(7th March 2021)
On a gloomy Sunday morning in March, I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed after a busy few days and was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to head to a football match again. This would only be my second game in the last 2 months, due to the local Covid restrictions which meant that all matches had to take place behind closed doors. The primary reason for this was because of the growing concern over the U.K. variant of the virus, which had spread into Andalucía in January.
The rules were relaxed in the first week of March, meaning that the following weekend would be the first that I’d be able to attend football again. I watched a match the day before this particular game, with a Saturday evening visit to 6th Tier CD Atlético Marbella, but Sunday’s matchup would be the weekend’s main event, as I made the short journey to my new hometown.
A Sunday midday kick-off is the time of choice for many of the football clubs in the region, so there’s always plenty of options available. Today was no different, but I wanted to stay as local as possible so decided to visit to my current hometown team, Club Deportivo Estepona. They hosted Alhaurín de la Torre, in what had the prospect of being a close and important encounter for both sides, as they looked to avoid being in the bottom section of their league’s subgroup. The club announced on social media that they were allowed to have 400 spectators in the ground for this match, which is still significantly lower than they were averaging during last season’s promotion campaign, when they went up from the 5th Tier División de Honor Andaluza.
This was only my second visit of the season to the Estadio Francisco Muñoz Pérez, with my previous being for CD Estepona’s first pre-season match that had fans attending, a 1-1 draw against Algeciras CF. The ground is a modern, three sided all-seater stadium, which was opened in 2007 with a capacity of 3,800. It’s undoubtedly one of the biggest and best grounds that you’ll find in the region, with glorious views from the main stand overlooking the hills and having lovely evening sunsets (when the weather’s clear). The bar is located at the top of the main stand, which usually does a steady trade throughout the game, particularly by selling cups of Malaga’s Victoria cerveza (beer) for €1. I continue to keep updated on the club despite it being difficult to visit their games with the restrictions, but I’ve been able to watch a number of their matches on the local Málaga 101 TV channel.
I venture into the town regularly, since it’s a nice and relaxed place to visit, especially compared to the nearby, busier Marbella. You can easily spend a few hours in the centre, with Calle Real having a range of shops, bars and restaurants to cater for everyone. There’s a long stretch of beach and the seafront is nice too, although its currently undergoing a lot of renovation work to be ready for the summer’s tourists. The port, located south of the centre, is home to a range of bars and restaurants which are particularly popular in the evening. It’s also worthwhile having a wander around some of the narrow, winding back streets, as you’ll see a lot of characterful old townhouses with each street having a different colour on their assorted plant pots. Keep an eye out for large murals on the side of some buildings as well, with over 20 unique designs to be found around the town. The ‘Turismo’ in Plaza de las Flores can give you maps and further information.
Another reason that I make the short journey into Estepona is to visit CD Estepona’s former ground, Campo San Fernando Municipal, to watch their Senior B team in the 8th Tier Tercera Andaluza Málaga (Group B). If you ever get a chance to visit the town, then I’d encourage anyone to try and ‘tick-off’ both grounds if possible, as they represent a nice contrast between the more traditional type Spanish lower level venue and a modern, new build stadium. There’s three sides of blocked concreting (capacity of 2,000) which make for a good view of the action since they’re raised above the ground, with the final side housing a large bar area with tables, immediately to your right as you enter.
The first game I attended at the old ground was an entertaining encounter against Málaga City’s youth team, which proved to be heavily possession-based, with the hosts winning 4-2. My most recent visit there was on Boxing Day, whilst the majority of other leagues were on a winter break. Estepona B hosted CDF (Puerto) Banús in a late afternoon kick-off, in what initially proved to be a very even game, until Álex Ros (who’s recently featured for their first team) scored for the home-side after 23 minutes. Once the deadlock was broken it looked as though they’d be able to secure the 3 points without much of a threat. The lead was doubled by Miguel after 38 minutes, directly from a wide free-kick which sailed over the keeper and into the net. Both sides hit the woodwork in the second-half but weren’t able to score any additional goals, with the hosts even missing an open goal in the process. In the end, it turned out to be a routine victory for Estepona.
Returning to the featured game, I decided to arrive into the town early so that I could have a wander around in the peace and quiet, walking away from the coast inland towards the stadium. When I got there, I completed a circuit around the exterior of the ground (since I was still earlier than anticipated), also taking the chance to have a closer look at the Athletics Stadium located next door, which was only opened two years ago. It looks noticeably impressive on the approach and unusually, is raised above the ground with 2 levels of car parking being housed beneath the stadium’s surface. It boasts one covered seating stand, with a few-hundred seats and, by all means, looks like a nice place to watch a variety of sports. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that it’s ever hosted a senior football match to date.
Heading next door, I found that the process of getting into the Francisco Muñoz Pérez was straightforward, as I bought my ticket from the kiosk outside the entrance, then had my temperature checked on the way into the stand. Mask wearing and social distancing was mandatory and enforced throughout. The price was a standard €10 for this Tercera Division Group 9-B match, which I was happy to pay as it usually proves to be good value for money. The game was also being shown on Málaga 101 TV, meaning that it had the feeling of an important tie and a good atmosphere, which was aided by the continually growing attendance as we were approaching kick-off.
The home-side had picked up in form recently, but the visitors were the favourites to win this game. There were a quick flurry of chances for both teams within the first quarter of an hour, before the match entered a long period of stalemate. Neither side were taking any risks in possession, in fear of making a mistake which could’ve cost them the all-important first goal. In the 40th minute, Estepona hit the post following a good spell of attacking football and right on the stroke of half-time the deadlock was broken, when Alhaurín’s Pintos found himself open in the Estepona penalty area to tuck a shot into the net. The first-half ended with the visitors having the upper hand and thankfully the weather began to clear, but it wouldn’t end up lasting for long.
The hosts responded strongly after the interval and were soon back on level-terms, when in the 52nd minute Cristo got his head onto a cross at the far-post. As the game wore on, it started to become more ill-tempered, with several late challenges and a couple of noticeable “off the ball” incidents from both sides that went unpunished. This accumulated to Alhaurín’s left back, Hugo, being sent-off for two bookings in quick succession, which seemed to be the catalyst for several other bookings in the coming minutes, including for both team’s managers. By all means, it had the feeling of being a very tense match as we entered the final 15 minutes. There would be more goals scored, firstly for the visitors, when they broke away on a quick counter-attack, striker Robert was able to race through on goal and place the ball into the bottom left corner after 78 minutes. Estepona threw everything they had at Alhaurín to try and force an equaliser and eventually they were successful, thanks to a low right-wing cross being converted by defender Manu Morilla three minutes from time. The overwhelming relief from the hosts was clear to see and as the referee blew the full-time whistle, it would be a big point gained for Estepona as they deservedly played out a 2-2 draw, which I felt was a fair reflection of the proceedings.
Once again I had watched a football match that proved to be open and exciting throughout, as well as great value for money, which seems to be a common trend throughout my adventures in Spain. After cheering the home-side off the pitch, I made the walk back towards the seafront in the pouring rain, taking the time during the wait for my bus home to reflect on my first weekend back watching live football. It had been sorely missed and brought some much-needed relief, as I was able to forget about everything for 90 minutes and could simply focus on 22 players kicking a ball about on an artificial pitch. I’m very grateful to call this place my home (for the time being at least), and I’m really hoping that everyone at home in the U.K. will be able to have the same feelings and experiences very soon.
Additional information –
Estepona is located approximately 50 miles south of Málaga, with buses running daily between the town’s bus station, Málaga airport and Málaga city centre. Please note that the bus station is located over a mile away from the centre of Estepona, on Av. Jesús de Polanco. The frequency of these buses depends on the time of year, so in some cases its actually quicker to travel via Marbella. The distance from Gibraltar airport is shorter (25 miles away), with regular buses running from neighbouring La Línea de la Concepción (there aren’t any buses that cross the border), but be sure to check the current restrictions and regulations for crossing the border beforehand and allow plenty of time. Estepona’s town centre is small enough to easily navigate on foot and there are frequent urban buses (L1 & L2) which can ferry you around the town and its suburbs, along with up to half-hourly buses to Marbella (L79). You should also find taxis around the centre, port and seafront if you need them.
The Estadio Francisco Muñoz Pérez (located on Av. de Juan Carlos 1) is a straightforward 20-25 minute walk away from the town centre or 30 minutes from the port, which is where the majority of the local buses will stop. It’s also a simple drive to the ground, being located just off the ‘Autopista-7’ (motorway), with parking readily available at the neighbouring Athletics Stadium or in the underground car parks by the seafront. Be aware that the AP-7 has some toll sections, so plan your journey accordingly. CD Estepona’s former ground, Campo San Fernando Municipal, is only a 5 minute walk away from the current one, with the entrance located opposite Plaza de San Fernando.
Chris Sharp
(All photos are taken by me, please can you give me credit if you wish to use my photos)
The Travelling Therapist 