Skip to main content

Hinchas y Jugadores Xtra - Real Madrid Castilla with Javier Santa Engracia (10th May, 2017)

Hinchas y Jugadores Xtra is where a fan gives a quick comment on his club.


You can follow Javier Santa Engracia on Twitter here. He is part of the Ultras Sur fan group, who in his words are "are the only boys who know how to support Real Madrid"! You can follow the group on Twitter here.

How long have you been a fan of Madrid B and what made you support them in the first place?

I've been a Real Madrid supporter since I was 7 years old, as a Real Madrid supporter I couldn't get the idea of not supporting the second team of the club.

Given the transfer windows and the squad that was assembled at the start of the season, is Madrid B where you want it to be?

Well, the promotion to second division is always the first target for Real Madrid B, something that this season is going to be very difficult to reach, so, for me there aren't in the place that I want to be.

Of the signings made this season, which one worked out the best/had the most impact and why?

Carlos Abad, the first goalkeeper and the most expensive goalkeeper ever in Madrid B.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Real B this season? Any standout players?

The main positive thing is the ambitious and energy of young players. That's also the weakness - this is a team without experience.

List some things you appreciate and some things you can’t stand about the club management. Rant away...

The club management is very bad. The prices are very high for a Segunda B team. The price is around 15 euros, and many times the private security of the club doesn't allow you to stand up to support, although banners against the president are forbidden and in many cases sanctioned. One time, the security of Madrid B didn't allow a banner of Real Madrid player and idol Juanito, because they didn't know who he was! In this aspect we can say that the treatment of the fans is better in away stadiums that in our stadium.

What has the mood among the fans been during the campaign? Do you generally agree/disagree with them?

The fans are disappointed with the team because they will not be gaining promotion and with the club management because they treat fans badly, something that I totally agree with.

Finally, predicted finish for Real B?

I think that the final position is going to be 5th or 6th.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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

Salamanca traveled to Albacete to compete for promotion to La Liga with an impossible task on their hands. They had to overturn a 2-0 deficit away from home, against a side that entered La Liga's relegation playoff spots on the final day, and who had scored 44 goals in the league - just four less than Salamanca themselves. As the clock ticked towards the 90th minute, Salamanca were winning 1-0 yet in danger of losing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Born in Tudela, Navarre, Urzaiz began his professional career at Real Madrid's B-side, making his debut in Segunda División in 1989. Despite being a successful youth international, he did not make any La Liga appearances for the first team (however, he did play one game against Odense BK, in the 1990–91 European Cup). Urzaiz spent the 1991–92 season on loan at Albacete Balompié, making his top flight debut when he came on as a substitute against Athletic Bilbao in October 1991. In early 1993, he was loaned to Celta de Vigo...

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

Last game: 8th August: Dulwich Hamlet 2-1 East Thurrock United The previous day, I was blown away by my first ever football match experience. Dulwich Hamlet impressed me, but what impressed me more was the journey. The travel to the stadium was just as enjoyable as the football itself. I had caught the groundhopping bug. There were no games scheduled for the 9th of August. There was one, near Wigan, and all I had booked earlier was a refundable bus ticket from Manchester Airport leaving at quarter past midnight. I should have refunded it. This was a mistake. This whole day was a mistake. I was only slightly hungover from the previous night, but that was nothing compared to this feeling of loss - I couldn't handle the fact that there was a game happening. And I wasn't too far away. Just three hours and a bit. They'll fly by , I thought. I was in autopilot. Something within me made me get up, grab a bag, and get out the door. This wasn't me. I wasn't trave...

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...