Welcome to my new series - the Silly Season Accumulator! And Sergio Mantecón. (14th June, 2017)

Rumors here, rumors there, rumors everyw...CAN WE PLEASE HAVE LESS RUMORS!

As you can guess, I hate silly season. It's just rumors and rumors - all talk and no action.

So welcome to my new series, called the Silly Season Accumulator. Where I list all the rumors that have ever been mentioned on the internet about Rayo. Yes - all of them. Just to show you how ridiculous this machine is - a machine that creates meaningless content masquerading as journalism.

If that's harsh, that's because the irony is that more rumors gives me more material. And that material gets in the way of the stories that matter.

Here's all the rumors so far:

Marco Sangalli from Mirandés is interested in joining Rayo, who is also linked to Valladolid, Numancia and Reus.
Embarba is being courted by Granada, Sporting and Pumas in Mexico.
Alberto Martín from Leganés has his contract expiring this summer, and has been linked too. Córdoba are also interested.
Rayo interested in signing Lugo striker Pablo Caballero.
Raúl Baena, whose contract expires at the end of the season, has been linked to Alcorcón.
(Edit: the following was added a few minutes ago!) Rayo want to keep Manucho, Baena, Ebert, Dorado, Nacho, Miku and Quini and Pablo Clavería - some might be announced as soon as the next few days! However,

Baena has interest from several La Liga and foreign teams - his renewal is "difficult"
Ebert is almost inevitably gone - Rayo simply cannot financially match what is being reportedly being offered by several other teams.
Manucho has interest from several teams in Israel, China and Portugal, but the renewal could be easier as Manucho has publicly said he'd like to stay.
Pablo Clavería is reportedly going to get promoted to the first team.
Other players, such as Nacho, Miku and Quini, are almost certain to renew.

The season hasn't even ended yet.

A helpful table that captures the rumors and signings, including "ins" and "outs" at the club. Source: www.unionrayo.es

As you may know if you read this blog regularly, I have a penchant for players who fight for La Liga status and make their debut late in their 30's. Players who prove age is no barrier to success.

But this is the story of someone who made their La Liga debut at 33, only for him to drop into the lower tiers all over again.

So, I present to you: from the first tier to the fourth - Sergio Mantecón

Born in Madrid, Mantecón finished his formation with local giants Real Madrid, but made his senior debuts with Badajoz's reserve team. He made his debut in early 2001, and finished the 2000-01 Segunda campaign with eight Segunda appearances.

In the following two years, Mantecón was a regular starter for the Extremaduran side, being relegated in 2003. In August of that year he joined Alicante in Segunda División B, appearing twice in the promotion playoffs but falling consecutively short.

In June 2006 he returned to the Segunda, signing for Hércules. After being regularly used in his first season he was left out of the squad in his second, and subsequently joined third level's Ponferradina in January 2008.

Mantecón retured, once again, to the Segunda with Castellón in June 2008. After experiencing another team relegation in 2010, he joined fellow league club Elche. He was an integral part of the team that won promotion to La Liga, and on the 19th of August 2013, 33-year-old Mantecón made his debut in the Spanish top flight, replacing David Generelo midway through the second half of a 0–3 away loss against Rayo Vallecano.

However, the rise ended there - after only 12 appearances and two starts during the campaign, he was released in June 2014, and moved to Cádiz in the third level. He helped the Andalusian club to promotion in 2016 but after being rarely used this season he left in January.

He is now playing for Tercera club Lorca Deportiva, who are currently fighting for promotion to the third tier via the playoffs.

Follow @Vallecanos1924

Ismael Urzaiz and Salamanca. A 22 team La Liga. Trust and Víctor Casadesús (9th June, 2017)

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Non-league Incider: St Helens Town 3-0 Atherton Laburnum Rovers

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Non-league Incider: Cray Valley Paper Mills 4-4 Punjab United Gravesend

Last game: 9th August: St Helens Town 3-0 Atherton Laburnum Rovers After ripping up my groundhopping calendar, mostly because I was determined to avoid overnight travel, and partly due to other commitments, there was a period of time where non-league football took a backseat. But that period did not last long. Because of course it didn't. Secretly, I'd loved travelling over ten hours back-and-forth to watch some 10th division football. And this was 9th division football in London. When I had gone to East Dulwich exactly a week back , I had commented on how the amount of graffiti struck me as I watched from on board a southeastern train. I was going the exact same way, but much further this time - then I had stopped at Denmark Hill, now I would have to go six stations further. The graffiti I had thought was so emblematic of south London quickly disappeared, as did the tall buildings desperately cluttered together. We, and by we I mean me, were going to the suburb...

The Pride of Vallekas

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