The narrow line that separates Asturias and Cantabria on the Deva River disappears when the red and green colors of Sporting and Racing enter the scene. Football then becomes a party between two neighboring regions. If for the red-and-white fans the visit to Santander was the date marked on the calendar, and nearly 4,000 sportinguistas flooded El Sardinero – which hung the sign of no tickets available – back in the month of October, now the racinguista fans showed that for them The El Molinón event was also the most anticipated and they responded with a similar number, also causing the Gijón temple to be full for the second time this season. There were 22,972 spectators (the second best attendance of the season after the 26,794 for the derby against Oviedo) who enjoyed the northern or Cantabrian derby in the stands, in an intense match with two teams dedicated to the fight for the play-off, On and off the field.
On the left, Miguel Borbolla, Pablo Fernández and Carlos Mon, residents of Unquera. | Juan Plaza / Pablo Antuña
The bulk of the Cantabrian fans were located in the traditional corner of the north end and the east stand, but there were Racing t-shirts and scarves throughout El Molinón. And a climate of harmony, without any tension, as had already happened in the first round. A party in which Manuel Preciado was remembered, and many links that unite both teams, without going any further than the Racing bench, in which former red and white José Alberto is in charge.
On the left, Rodrigo Pariente, Adrián Ovies and Daniel Morales. | Juan Plaza / Pablo Antuña
The previous one, on Holy Saturday, was lived in style, with a downpour included. The racing fans enjoyed the surroundings of Plaza del Marqués, the Puerto Deportivo, San Lorenzo beach or Cimadevilla. For example, Jesús Ángel Vázquez and Álvaro Vázquez, father and son, were there. “Gijón is a city very similar to Santander. It has the sea and very good people. We have already been talking to a lot of sportinguistas and they are very friendly. It is a day of twinning, like when they came to Santander. Coming to Gijón is like coming home,” they highlighted before highlighting: “If Racing doesn’t go up, let Sporting go up. But, well, for now we’re going to eat a good cachopo.”
Above, on the left, fans of both teams in El Molinón. Below, Álvaro Vázquez and Jesús Ángel Vázquez, in front of San Lorenzo beach. On the right, Javi Sánchez, Neco Sánchez and Merche Rodríguez. | Juan Plaza / Nico Martínez / Pablo Antuña
It was not the first time nor will it be the last of a great reception in the surroundings of El Molinón. But it was special because of the atmosphere of a special match very early on. La Mareona enjoyed it, in a climate of harmony with the Cantabrian fans. As was the case of Miguel Borbolla, Pablo Fernández and Carlos Mon, from the same family and all of them from Unquera, the first two from Sporting and the last from Cantabria. “Hopefully we will both be in First Division next year. We already enjoyed the game in El Sardinero and now we will do it in El Molinón,” they said.
The northern derby party / Pablo Antuña
The good relationship between neighboring fans was evident at all times. “Here we can come with the Racing shirt without a problem, like at home, in other fields we cannot go with the same peace of mind,” said Javi Sánchez and Merche Rodríguez, who have an Asturian family, which is why little Neco Sánchez brought to the game the team t-shirts. Same cordiality as in the reunion of three university friends, fans of both. “This is a derby in all the good sense,” said Adrián Ovies, Daniel Morales and Rodrigo Pariente, the last of them arriving from the French town of Tolouse.
The northern derby party / Pablo Antuña
The twinning day between Sporting and Racing was extended with their respective Genuine teams. First with a match in Mareo in the morning, and at the break of the match in El Molinón with a 3×3 match between boys and girls with Down syndrome, with Miguel Heredia, Ernesto Acebal and Javier Palacios on the sporting side and Sergio Rioja, Marcelina Pla and Leticia Pérez in the racing team.
The northern derby party / Pablo Antuña
Subscribe to continue reading
2024-03-31 02:01:10
#northern #derby #party #SportingRacing #atmosphere #experienced
