Football Club Torrevieja show best form to date

FOOTBALL CLUB Torrevieja enjoyed their highest crowd numbers of the season, when more than 1,000 supporters turned up to watch them defeat Alicante CF on a beautiful Sunday evening.

The day was made a little more special as about 100 members from local clubs and associations took the opportunity of a free ticket offer, to see them play, many visiting the Vicente Garcia Stadium for the very first time.

For the first time in a long time, the stadium had a special atmosphere with pre-game ‘entertainment’ provided by Torrevieja Pipes and Drums who proudly marched around the football field.

Adding more than a little glamour to the occasion was Miss Intercontinental Spain, Gloria Matinez, who at six-foot plus towered over the majority of players and spectators, whose height was accentuated even more in three-inch heals, as she took a ceremonial kick-off to start the festivities.

Although Torrevieja had much of the play early on, a good break down the right following an excellent header put the visitors into the lead mid-way through the first half, the first time this season that Torrevieja have found themselves behind.

Picking up the pace a little, the home side were awarded a penalty on the stoke of half time when Carrasco was pulled down in the box, for Alicante to be issued with their first Red Card. Carrasco then had his penalty kick well saved but managed to scramble hom a weak header to put the teams level going into the break.

Torrevieja came out with purpose in the second half and an excellent header put them in the lead. From that point on, Alicante lost their composure, solidified just after the goal with a second direct Red Card for former Torrevieja player Heridia who threw an elbow to the face of his marker, leaving the visitors with just nine players against eleven.

Even with a two man advantage and the luxury of being able to stoke the ball around at will, Torrevieja took their time in finding a third goal that was scrambled in from a free kick with five minutes to go but left the field at full-time as 3:1 winners.

The result means that FC Torrevieja is enjoying their best league start in their history in the Third Division. FC Torrevieja, in their present guise, were reformed and founded in 1993 gaining promotion to the Third Division in 2005.

They have now taken 13 of a possible 15 points from four wins and one draw and are second in the league. In their first season of promotion, 2005-06, with Juan Manuel Riquelme as coach, Torrevieja scored only four points in five first days!

In 2006-07, they had 9 points after 5 games, finished third and played in the “play-offs” for promotion. The following season, with Jose Agustin Soto, Torrevieja had 11 points in 5 days and after 10 games a healthy 22 points.

However, as is well documented, the financial crisis of the times, non payment of sponsorship especially led to player protests and with many ‘star’ players leaving the club and since then the club have struggled, primarily due to the poor financial state of Spain’s national economy.

Season tickets are a very reasonable @125 for the VIP section, €95 euros for the under 65’s and €75 for those over this golden age!

Children are always free. All season ticket holders will also receive a new TM sponsored Team shirt, valued at €25 itself, so it’s great value for money and with the team playing the way they are, it’s once again fun to watch them playing on a sunny, Sunday afternoon.

By Keith Nicol