UA Horta (Spain)

Unió Atlètica d'Horta is a football club from the district of Horta in the Spanish city of Barcelona, which was formed on April 18th 1922 following a merger between Club Esportiu Autonomía and Athletic Baseball Club.

The club moved into their stadium; Feliu i Codina on its inauguration in 1923 after starting out life playing where Carrers Dante Alighieri and Argimon now stand. Before long Horta grew a local rivalry with FC Martinenc.

Local businessman and former FC Barcelona player Miquel Valdés soon became involved with Horta as he financed the club as well as becoming a player. After the end of the Spanish Civil War the club participated in the Regional Primera divisions.

The 1940’s saw the team demoted a step twice before restoring their Primera status by the end of the decade. The club faced a problem in 1947 when the Ramis family; the landlords of Feliu i Codina tried to evict the club, before offering to sell them the site.

The club decided that it was too big a risk to take; preferring to continue to pay rent. The dispute continued for several years through the courts as Horta came to a mutual agreement with RCD Espanyol to exchange players.

The club won promotion to the national third tier Tercera División in 1951-52 under coach Pere Arcas, while further good news came a year later as the Ajuntament de Barcelona bought Feliu i Codina and rented it to Horta; on the provision that the club was responsible for its upkeep.

Meanwhile, on the pitch the team consolidated their position with players like star goal scorer Julián Arcas and goalkeeper José Vicente. In 1955-56 the team was reprieved of relegation thanks to league restructuring, before the team was relegated back to regional football in 1958-59.

Horta also became involved in a relationship with FC Barcelona to allow talent to nurture. Goalie, Joan Antoni Celdrán began to make his mark in the Primera Regional. The following twelve seasons was spent at that level; which had become Preferent Regional from the summer of 1968.

Horta were relegated to Primera Regional in 1970-71; where they would remain before returning to the Preferent after a championship win in 1975-76. A further restructuring of the Spanish League system followed, with Horta being placed in the fourth tier Tercera División for the 1977-78 campaign.

The team retained their status in 1979-80 following a relegation play-off victory. The team continued to struggle before consolidating from 1982-83, before eventually dropping back down to the Regional Preferent in 1985-86.

Horta returned to the fourth level of Spanish football following a title win in 1987-88. Once again the team struggled at their elevated status before being relegated at the conclusion of the 1991-92 season to the retitled Primera Catalana.

The 1993-94 season saw Horta return to the Tercera División via the play-offs; where they would remain for two campaigns before returning to the Primera Catalana. In 1996-97 the team won their divisional title to regain their Tercera position.

Horta finished second from bottom of the Grupo V table in 1999-00 and went back to regional football once again. Things were to get worse for the club when they were demoted to Regional Preferent; which was retitled Segunda Catalana in 2011-12; the season that Horta won their league and promotion.

Back in Primera Catalana Horta put together some decent seasons; including two third place finishes before winning their group title in 2016-17 to head back to the Tercera División under coach Xavi Molist.

UA Horta will play in the Tercera División Grupo V in the 2017-18 season.


My visit

Sunday 21st January 2018

The weather looked to be set fair on my second day of checking out some of the local football venues around Barcelona, as well as watching some live action. I awoke a little sore after all the previous day’s walking, but I was keen and eager to go.

The Linea 3 Metro from Liceu took me to the northern extremities of the city, where I alighted at Valldaura just before 9am. It took around another seven minutes downhill along Carrer del Canigó to arrive at my destination of a club I'd seen in action at Santfeliuenc the previous evening.

I’d learned quickly from the previous day that grounds generally opened from early morning until night on a weekend, so to allow all the clubs junior sections to use the artificial surface at the main ground along with the social facilities.

The excellent Catalan Football Federation website, which can be accessed here, pointed out that one of Horta’s junior teams had a 9:30am kick off. I wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity of accessing the venue.

I was delighted that I’d made the effort. It was a fine little stadium. The main spectator facilities were concentrated down one side, in common with several others I’d visited. A raised covered seated stand was flanked by deep open terracing.

There was access for supporters on the other three sides; albeit being narrow open standing areas. The end bordering Carrer de Feliu i Codina had a local social club and then the Horta clubhouse behind it.

It had been noticeable on the ride on the Metro just how many men and women of all ages were dressed in various club outfits and were heading out to represent their clubs in one activity or another. It seemed to me that we were really missing that kind of community involvement back in the UK.

A fair group of boys and girls had gathered ready for their morning football as I headed back up the hill and headed to the 10am Regional League kick off between CF Besos Baron de Viver CF and CD Masnou.