I was! This was in 1970, remember. When I eventually came home, I kept in touch with Paco and followed Salamanca`s results for many years. I`ve been back a few times since and always tried to get in a game or two with Paco and his family (he`s got his own now). Similarly, they came over here and I took him to Saltergate. He was very polite; he tried not laugh. We still speak on the `phone occasionally and they`re still keen to discuss our football, just like they were.
UDS were a bit like Cardiff City or Charlton; spent most of their time in the lower leagues but had an occasional spell in the limelight. Sadly, however, they are no more and it breaks my heart. Really does.
http://backpagefootball.com/the-fall-and...nca/61352/
I tell that story to make 2 points;
1. That is what a 'broken' system looks like. A city of almost a quarter of a million people in a football-mad country like Spain has no football team; not even semi-professional. That beautiful little ground, only just over 40 years old, is decaying; weeds growing up through crumbling concrete. (And that story is not unique in Spain in recent years; far from it.) The locals are all desperate to get another club going but, as yet, no success. We should be grateful that we have a system that, so far at least, has stopped that happening.
2. We don`t need fancy marketing to make our football attractive and watchable to those outside these shores. The interest that the Spanish had in our football 40+ years ago hasn`t changed, by all accounts. Sorry, but we don`t need to inundate it with foreign players and foreign managers to make it marketable. That being so, Sky would still be able to turn a profit - and that`s why they put so much money into football - by selling the rights abroad and would still do so with English players and English managers.
This thread has been one of the most lively and interesting I`ve read for a while, but I`ve said enough now; I`m off to get a life.
Best wishes to all.
I lodged with a family whilst I was there; the parents are long gone now, but they had several kids, on of whom - Paco - was about the same age and we got on like a house on fire. He was football-daft, like a lot of Spaniards, and would never miss a home game of UD Salamanca`s. He introduced me to them not long after I got there by taking me along to their crumbling old stadium, El Calvario (believe me, Saltergate was a palace in comparison) but assured me that they were about to move into a brand-new stadium just outside the city, El Helmantico. Sure enough, they did and we (me, him and about a half-dozen of his mates) went along to the the opening ceremony and inaugural match. It was officially opened by Juan Antonio Samaranch, the president of the IOC, followed by a match against Sporting Lisbon.
It was a beautiful little stadium that I called a 'mini Wembley'; capacity about 20,000, fully covered, way ahead of its time for a club like that. Anyway, as a result I got hooked on the club and went along with them all pretty much every week during my time there. They were all crazy about English football and I couldn`t tell them enough about it even then. Truth was, in some respects they were as knowledgeable about our game as I was! This was in 1970, remember. When I eventually came home, I kept in touch with Paco and followed Salamanca`s results for many years. I`ve been back a few times since and always tried to get in a game or two with Paco and his family (he`s got his own now). Similarly, they came over here and I took him to Saltergate. He was very polite; he tried not laugh. We still speak on the `phone occasionally and they`re still keen to discuss our football, just like they were.
UDS were a bit like Cardiff City or Charlton; spent most of their time in the lower leagues but had an occasional spell in the limelight. Sadly, however, they are no more and it breaks my heart. Really does.
http://backpagefootball.com/the-fall-and...nca/61352/
I tell that story to make 2 points;
1. That is what a 'broken' system looks like. A city of almost a quarter of a million people in a football-mad country like Spain has no football team; not even semi-professional. That beautiful little ground, only just over 40 years old, is decaying; weeds growing up through crumbling concrete. (And that story is not unique in Spain in recent years; far from it.) The locals are all desperate to get another club going but, as yet, no success. We should be grateful that we have a system that, so far at least, has stopped that happening.
2. We don`t need fancy marketing to make our football attractive and watchable to those outside these shores. The interest that the Spanish had in our football 40+ years ago hasn`t changed, by all accounts. Sorry, but we don`t need to inundate it with foreign players and foreign managers to make it marketable. That being so, Sky would still be able to turn a profit - and that`s why they put so much money into football - by selling the rights abroad and would still do so with English players and English managers.
This thread has been one of the most lively and interesting I`ve read for a while, but I`ve said enough now; I`m off to get a life.
Best wishes to all.