Paterna CF (Spain)

Paterna Club de Fútbol is a football club founded in 1934, who are based in the Spanish town of the same name which is located in the suburbs of the east coast city of Valencia. The club played football in the regional Comunidad Valenciana for several decades, with the post-war years being spent in Segunda División.

The group title was won in 1954-55, leading to a long spell in Primera División, with the highlights being three third-place finishes, two of which were consecutive in 1975-76 and the following season. At this point, there was a reorganisation of Spanish league football.

The fourth tier became the Tercera División, with Paterna being placed in Grupo V. The team finished consistently towards the bottom of the table, but did have the satisfaction of entering the Copa Del Rey on three occasions. While the team never progressed beyond the first round, they did get to play local big boys Levante UD in 1979-80.

Relegation came in 1983-84, when the side returned to the fifth-tier Preferente Regional. Twelve months later, Paterna dropped down yet another level. The team returned to the fifth level in 1989-90 after winning a divisional Primera Regional title. The momentum continued as one of the Preferente Regional group championships was collected at the first attempt. 

This meant Paterna returning to the Tercera División. However, relegation followed after just one season. Paterna suffered a further demotion in 1993-94 to pile on further misery to the Estadio Gerardo Salvador regulars. The 1997-98 season saw the club return to the fifth tier following a runners-up finish.

The team won their Preferente Regional title in 2003-04, but were relegated after just one season of Tercera División football. It wouldn’t be until the conclusion of the 2012-13 season that the club regained their fourth-tier status.

The 2013-14 campaign saw Paterna reach the promotion play-offs with a fourth-place finish, where they lost out in the first round to CF Montañesa. Gerardo Reyes topped the scoring charts the following season. Paterna CF ended the 2015-16 campaign in fourteenth spot, before ending the following season one place lower.

The Spanish league system was being restructured during the 2020-21 campaign. Paterna's performances under manager Luis Navarro López saw the club placed in the sixth-tier Primera División, as Quique was appointed team boss. The division was renamed Primera FFCV in 2023-24, as Paterna finished second.

Further local restructuring meant that while Paterna were promoted, it still meant that they were playing in the sixth tier of Spanish football and the top level in Valenciana in the newly formed Lliga Comunitat Grupo II. José A. Peña joined Quique on the bench to share responsibilities.

Despite the goals of Pedrito Valdeolivas, he and his side finished in the relegation places, meaning a drop back down to Primera FFCV ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Paterna CF will play in Primera FFCV  Grupo I in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Tuesday 9th January 2018

I’d arrived in Valencia for a two-night stay to include matches at Mestalla and then a few miles north at Villarreal the following evening. I was already underway with a proper look at the venue of the Tercera División club Torre Levante.

The ride from Machado to Paterna meant changing from Metro line 3 to 2 at Ángel Guimerá, from where I got out at Beniferri to take a look at the impressive, but half-finished Nou Mestalla, which was a standout feature as we came in to land.

I continued on, with the actual train journeys taking just under half an hour. On alighting, I followed the track north along Calle Vias del Ferrocarril before arriving at Estadio Gerardo Salvador.

The nearest end appeared to be occupied by a small open terrace backed by a swimming pool, according to Google Maps. However, the whole end was a construction site. I decided not to try and explain myself to gain access.

The rest of the stadium was locked, but not all was lost. One corner offered a view of a raised block by the level crossing by the main entrance to the stadium. Further pictures were taken by standing on the wall, offering protection from the railway. I received a few puzzled looks!

Paterna’s home was impressive, even in mid-transition. A covered stand ran the full length of the far side, with seating in the centre blocks. The entrance end had a decent-sized open terrace, while the railway side was open and flat, but looked like it was awaiting development.

Delighted with my work, I walked back to the station to take a train to Estació de Túria, from where I set out on a fantastic walk through the old town of a really beautiful city. I ended up at the old Estació del Nord before enjoying some well-earned brews in Blue Moon Craft Beer.