The Pride of Vallekas

Yes, Reus Deportiu.  You can follow Andrew on Twitter here , on Instagram here and on YouTube here . A bit about yourself and your background My name is Andreu, I'm 17 years old and I live in a village near Reus. All of my family lives in Reus. I love practicing sports, especially football, and I also like literature and music. I've actually played the piano since I was 8 years old. When I was 7 years old I started playing football at the local team, one year later I discovered a football team called F.C. Barcelona. I started following them, basically because all my family were Barcelona supporters. But also because I realized being a Barça fan was something special... How long have you been a fan of Reus and what made you support them in the first place? ....However, when I was 10, my grandmother and her sister showed me a football team called C.F. Reus Deportiu. They brought me to the pitch a couple of times, so I realized that C.F. Reus Deportiu was a very special...

My new series, called the Silly Season Accumulator, lists 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 between now and last time: Salva Sevilla, whose contract with Espanyol expired, is being tracked by Rayo, Granada and Almería. Rayo Vallecano want Emiliano Velázquez for a season long loan deal. Edit: Getafe have signed him. Rayo are one of 10 teams interested in Valencia's Nacho Gil. Patrick Ebert has an offer from Real Oviedo. Real Madrid's Sergio Díaz is being offered a loan move to Rayo. And here's all the rumors since last time (14th July): Álex Bergantiños is a target for Sporting, Tenerife and Rayo. Rayo ...

A travel blogger's perspective on Vallekas! Andrew Gillan is the founder of "Mis Viajes En Fútbol", a travel blog that explores stadiums ranging from popular to obscure. His blog can be found here . You can follow the blog on Twitter here , and follow Andrew here . A little bit about yourself and your background I'm from Northern Ireland, but for the last few years I've been living in Spain and working as an English teacher, firstly in Galicia, but now in Andalucía. Previously I worked in sports journalism and did a lot of media work for my local club Coleraine FC. What made you become interested in visiting football stadiums around Spain? Really just a love of live football and seeing it in different places. If I travel somewhere for a weekend, I'll make those plans based around a match (or two if possible!) What was the idea behind the blog Mis Viajes En Fútbol ? It's basically just an outlet for me to do a little bit of creative football...

Travel blogs have always fascinated me. These are people who take time out of their lives to travel, explore, and then document the various corners of the world that many will never see. Being a travel blogger, therefore, is even more important in a world where information is accessible but experiences are not. This is an interview with football travel blogger Roddy Cons, founder of the travel blog The Team on Tour, or TTOT. You can follow this amazing blog on YouTube here , Facebook here , Twitter here and Instagram here . A little bit about yourself and your background I'm a Scot who has been living in Madrid for the best part of eight years now. Since finishing uni, I've done some English teaching and also worked as a freelance football writer, writing previews and match reports for a host of leagues across the world, including the Spanish Second Division. What made you become interested in visiting football stadiums around Spain and Europe in general? My writin...

I didn't write anything for today. Unfortunately, that's what happens when life gets in the way. I'm linking a Twitter TL that I wrote yesterday, talking about supporting a smaller club. You can read the original thread by clicking on the tweet below - it's more pertinent to fans of big clubs. 1/ I get confusing messages at times about why I support a small team. And I've seen others get this as well. And I thought I'd address — Sarthak Kumar (@Vallecanos1924) July 26, 2017 Otherwise, I've edited it below to remove the "come at me" style of writing - Twitter, essentially :D... Supporting a smaller team helps you appreciate every player who stays for more than a year, every signing made, every youth player who aspires to be in the first team, every contract renewal, every goal, every point, every new manager - everything. Even one season players are revered years after they have left. And the players feel that - for example one-season...

"I have only good words for the Bukaneros, I have been in Vallecas with so many different people (friends, family, coworkers...) and all of them were amazed by the way the Bukaneros transmit their support both the team and the rest of the crowd. They are the real supporters, they are always singing and cheering. It doesn't matter if the team is winning or losing.... Also, it's incredible how they support all the categories, you can go to a game from Rayo’s female team and they will be there with you, the same with the youth teams, if the alevín (10 and 11 years old kids) are playing a tournament, the Bukaneros will be there supporting - it's really amazing how they live and breathe Rayo Vallecano. The Bukaneros are not only a hooligan group, they fight for something, they are committed with a lot of social actions and they have all my respect. Life is not just about football." That was an interview with Daniel Kobe in yesterday's piece (read it here ) as p...

You can follow Daniel Kobe on Twitter here . A bit about yourself and your background I'm 29 years old, I was born and raised in Aluche, a neighborhood in the south of Madrid. I work in IT support in a French company. I do like football since I can remember, also I do like to watch NFL games (Jets fan here) and play video games on my free time. How long have you been a fan of Rayo and what made you support them in the first place? In my family, everybody supports Real Madrid, so when I was a kid I did too. Anyway, one day I was in the car with my father listening to this famous sport program on the radio (Carrusel Deportivo), they were talking about the 2nd Spanish division and I heard the coolest name I have ever heard in my life - Rayo Vallecano. From that moment I always wanted to know about this team. At first, I only had information about the results, then I started reading the columns on the sports papers, watching televised games and so on… Describe your first visi...

I spent hours coming up with a name. I didn't want it to be the same. I wanted something that rhymes with Rayo. So welcome to my new project, the Rayo aficionado . Obviously, this project is about interviewing Rayo fans. And obviously, this project is about bringing Rayo fans from around the world together. But there is much more. Much, much more. This project is about building this profile of the Rayo fan, capturing local and international similarities and differences in thought. Not every Rayo fan is the same. Sure, most have something similar to say about Presa. Most love la vida pirata - to be fair, it's a spectacular display of passion. Most have only good things to say about Juande Ramos and Trashorras. And most consume Rayo news from similar sources. But many topics divide opinion. Paco Jémez, for instance. Or Léo Baptistão. Or the way Rayo uses its youth teams. Or...you get the idea. So welcome to the Rayo aficionado . I invite you to join me as I ask these...

Good, attacking, ferocious football. That's how I would describe Compostela and their undying philosophy. A brand of play that has seen Compostela rise and fall on the ladder of Spanish football. Till 1986, Compostela were a stable mid-table third tier club representing the small regional town of Compostela in Galicia. However, that very summer they were relegated. They had attacked and attacked and fought with all their might, kicking and screaming, but went down - with the joint-worst defense in the league. But giving up their attacking philosophy was out of the question. It was that philosophy that saw them promoted to the third tier in 1990, promoted to the second tier the year after, and reach the top division in 1994. It was that philosophy that saw them lose the relegation playoff against Villarreal in 1998. It was that philosophy that saw them reach the quarterfinals of the 1999-00 Copa del Rey, defeating the likes of Numancia, Tenerife and Villarreal on the way - all...

You can follow James on Twitter here . If only because, as he says, "I'm now living in Sydney and I can guarantee that I am probably the only Almería fan that is living here!" How long have you been a fan of Almería and what made you support them in the first place? I started supporting Almería roughly five years ago as I have visited the area every year for over ten years as my family have a holiday home in the area and I decided to get behind the local club. I've always had an interest in Spanish football but I never really felt any real attachment to a club until I started learning about the club. My main team is Arsenal but wanted to follow a team in Spain that I had an association with and could take a keen interest in and that team was Almería. Describe your first experience of watching Almería play? Whilst Almería were enjoying their first season in La Liga I was able to watch them from the UK as they were often on TV when they played the big teams. It...

That's right! Give the Facebook page a like here for updates on blog posts and sneak peaks on future posts! A while back  I spoke to NUFCBlog.co.uk about Mohamed Diamé and how at Rayo he developed into the most sought-after prospect in world football: "They had Danny Drinkwater – we had 33-year-old club legend and pass master Míchel. They had Christian Fuchs and we had 39-year-old left-back Carles Llorens. They had Kasper Schmeichel and we had David Cobeño. They had Mark Albrighton and we had Jofre. They had Riyad Mahrez and we had Miguel Albiol. They had N’Golo Kanté, and we had Mohamed Diamé. And while each of those players have stories that are worth sharing, the last one sticks out the most." Now that I've spoken about Mo Diamé, it's time. Here are the other stories. "It was an agreement between clubs. What happened was that I did not want to leave, I was very comfortable at Rayo; we were going to play in Europe and I wanted ...

You can follow El Periscopio (aka Fernando Díez) on Twitter here . A bit about yourself and your background I'm a Spanish lawyer, 36 years old, married and in love with sports in general! How long have you been a fan of Cultural Leonesa and what made you support them in the first place? Since the 1994-95 season, in the Third Spanish division. I went to the stadium with some classmates, and from the first moment I saw them I felt that this was my team. Describe your first experience of watching Cultural Leonesa play? My first experience was the feeling that this team represented me, me and my people, my city, my culture… everything. To an outsider - how would you describe Cultural Leonesa's playing style, what it means to be a fan of the club, and what it means to be a player of the club? Rubén de la Barrera is a very young coach, and his style is very attractive. The team moves the ball very fast, and the attack players move his position very often. This style...

You can follow Margus on Twitter here . A bit about yourself and your background? I'm a 27 years old Norwegian from outside Oslo. I grew up there and started to follow Spanish football back when I was 13 years old. I've worked as a freelance journalist since 2008, and now I live in Spain - right outside Málaga. How long have you been a fan of Zaragoza and what made you support them in the first place? Since 2004. I saw the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, where they won against the odds. Describe your first experience of watching Zaragoza play? My first visit at the stadium wasn't until 2011 against Real Sociedad. Hélder Postiga scored his famous chilena in that game! To an outsider - how would you describe Zaragoza's playing style, what it means to be a fan of the club, and what it means to be a player of the club? Their style is intense. A lot of pressure when in defense and at times too fast forward. The style requires a quick striker who can r...

You can follow Adrián Fernández on Twitter here . How long have you been a fan of Córdoba and what made you support them in the first place? I've been a fan of Cordoba since I started to get interested in football, when I was a kid. The reason I follow the team is because it is from my city, and since I started to follow them, I felt very represented. Describe your first experience of watching Córdoba play? I do not remember the first time very well, because I was small, but I remember the relegation to the Segunda B (third division) in 2005. It hurt a lot, and it was at that moment when I felt that I loved Córdoba CF. To an outsider - how would you describe Córdoba's playing style, what it means to be a fan of the club, and what it means to be a player of the club? Córdoba has a very changing style of play. It depends on each rival. To be a player of Córdoba means not to surrender and fight until the end (we ascended to La Liga in the 93rd minute), and to be fan, ...

I'm on a search. I'm not searching for an answer. I'm searching for a profile, a painting of the football fan, a sculpture of the various complexities of supporting a club in Spain. In my previous project, I tried to capture that. The Hinchas y Jugadores project succeeded in bringing very different stories - those of fans, writers, players and coaches - together. But no story is complete - there will always be something left unsaid. Being a fan of a club is more than just a commitment. It is a way of life. And while it would be impossible to capture everything in one article, there are some basic questions that we often forget to ask. Think about a club. Now, try answering the following questions about the club: What sets it apart? What sets the fans of that club apart? Does its board support its ultras ? Do those ultras  even think about themselves in political terms? I know as little as you do. And I want to find out more - much, much more. This project is op...