PRE SEASON LANZAROTE STYLE
PRE SEASON LANZAROTE STYLE
9th August 2014
U.D. Lanzarote may not have the facilities of Real Madrid, Manchester United or Bayern Munich but none of those teams can be in the warm Atlantic Ocean waters that are filtered from volcanic geysers producing as good as sea water as the world has to offer within minutes from anywhere you are on this volcanic rock.
The club is certainly not rich financially but to those of us who choose to live here and the many returning tourists the island attracts; it has a wealth that no money can buy.
The club organised its annual photo shoot and training session on the beach of Playa Grande in Puerto Del Carmen. Many tourists watched in awe as the players couldn’t hide their smiling faces playing rugby, an awful form of water polo and finishing off with foot and head volley on the beach volleyball court. I am sure this will become an annual event.
The Rojillos will be looking for a better finish than the 11th position they finished up with last season but they will have to do this without their inspirational captain Jotha. The ex Real Madrid player has been offered a contract to play in the second tier of Norwegian football and nobody will deny the superb midfielder a chance to earn a few Kronor. Fingers crossed we see him back with us possibly in January when their season has finished.
The British striker Ryan Macphee has left the club and is at the moment training with rivals U.S. Yaiza but has yet to sign for the Southern club. The impressive winger Louis Kennedy has been joined by another fellow British player Bradley Cockerill known in island football simply as Brad. The 18 year old central midfielder has arrived from Tahiche juniors and has looked superb pre season, I know manager Adolfo Peréz has certainly been impressed. Louis ended the season as one of the Rojillos best players and with his frame built up I am sure he is only going to get better.
The club has lost many older players who have been replaced by a more youthful look, though of the old guard the islands best striker Rosmen remains and so does full back Ángel Gil who has recently become a Dad. Congratulations to Ángel who has always been one of the most popular players at the club and is sure to be a fantastic father. Winger Toñito will also be dazzling us with his skills on either flank.
There is no denying that the club is broke but a 10 year running court case where the club has been ordered to pay 457,000 Euros for an injury to a player in a Copa Del Rey game in 2004 has now been resolved. Lanzarote will be paying this back to the social security department in instalments and it should be completed by the turn of the century. Even though the club begin every month with a debt the threat of losing the club now looks unlikely.
The President, Domingo Machín and secretary of the club Domingo Gil are as ever impressed with the expat following. Season tickets can be purchased from me at the Club stall every Sunday at Teguise market near the public toilets and also every Friday morning in the Puerto Del Carmen market in the Old Town harbour. The season ticket prices remain the same Adults 50 Euros, Pensioners 30 Euros and all children 15 years or under are still admitted free of charge. Match day gate prices look set to increase to Adults 10 Euros, Pensioners 6 Euros but those people who have proof of residency will get a 50% discount. This still has not been confirmed. A huge thank you to Jos Godeau of Belguim who for the second year running has purchased his season ticket but just sees one match per season when he visits the island in October as he did last year.
Fixtures are now out so please just click on Fixture list. Always remember that the day and time of games will change throughout the season mainly to accommodate flights for our visitors. It is always advisable to check this website a day or two before the match. I also urge everyone to join the Lanzarote football club Facebook page as this can be updated instantly if there are changes to fixtures.
After four years with the same shirt the club now has a new one that the players were wearing at the photo shoot. The home shirt is red and blue, away white and blue and now also their third shirt pink and white. These shirts are available from me at the Teguise and Puerto Del Carmen markets and also from my friend Gareth at the Marina Rubicon market in Playa Blanca every Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
VAMOS ROJILLOS
