CD Santurtzi (Spain)

CD Santurtzi

Ground: Estadio San Jorge

Capacity: 2,000

Club Founded: 1952

League: Tercera Federación - 5th Tier (current level)

One of the many clubs in the Basque Country with a fine stadium and passionate community support, CD Santurtzi nestle in the hills along the valley from Bilbao.

Club Background

Club Deportivo Santurtzi Kirol Elkartea, to give them their full title, isn't the first football club to represent the town of Santurtzi. In April 1921, a group of athletes put together the formidable Sparta Club. The club was dissolved at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

CD Santurtzi gradually progressed through regional football before being promoted from División de Honor de Vizcaya to the Tercera División in 1961-62. The team was relegated before the end of the decade. They won promotion again in the mid-70s before going down a level a season later.

In 1967-68, the team was relegated back to the División de Honor; where Santurtzi remained until 1974-75, when the team won promotion once again. However, within twelve months, they were back at the regional level.

Santurtzi won the Grupo III title in 1983-84 but missed out on promotion through the play-offs after a defeat to CD Ourense. In the late 80s, the team won the Grupo IV championship and were promoted to the third-tier Segunda División B. The team retained their status for four seasons.

‘Los Morodos’, ‘The Purple Ones’, failed to establish themselves properly back in the Tercera División and were relegated at the turn of the millennium under head coach Meltxor Sainz. This was while the club's San Jorge home was redeveloped, with home games being played at alternative venues. 

The club regrouped after a few seasons under manager Txus Gojenuri, winning promotion back to the fourth tier in 2004-05 by ten clear points. Six seasons later, Santurtzi went back down before lifting the league title a few years later thanks to Cristian Bonilla's goals.

Mid-table finishes ensued before the Spanish league system was restructured during the 2020-21 season. Santurtzi's performances saw them placed in the sixth-tier División de Honor Vazcaya the following campaign, where they came close to promotion for a couple of seasons.

The league title was won by head coach Miguel Romillo and his team in 2023-24, leading to promotion to the fifth tier, Tercera Federación. The team consolidated, assisted by Ander Castillo's goals.

My visit

Friday 24th February 2017

My legs and feet were feeling the effects of a full afternoon’s walking and adventure while carrying my rucksack on the first day of my long weekend around Bilbao. I’d been on the other side of the hill near Kabiezes Metro station to visit the venues of Gazteak CF and Peña Athletic Santurtzi.

Down in the dip, I nearly succumbed to a bar with a Santurtzi fixture poster in its window, but I knew I had a job to do before any beer. I’m glad that I made the effort despite the steep walk up Pajares Kalea.

It hadn’t been my day regarding stadiums being open, and once again, I was met by a locked gate. However, my stubborn streak kicked in, and I was not about to be beaten at the final hurdle. A huge grass bank continued over the road from the stadium. 

I climbed it and got some decent snaps of the Main Stand and far end, but I was determined to find more. I headed down the road behind the stand, climbed a bank to the far end of the stadium, and hey presto, I was by a wire fence offering me excellent views.

Estadio San Jorge was a fine arena with its raised seated Main Stand running along the full length of the pitch and a decent section of open terracing built into the hill. The other two sides had small sections of open standing around the artificial playing surface.

Once done, I strolled back down the hill in great form to grab some rehydration before taking the Metro all the way back to the city so that I could check into my excellent room at the Hostal Begoña for a clean-up and rest before heading out for the evening.

Bilbao turned out to be far more beautiful and interesting than I could ever have imagined. It is a city I recommend to anyone, but especially football fans who love bars and nibbles!