There is no bad date or distant place when it comes to celebrating an anniversary among “rojiblancos.” We know this very well in our peña, so when we received the invitation from the Peña Atlética de La Bañeza Un Sentimiento to join them for their 29th anniversary celebration, we didn’t hesitate for a second.

It was clear that we had a weekend full of emotions and rojiblanco brothers and sisters eager to party ahead of us. That’s exactly what I told Txus, a die-hard colchonera and new to these adventures, as we set off Thelma and Louise-style on our way to La Bañeza.

Spanish version

German version

When the League ends, we all have the same thought: What do I do now without football? Almost two months without seeing the ball roll feels eternal, but there are summers (like this one) where an international tournament satisfies our craving.

This year, the Eurocup was held in Germany, and in our supporters’ club, we have followers of various national teams. For once, we swapped our red and white jerseys for those of the teams we support and got ready to enjoy the tournament.

Not everyone is as lucky as I am. Because everyone (or almost everyone) has a godfather, but mine is red-and-white. One of the real ones, one of the cool ones.

I know he has many godchildren, and when he first became my godfather, I wasn’t very aware of what was coming my way. When I first offered him my arm to walk down the stairs to the auditorium at the Metropolitano, I was very clear that I could learn many things from him. That day, his supporters’ club was receiving a well-deserved tribute for years and years of loyalty to the Club, and as we descended those steps, he told me about his beginnings in short strides. He was taken to the front rows, as befits a member whose number is below 300, and at that moment, I already felt a little orphaned.

When ‘Creyentes’ told us about their initiative to hang the banners of the supporters’ clubs in the Metropolitano, our club didn’t hesitate for a moment: from the beginning, we were very clear that our banner should be there, adorning and bringing color, spirit, and presence. We joined this initiative because we are convinced that the banners are the veins through which the blood of the supporters’ clubs flows, and these are, in turn, the heart of any team. Without the supporters’ clubs and their representation, the team is nothing.