Club De Futbol Can Vidalet is a football club from the Can Vidalet barrio of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, a town on the outskirts of Barcelona in Spain.
The barrio of Can Vidalet was expanded in the 1950’s and 60’s with teams such as Hojas Iberia Can Vidalet, Peña Hortensia and Pubilla Pubillense all in operation. CF Can Vidalet was formed by Manuel Juan Magdaleno de Heras in 1966.
Magdaleno owned a bar on Calle Pubilla Casas and before long the players of Peña Hortensia came on board after falling out with their headquarters. Magdaleno wanted the club to embrace local youngsters and take them away from crime in the neighbourhood.
Initially the club played friendlies and formed their own league with other local clubs before joining the Educación y Descanso league. In 1971-72 Can Vidalet progressed to the Categoría B de Aficionados.
The club continued to develop and was accepted into the Third Regional Catalana for the 1972-73 campaign. The team continued at that level and the Second Regional Level; which became Segona Catalana.
Can Vidalet carried on producing youngsters who progressed into the first team. The club won the Grupo 3 title of Segona Catalana in 2016-17 to reach Primera Catalana; where the club was placed in Grupo 1.
CF Can Vidalet will play in Primera Catalana Grupo 1 in the 2017-18 season.
My visit
Saturday 20th January 2018
It was a beautiful morning in Barcelona as I awoke ready for the first full day of adventure around the football clubs of the city. I had a ticket for the 1pm kick off for the La Liga clash between RCD Espanyol and Sevilla FC, but had a few plans lined up before then.
There was time for me to have a look around the Barri Gotic area, with the Cathedral and its wonderful architecture all the way down to the waterfront; as well as enjoying a coffee and ham boccadillo from a traditional café. I was in really good form!
I took the Metro to the main Sants railway station, after purchasing a Hola BCN 72 hours card from Drassanes. The card would prove to be superb value for my stay; covering all travel for €22.
My plan paid off at jumping out at Sants, as I soon located a phone shop to purchase a battery pack for my IPhone. I’d charged mine up back in London but forgotten to pack it. It cost me €15, but it did a very good job throughout my stay.
It was time to head towards L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, where I took Linea 5 to Can Vidalet. It was immediately apparent that I was high above sea level. The barrio was built into the hills and had a vibrant centre. Within a few minutes I’d found the ground up Carrer de Pere Galvany.
The ground was above street level on Carrer Verge de la Mercè; which had a fine array of shops and cafes. I walked up some steps and found myself opposite the main facilities and next to a children’s playground. Fortunately, a gate was open, so I could walk inside El Moli.
Two junior matches were in progress on the artificial pitch. Plenty of parents sat in the raised stand and open terracing opposite. Aside from that the venue only offered a thin section of standing around the pitch. Changing facilities were behind either goal.
What the visit showed me was the value of artificial pitches and the football ground being a major part of the community. I was impressed, as I headed back to the Metro for a couple of stops to Sant Ildefons to visit another fine community club.
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