CD El Palo (Spain)

Centro de Deportes El Palo is a football club formed in 1971 based in the El Palo district of Málaga in the Spanish region of Andalusia. The club play at the Campo De Fútbol San Ignacio.

El Palo started competitive life in Regional Preferente Andaluza in 1971-72; the fourth tier of Spanish football at the time before being relegated in 1974-75 to Primera Andaluza Málaga. The competition became the sixth tier after restructuring for the 1977-78 season.

The club returned to the fifth level Preferente Andaluza despite only ending in mid-table in 1980-81. El Palo finished as runners-up in their first go to win promotion to Grupo IX of the Tercera División. However, their spell lasted just twelve months before a return to the level below.

A fourth place in 1983-84 was backed up by other steady finishes before the team went on to win their league title in 1987-88 to return to the Tercera División. On this occasion El Palo’s tenure would last two seasons.

This time El Palo would spend the following thirteen seasons in Preferente Andaluza before finishing bottom of the table in 2002-03 to be relegated to Primera Andaluza Málaga. A runners-up place ensued in 2003-04 but it would take until the 2007-08 campaign before a return to fifth level football.

The run of success continued, with a second place in Preferente Andaluza eventually being enough to secure a place in the Tercera División. A third place in 2009-10 saw El Palo reach the play-offs, but any hopes of promotion were ended by Burgos CF.

After finishing half way up the table for a couple of seasons El Palo were crowned as Grupo IX Tercera División champions and were promoted to the third tier Segunda División B after defeating FC Jumilla and then Deportivo B in the play offs.

In the final against Deportivo, El Palo went down 4-2 in A Coruña with Antonio Muñoz and Nacho Aranda scoring. In the home leg the side from Málaga won 2-0 with goals from Jesule and Ismael to go up on away goals in front of 900 fans.

A twelfth place was achieved in Grupo IV in 2013-14 before they were relegated at the completion of the 2014-15 campaign after finishing second from bottom in the table. The goals of Falu Aranda fired El Palo in fifth place in the Grupo IX Tercera División season of 2015-16 under head coach Fernando Fernández Escribano.

Aranda kept his form in 2016-17 with the team weighing in with an eighth spot finish, which was followed by tenth position in 2017-18 with Funes in charge of the team.

CD El Palo will play in Tercera División Grupo IX in the 2018-19 season

My visit

CD El Palo 0 Atarfe Industrial CF 0 (Monday 7^th January 2019) Tercera División Grupo IX (att: c300)

It was Bank Holiday Monday to celebrate Epiphany in Andalusia. I’d noticed that the Tercera División in the area were to be played that day when trying to plan a mini break to occupy my weeks holiday away from work. My plans were set with Málaga and Real Betis also at home during the week.

That said, there was also the option of going to the game between CD Juventud de Torremolinos and CF Velez in the same competition. This was attractive as I was heading to Marbella FC v FC Jumilla that morning.

My base was in the old town of Málaga and with Torremolinos being between there and Marbella it seemed a good plan. However, El Palo was nearer, and it would allow me to get back, enjoy a few bars and watch the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool FA Cup tie.

My mind was made up. An express coach dropped me back at Estación de Autobuses de Málaga from where the number 1 from nearby dropped me at Plaza de la Merced for my accommodation at Apartamentos Marques De La Merced.

A cup a soup and beef sandwich and a quick siesta set me up before I headed out for the evening. A pleasant walk down through the Tunel del Castillo de Gibralfaro took me to Paseo del Parque from where I had a quick look outside the old Plaza de toros de La Malagueta bullring.

Málaga really was a pretty little city and the blue skies allowed me to take some nice scenic photos. However, in common with the previous evening, the temperatures would drop once the sun began to go down. My thin trainers were not suitable footwear at night.

The busy number 3 bus from Paseo de Reding outside the arena took me along the road inland from the coast for around three miles before alighting at Carretera Almería. It was a good ride for €1.30, which was the flat fare for all rides around the city.

It was a short walk along Calle Almería to the entrance to Campo De Fútbol San Ignacio to give the stadium its official title. Admission cost me €8. I was given a second ticket which I couldn’t make head nor tale of as the internet access wasn’t working on my IPhone.

Once I’d got Google Translate up and running it transpired that it was a raffle ticket to win a signed El Palo shirt. I’ll never know if I won! The entrance took me onto a forecourt with a smaller pitch for juniors and training on the left.

The pitch was busy with youngsters playing their own games, while the café straight in front was also doing steady business. The main pitch was directly below this raised area, which gave way to a full length tier of steep steps which were also suitable for sitting on.

The corner was occupied by the café and club offices with changing rooms underneath. The road end had an open tier of bucket seats but there was no spectator access or accommodation on the other two sides. It made Kenilworth Road at Luton seem spacious.

With tall apartment blocks right up to the perimeter on the far side and more buildings behind the other goal it really did feel a tight and intimate venue. The artificial surface had seen better days and the pitch was surely of a minimum size? High netting surrounded the pitch to emphasise the closed in feel.

Yet for all that, there was something I really liked about the place, even if I was already beginning to feel the chill on top of the bad chest that I carried into the break. I consumed a couple of large espresso coffees just to try and warm up.

The youngsters who were playing on their pitch were mascots for the evening, coming out with the teams. A minute’s silence with a bit of applause was held for one of the clubs’ coaches, Jesule, who had recently passed.

The visitors from close to Granada had travelled around eighty miles and were hoping for a result as they were in the relegation zone before play, with El Palo in the promotion play-off picture. The odds were very much on a home win.

The opening exchanges were at a quick pace but were rather congested on the small pitch. The floodlights took a while to take effect when turned on for the 6pm kick off and viewing wasn’t easy from the stands, so one could imagine players struggling too.

Jorge Durán crossed on eight minutes but a skimming header from Cazorla failed to hit the target for El Palo. Gomez went close for Atarfe before Cazorla and then Lulu tested out Atarfe keeper Darío on fifteen minutes. Referee Tejado made a decision just before the half hour mark that caused plenty of controversy.

Atarfe’s Juanfran jumped for the ball with El Palo full back Medina who went down theatrically holding his face and rolling about in apparent agony. The home players surrounded the ref complaining, who showed the visitor a red card.

I dare say the Industrial players were using a bit of industrial language. I know that I did, being far from convinced at the intent of the coming together. The clash would set the tone for the rest of the game. Despite really enjoying everything thus far, I now wouldn’t have minded an away win.

Pepe Capitán had a goal ruled out as the ball had already gone out before Medina centred it. There was no doubt that El Palo’s number three could play. Pepe Capitán then managed to miss an easy headed chance to the frustration of the locals.

At the break I briefly left the stadium to enter behind the goal to take some photos from different angles. Another coffee was ordered. There would be every chance of me being wide awake well into the night with the fashion I was putting it away.

Atarfe had a narrow escape seven minutes after the restart as Galvez headed against his own bar as El Palo piled on the pressure. Despite having the majority of possession and getting plenty of assistance from the officials, the hosts had a couple of real let offs.

Scigliotti broke through for Industrial on fifty-eight minutes but blasted his shot over the bar of home custodian Manolo Reina before the same striker fired just wide within a minute. Javi Lopez set up Pepe Capitán who contrived to fire his easy chance onto the bar from three yards out.

Palaez tried a fine lob with twelve minutes left on the clock which home defender and skipper Nacho Aranda brilliantly headed against his own crossbar and then safety. It had turned into an intriguing if feisty encounter.

Nothing encapsulated the feistiness of the occasion more than when a proper fight broke out along the stand from me with nine minutes of play to go. Real punches were being thrown with several getting involved; one of whom may well have been the dismissed Atarfe player.

Pepe Capitán was having a night to forget as he squandered yet another opportunity. The final action saw an El Palo corner which resulted in several blocked efforts and a superb save from Darío for the game to end 0-0.

The players of Atarfe Industrial celebrated like they’d won promotion, and I couldn’t really blame them. They’d soaked up pressure galore and got by far the worse of the ref’s decisions. We’ve all played in or supported our team in matches like that.

Before long I was over the road and the bus turned up to take me back to the old town, where I jumped off at Plaza Marina. The free Wi-Fi signal from the nearby Marriott Hotel allowed me to suss out directions to a bar wanted to visit.

It took some doing to locate La Madriguera Craft Beer but I eventually got there after a bit of a detour down the many narrow streets. After a couple of nice, but strongish beers I made my way to the Sherlock Holmes; where I’d enjoyed beers the previous evening.

The Wolves FA Cup game was on and a few expats were chatting about the Málaga game which I’d been to before the pub the night before. One was well meaning and pleasant but hadn’t a clue about football. I had a better chat with a Swansea City fan who also had a soft spot for the local club from previous trips.

Another fella, a Geordie was good conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Wolves pull off a shock; so much so I thought another pint and a Glenmorangie whisky was a good way of celebrating. My word, those Spaniards know how to give good measures!

A smashing Irish couple told me how much they enjoyed Málaga and the Sherlock Homes having found it the previous Friday, but this was the first time they managed to find it since. And there was me thinking I had problems navigating!

By now I’d got the taste and decided that I’d done enough sightseeing to allow me a lie in the next morning before a long bus ride to Gibraltar. Cervecería "Arte & Sana Craft Beer Café" was still open, so it was a no brainer to give them further custom.

A 5% beer was finished off with a third of a 10% oatmeal stout which seemed a brilliant idea at the time. I seemed to recall admitting my embarrassment about Brexit and the British rule of Gibraltar which seemed to non-plus the friendly couple who could tell that their stout was indeed potent.

I was treating it like a Saturday night back home years earlier as I waltzed across the square to order a pizza from A la TURCA Pizza & Kebabs before heading home to flick through the TV channels. I’m not sure some should have been available to reach on a family set!

It was definitely like the old days as I woke around 4am on the sofa, pizza box on my lap and the TV still on showing nude nocturnal gymnastics. I went to bed happy, but my mood would take some lightening the following morning with a hangover and an increasingly heavy chest cold.

Goodnight Málaga and thank you!