It is one of the most repeated phrases by Francesc Cayuela, especially in the last year, that of the post-centenary, marked by misfortunes such as the storm Gloria and the pandemic: “The GEiEG will be what the people of Girona want. The GEiEG is Girona and Girona is the GEiEG ». Now the meaning of this expression of the president, and also the desire of him and his board of directors to chronicle the 100 years of life of the entity and its link with the city, will be forever recorded in the book The GEiEG and Girona. Girona and the GEiEG that have been developed after an intense year of work, and under the direction of Joaquim Nadal, Lluís-Esteve Casellas, Josep Clara, Josep Maria Fonalleras and Rosa Maria Gil.
“This is a story with thousands of anonymous protagonists, all the members that the entity has and has had, and with a good bunch of proper names among managers, coaches and athletes, some of whom have achieved great milestones in the province , state, European, world and Olympic », writes Nadal in the introduction of this volume of 300 pages that reviews the centenary of the group and its indissoluble relationship with Girona. It has been a year of work and is presented on Thursday at seven in the afternoon at the Casa de Cultura, with the capacity restricted by the pandemic. The work includes a chronological history from the foundation until now, as well as the analysis of the ephemeris as a social and civic character, and also from the cultural and sports field. “We place special emphasis on the multidisciplinary dimension of the group, and in terms of sports it is worth noting that, despite its amateur character, many athletes have shone in Catalan and state championships, in Europe, in World Cups or Games, such as Anna Maria Molina and Encarna Granados “, recalls the former mayor. The volume also includes a historical guide to presidents, and the list of deeply rooted facilities and activities such as gatherings, pedal parties, and ascents to the Angels.
Joaquim Nadal also details in the epilogue that “the centenary has been saved despite a terrible crisis. It was supposed to be a year of euphoria with the October 2019 opening of the exhibition and in the end it has become a test of survival. The club, however, endures, and to resist is to survive. The GEiEG was founded in the autumn of 1919 after six people from Girona gathered in the attic of a flat in Plaça Independència Girona to draft the first statutes and officially register the entity on 23 November. Initially, what these restless young people were looking for was to spend time in cultural leisure and go on excursions around the area. Shortly afterwards they also opened up to the practice of sports. Although the entity does not have “Girona” in its name, its relationship with the city has been unalterable and transparent. “Salvador Martí, one of the presidents, said in an editorial that the founders had made a bad move to the club by ignoring the city’s name and believed that the opportunity to be closely linked to Girona had been lost. But reality has denied it. The GEiEG is so closely linked to the city that it has more members than Girona FC, it has diversified facilities, and you can talk about the group through many disciplines, basketball, handball, swimming, sar? danes … », remembers Nadal. During these 100 years, in fact, group leaders and executives have also been linked to the City Council, such as Camps i Arboix or Emili Caula.
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