Club Esportiu Júpiter is a Spanish football club based in the suburb of Sant Martí in Barcelona, that were formed on May 12th 1909 following a meeting at the Cerveceria Cebrián Brewery by the Scottish Mauchan brothers, who were working in the city.
The club name was decided upon by the result of a balloon race on the beach of Marbella. The winning balloon was called Jupiter, so the newly appointed board of directors decided to call their club Club Esportiu Júpiter.
Early matches were played at Camp de la Bota on Rambla de Poble Nou, with the team wearing sky blue and white colours. In 1912 the club moved to Carrer Taulat, from where they moved on to Can Saladrigas.
In 1916-17 Júpiter lifted the title of Barcelona’s second division before the club moved to a new home at Camp del Carrer Llull-Lope de Vega, where they were crowned as 1924-25 champions of Catalonia and the B Division of the national competition.
By 1929-30 the club found themselves playing in the third tier Tercera División in the Catalan group. Promotion to Segunda División came in 1933-34, with the team progressing to the fourth round of the Copa del Presidente de la República, as the Copa Del Rey was then known.
Victory over CD Getxo set up a game with Xerez SC; which ended in a 2-1 defeat. Júpiter dropped back down to the Tercera División for the 1944-45 campaign. In 1948 the club moved in at their new home; Camp de la Verneda.
The team was relegated in 1950-51 and remained in regional football until promotion was achieved in 1953-54. Tercera División football was maintained until the completion of the 1957-58 season.
Júpiter remained at that level until dropping back down to the Preferente Regional in the summer of 1963, before returning in time for the 1965-66 season. This time their Tercera División spell lasted for two seasons.
Three further drops into regional football would occur before Júpiter returned to the Tercera for 1977-78; by which time it had become the fourth tier following a restructuring of the Spanish league system.
Further reorganisation followed at the end of the 1986-87 season, with Júpiter being one of the beneficiaries as they sealed a place in the Segunda División B. However, a bottom place finish in Grupo 2 sent the club back to the fourth level Tercera.
The club would spend the following decade at the same level, generally finishing around mid table, before the team was relegated in 1997-98 to Primera Catalana. A runners-up berth and successful play-off campaign saw Júpiter restore their Tercera División status two years later.
This time their fourth tier football lasted just two seasons before the club entered into a slump. In 2005-05 Júpiter were relegated to regional football, but far worse was to come. In 2007-8 the side was demoted to Segunda Catalana; the seventh tier of Spanish football.
The club was to recover with promotions with three successive promotions from 2009-10 onwards, to take Júpiter back to the Tercera División for the 2012-13 campaign. Despite the goals of Elhadji Bandeh, the team was unable to retain their status twelve months later.
The 2014-15 season saw Júpiter win the Primera Catalana under coach David Ortiz to return to Grupo V of the fourth tier. A nineteenth position in 2016-17 led to another relegation to regional football, where the team competed with Juanjo García at the helm.
CE Júpiter will play in Primera Catalana Grupo I in the 2017-18 season.
My visit
CE Júpiter D 5 Arrabal-Calaf Gramanet 0 (Saturday 20th January 2018) Juvenil Segona Catalana Group 17 (att: c80)
I’d had a tremendous day out around Barcelona and its suburbs to kick off my long weekend in fine style, but I was now getting tired. Fortunately, I managed to dig deep to find the resolve to see some more football action.
I’d been at the Tercera División Grupo V match between Santfeliuenc FC and Unió Atletica d´Horta with its 6pm kick off. The game was OK but drifting along once the home side doubled their lead. The excellent Catalan Football Federation website, which can be accessed here, alerted me of more possible junior action.
It had become obvious throughout the day that most local clubs played on 3G artificial surfaces, which allowed all the teams from juniors upwards, the chance to play on the main ground. Matches had taken place throughout the day.
Júpiter’s Camp Municipal de la Verneda looked like it may be awkward to get inside on the Monday with no football taking place, so I took the opportunity to head across the city and watch some evening football.
My train from Sant Feliu de Llobregat took me to Catalunya, from where I took a short walk to Passeig de Gràcia to catch the Metro and change lines before arriving at Sant Martí. A very short walk along Carrer de Cantàbria let me hear the comforting sound of the referee’s whistle. I was in business!
The gate was open on the main side along Carrer de l'Agricultura, allowing me to walk through the courtyard past changing rooms, a small sided court and the club shop to go upstairs into the stand where I took up a seat among a decent sized crowd.
Once again, the website came up trumps. It was bang up to date and gave me the news that the hosts were 2-0 up in the 8pm kick off through goals from David Aquilar and Alejandro Gonzalez within the first ten minutes.
It was immediately obvious who the better side were. The visitors from nearby Gramanet were a smaller club; with the adult first team playing in the fourth tier of regional football. It didn’t look as though they’d arrived with any substitutes.
Nevertheless, they gave it their very best. It was a pattern of junior football I was familiar with from watching and playing in a struggling side. The strongest lads who can kick it furthest try to relieve pressure and hope that their mates create an occasional chance.
The tactics seemed to pay off until the interval despite being under plenty of pressure. During the interval I took the opportunity to have a wander round and take in the surroundings of another excellent inner-city venue.
The main side was raised above pitch level, with a covered seating area in the centre and open deep terracing to the ends flanking it. The rest of the stadium had a few steps of open covered terracing all the way around. It had obviously staged a decent level of football.
I decided against a beer in the bar during the break, as I was weary and wanted to save temptation until heading back into the city centre. It was impressive just how many local youngsters came to watch the game.
Surely having clubs at the centre of the community had to be the way forward? It gave youths somewhere to feel a part of, whether it was as a footballer or through the clubs other sporting departments. It was certainly better than seeing them bored out on the streets.
Arrabal-Calaf Gramanet had obviously put a lot of effort into the first half, and the Júpiter quickly grabbed the initiative. Aguiler scored his second on fifty one minutes as the home side intensified the pressure.
The more imposing visiting players decided that they were not going to be taken for fools. One or two challenges and actions left referee Pablo Albarracin with some tough decisions. He tried to talk to the players, which I liked; but he was perhaps a little too lenient and sympathetic.
The Garament players were dropping like flies after challenges and through sheer exhaustion. They were certainly giving it their best. Their coaches went on to try and revive injured players and to encourage.
They held out until twenty minutes from the end. Marc Gil made it 4-0 before Santiago Terol added a fifth a couple of minutes later. Both teams tired towards the end, having given full effort. I’d really enjoyed it and stayed far longer than I originally anticipated.
I was tempted to try a local bar or two but headed to The Shamrock near to Universitat Metro station as I’d enjoyed drinks there on occasions in the past. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the same this time. I later learned that owner Pedro hadn’t been well and was away.
Walking down Las Ramblas I was aghast to spot an official Real Madrid club shop. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at and remarked that whoever allowed the lease should have been sacked on the spot.
It was getting close to bedtime. I was struggling with a chest cold but wanted a couple of nightcaps. I predictably ended up in Flaherty’s. At least it was consistent, and I could catch up with the sport from elsewhere. It had been an superb day and I’d walked some miles. I didn’t need much rocking!
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