AD Malaka (Spain)

Asociaciòn Deportiva Malaka Club de Fútbol, to give Malaka their full name, is a football club formed in 1977, which is located in the Haza Cuevas district of the Spanish Andalusian city of Málaga.

There is little known about the early history of the club. It is presumed that they started out life in local competition before finishing in third place in the 2ª Andaluza Senior in the 2008-09 season.

A victorious play-off campaign for the team from Campo Malaka saw promotion to Primera Andaluza, where the club were placed in Grupo 3, finishing the season in fifth spot just outside the play-offs at the completion of the 2019-10 campaign.

This was backed up with a third place finish and another play-off slot the following season. However, the 2011-12 season was a huge contrast as Malaka finished bottom of the table and were relegated.

2012-13 was a season of consolidation before Malaka made strides in 2013-14, finishing in third place to get another shot at the play-offs, which didn’t materialise into promotion. However, they weren’t to be denied twelve months later.

The following campaign saw Malaka crowned as 2ª Andaluza Senior champions to win promotion and be placed in Grupo 3 of 1ª Andaluza Senior, where the team finished in tenth place in their debut season of 2015-16.

The competition was reduced to one group in 2016-17, with Malaka claiming another league title. The achievement was rewarded with promotion to Grupo 2 of División Honor Senior, where the side finished in a creditable seventh place.

In 2018-19 Malaka ended the season in thirteenth place under head coach Goerges Lovis in one of the many fifth tier regional divisions around Spain.

AD Malaka CF will play in División Honor Senior Andaluza in the 2019-20 season.

My visit

Sunday 6th January 2019

I’d wanted to visited Andalusia for some time; most notably Seville but Málaga was also on my radar after reading and hearing good reviews about the city. I didn’t need much persuading with a week off work and cold weather a high possibility in the UK.

It was also the Epiphany Bank Holiday meaning that games in the third and fourth tier would be played on the Monday, which fitted perfectly into my plans. I was most happy when the Málaga game against Reuss was arranged for an 7pm Sunday night kick off.

As ever I’d done some research before departure and scanned Google Maps thoroughly to try and find any other decent venues or clubs of stature in my destination city. I was therefore chuffed to bits to find AD Malaka, for more than one reason.

Another of my great passions and hobbies is partaking in and assisting in the running of sixes cricket competitions, particularly in South East Asia. A regular team is Ios Malakas, which was originally formed on the Greek island of Ios.

They are a fantastic group of people; who enjoy their fun cricket but their socialising far more. Indeed, they title themselves as Malakas, as translated in Greek it means a group of ne’r do wells. They definitely don’t take themselves too seriously. They’re a great bunch.

A few months earlier, the cricketing Malakas lost their spiritual leader, a man called Terry Skillett. Terry was a good mate and colleague at the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes. He shared many a laugh; some of my travelling tales included.

Once I found a football club called Malaka, I just had to investigate and visit. Once I’d made my way into the city and touched base at my well-appointed Apartamentos Marques De La Merced, it was time for a wander.

The city of Málaga was proving as pretty as I’d envisaged. I made my way through the streets to Paseo del Parque, where I managed to locate the correct stop for a number 14 bus to Avda. Herrera Oria.

I’d even planned by saving some small change for return tickets. At this point I should add that for some reason my IPhone wasn’t functioning properly. I had free data roaming, but it wasn’t offering me that service for some reason.

This limited me when I could have done with the Map App. That is my excuse anyway. I romped confidently up Calle Virgen de las Flores looking to the left and wondering how I’d see over the imposing wall into the ground and hoping that a gate was open.

Turning left into Calle Argentea I saw an open gate, but it looked like it was into some kind of college? I continued without any sign of a football ground. Perhaps it was down a small lane further up? Near the top of the street I could spot some floodlights on the left. Was this it?

I certainly didn’t remember it being that far away when I checked, although I had been wrong in the past. My Map App was about as handy as giving me directions in Spanish; that would have if I could see the screen properly in the bright sunlight.

It transpired that the floodlights belonged to a local athletics stadium, with an adjacent hockey club. Never mind. Perhaps Malaka’s entrance was on the road I alighted from the bus only I missed the entrance?

It wasn’t on Av. del Obispo Angel Herrera Oria either. I’d even gone up a side street believing I may have been near. The local street dogs didn’t seem to appreciate my efforts. I was all for giving up. I then looked up and couldn’t believe my eyes.

All the time I looked to the left on my previous lap on Calle Virgen de las Flores I failed to peek across the road. There as bold as brass was a gate with the Malaka club logo emblazoned on it.

I’m not sure if my old mate was looking down, but it was like Terry was having fun directing me with his own remote control. He would have been shaking his head and offering some choice words for sure!

Eventually, I found the main gate. As luck would have it, it was closed and there was no sign of life; this being the Christmas break for clubs of such status. I had hoped that perhaps they’d be having a social gathering or a friendly game, but it was not to be.

Fortunately, I could get a glimpse inside of a tidy if basic arena with an artificial playing surface and a couple of basic covers on the road side. Opposite were the changing and club facilities.

Once I got as many shots as possible, I headed back to the hotel via a different route as I tried to take in as much of the city as possible in daylight. There was time for food and a quick nap before the evening’s football and socialising.

God bless Terry Skillett and Malakas of Málaga and the Ios cricket gang alike.