Didn't see it. At least now TV and radio can get back to 98% Madrid / Barcelona coverage instead of the 101% of the last 2 weeks.
As Achopijo put it in his blog (my translation)....
"It is saddening to see how part of football disappears under the shadow of the two titans, and for a few days the reality of what Spanish football steamrolls over everyone else's colours, without pity.....and the worst thing, is that each year that passes it seems that they get bigger, and the rest are smaller. Every year it is easier to support Real Madrid or Barcelona, and for that reason, every year we should be prouder and feel we are special when this game comes around, and we don't care who wins"
I daresay the Redonda in Murcia had a lot of pondlife driving around hooting their horns last night - people who are unlikely to have been to the Nou Camp ever. If Madrid had won it would have been the same or worse.
For me there is no love of football in Spain, despite all the coverage and the feeling they are footy mad. They love winning only. Look at how empty stadiums are in segunda and segunda B compared to their equals in England or Germany.......and how fans (and here is the crux) hop on and off their local teams depending on results, and always go back to their real teams (you know which two) at the first sign of trouble. Murcia is a classic example. 3 years ago (after promotion to Primera) the club had to put a limit on season ticket sales, and 25.000 were sold. Since then 15.000 "supporters" have abandoned ship. To lose some support is normal, but over 50% means we are surrounded my gloryhunting Blancos and Culés.
Not uncommon over here too, but very evident in Spain. Still, us newbies have had a chance to look around south east Spain and pick a team from scratch. So avoiding anywhere too British, I looked for a club that "had something about it" and chose Real Murcia. There are others higher up the ladder, but being based in the Villamartin/La Zenia area about 20 mins north of the airport, there was no immediately obvious choice. Blogs like this and RM TV and radio and the website have lured me in. Aiming for Cadiz at end of January for first game!! BTW my home town team of Gloucester City constantly bemoan the number of pub-based Sky-watching Liverpool and Man U "fans" that dont go anywhere near their local team. Despite also being forced out of their ground in 2007 by floods, a hard core of enthusiastic fans has made supporting GCFC great fun. This is what I am expecting in Real Murcia too....PETE
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