The town of La Unión in the Spanish region of Murcia is just three miles up the road from Llano del Beal, the home of football club Deportiva Minera who I went to watch last week (see Loopy Linares Rides Again). It is an earthy town with a strong mining heritage but now perhaps better known for its annual international festival Cante de las Minas (songs of the mines) celebrating flamenco gypsy culture. Perhaps unusually for a town of its size - population around 21,000 - it does not appear to have any sort of football heritage.
Seventy miles away, Caravaca CF was founded in 1969 but went bust in 2011. Its place in the Spanish football pyramid was bought out and the new club moved the seventy miles to La Unión and renamed CF La Unión. Fans of Caravaca CF were none too pleased with this development and complained to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RSFF). The new club played one season of football before being doubly relegated by the RSFF for non-payment of of players wages and the club subsequently folded.
Torre Pacheco Fútbol Club Pinatar was founded in 2010, taking the place of CD Dolores Torre Pacheco in the pyramid, basing itself in nearby San Pedro de Pinatar. In 2018 in an attempt to consolidate the future of the club it moved twenty miles down the road to La Unión and renamed FC La Unión Atletíco. Six years later and it is still going strong. The club achieved promotion to the Segunda Federación in 2023 and now competes in Group 4 alongside near-neighbour Deportiva Minera.
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The surrounding hillsides leave no one in any doubt as to the town's mining heritage. |
Today, FC La Unión Atletíco were at home to San Fernando Club Deportivo Isleño from the town of San Fernando in Cádiz, a mere three hundred and ninety miles away. This was gameweek 7 and both clubs had enjoyed reasonable starts to the season with nine points and eight points garnered respectively. Admission to the ground was €15 and the bar provided me with a typical Spanish breakfast of tostado con tomate and a small beer at a cost of €1.80. Well, it was an 11.30 a.m. kick-off.
Despite the distances involved, there was a fair little smattering of San Fernando supporters in the modest crowd of, I would hazard a guess, around two hundred and fifty. Judging by the high pitched vocals of the occasional chanting from the away fans, it may be that many were wives, girlfriends and children of the away team players. All credit to them anyway in making the long journey in support of their team, husbands, boyfriends and fathers.Yesterday I attended a La Liga 2 fixture between FC Cartagena and Racing Ferrol, notable only for the fact that both teams deserved to lose. Today was better, not fantastically so, but at least I didn't have to wait until the 90th minute before anything of any note happened. Today's match was fairly even throughout with not too many chances created although lots of endeavour, lots of misplaced passes and some welcome hoof-ball from time to time.
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The La Unión drummer keeps a respectful distance from the rest of the crowd. An ambulance is kept close by for protection from cardiac strain or irate fellow supporter. |
La Unión were the more dangerous team in the second half with no.14 Karim El Kounni particularly catching the eye on the left hand side as the home team began to present an attacking threat. However, San Fernando were awarded a penalty in the 70th minute for a dubious hand ball but La Unión keeper Jose Salcedo dived low to his left to make the save. Seven minutes later, it was La Unión's turn following a clear foul in the box by San Fernando keeper Ángel de la Calzada.
Can you hear the drums Fernando?
Substitute Javi Pedroza, on the pitch for only twelve minutes, stepped up to score the only goal of the game.
As with all football clubs at whatever level, there is no doubt that FC La Unión Atletíco will have their share of players, officials and volunteers all working hard for the betterment of the club and this is one of the things I love about football. But despite the fact that they play in blue and white stripes, I think I would have to work very hard to develop real affection for this club. It has set down roots in La Unión but it is yet to become La Unión.
Next week, the club faces local rival Deportiva Minera in Llano del Beal. I am not sure if I will be able to attend but - and it pains me to say this - I may be wearing red if I do go. However, between them, FC La Unión Atletíco and San Fernando Club Deportivo Isleño served up some passable football fayre today so let's hope that both clubs go on to have successful seasons.