C.D Leganés will pay tribute to all the club’s season ticket holders that have died in the last months during the first match at Estadio Municipal Butarque after the return of LaLiga.
Being conscious of how COVID-19 pandemic has affected the city of Leganés (one of the most impacted during the crisis in the country), the club wants to be close to its season ticket holders, especially with the older ones. The club has called the more than 60 year old season ticket holders on April to know how they were and during the last weeks the club has been working on the tribute to be payed on the next home match this Saturday.
Santiago, half a century of anecdotes as a pepinero
Unfortunately, the club has received a lot of stories from the fans that have died. One of them is Santiago a Leganés neighbor for 52 years and season ticket holder for half a century. His daughter Paloma tells us his story: “My father was passionate about football and when he got to live at Leganés and met the team fell in love with it. My sisters and me still remember those football Sundays at Rodríguez de Miguel, the place where he took us with a bag of sunflower seeds and candies. My brother was suited for the occasion as well”.
“My father has always been a partner of Lega and supported the team no matter what was the category they played in. It was really exciting for him to see how they got promoted to first division: that season I saved all the posters and asked a friend to make a calendar to remember each our first season in first division. My father liked to keep a record of all the matches played by his Lega, he even had his lucky things, but unfortunately this year the season stopped from the 27th matchday and his calendar stopped that day. These are hard times, but we must be strong and continue. We must continue making history and fighting just as Leganés does. Now with him in heaven, Lega will have more support because as my father used to say, 'the one that loved you, remembers you'.
Family trips, old jerseys, and wine skin
Antonio was a season ticket holder for eighteen seasons, his son José Antonio remembers that “his favorite player was Macanás, in fact his favorite jersey was the one he had with number '5' and his name. He was a person that had love for the club with a big pepinero feeling which increased every time on his way from home to Butarque when the team played. His favorite moments were the promotions to second and first division”.
Javier remembers his father in law rituals before Lega´s home matches which he affirms evolved with the same rhythm as the club: “At first there were several fans that took to the stadium tortillas, bread, peppers, cheese and ham… and the wine skin! That could not be missed. They had a feast on half time. That was at Municipal, on Butarque they did it on the stadium’s cafeteria. Pedro was a person that lived for the Lega, it was his passion. He met big friends that were by his side until the end”.
María remembers the trips she had with his father Eulalio and how he transmitted since she was a little one the passion for the club: “One morning he woke up and said 'we are going to Mérida, Leganés plays there and we get to know it'. So, we went there. When we were kids, he took us to Municipal and teach us the love for the club. In fact, I still have my 1993 jersey. He was ticket holder for many years, he was capable even of asking for permission at work to watch Leganés”.
Passing on the love from generation to generation
Alberto recognizes how his father Paco was passing on the love for Lega from generation to generation in his family: “He was a Leganés neighbor for almost fifty years, made himself a pepinero as many others that were welcomed here. Most of the memories I have with my father are around football and our Lega. Those matches at the old Rodríguez de Miguel, just 200 meters away from home. The sound of those goals on Sunday mornings! In 2013 his grandson Adrián started playing in the football school. It was the moment to become a season ticket holder for Grandpa Paco, his son and his grandson, the leftie blondie. Three generations. From that time our luck started, and a path of glory was built for our team”.
Jonás arrived to Leganés almost 38 years ago. Sometime after that he became season ticket holder of the team. His daughter Silvia tells how his love for the club grew year after year: “The category didn’t matter, he was a pepinero. I remember his face of joy when promotions were reached, I think that was something he did not even imagine happening. He loved to walk and sometimes he went near Butarque and the training facilities. My son Alonso is now six years old and he took him for a walk over there many times. Some days they took a ball with them and played on the surroundings. They enjoyed that a lot”.
“My father always enjoyed football and Lega a lot”, remembers. “Going to Butarque on a matchday was party for everyone. I remember with love our last day following the team to Wanda Metropolitano this January and last match at Butarque against Alavés. Both moments will remain in our memories forever. Our father memory will always be related to this team. He passed on his love for Lega and sport to us all, teaching us, as the good teacher he was, values as respect and fellowship.
“There is now a new Leganés fan club in heaven”
Stories that show the love that all of them felt for the club. Stories such as the ones that Félix, Francisco, Manuel, Andrés, José, Antonio, Mariano, Rafael, Emilia, Cándido, Saturnino or Ignacio can tell. They will not be able to be back at Butarque to cheer up on their Lega but leave a legacy that will not be forgotten.
Just as Alberto, son of Paco affirms: “I am sure that there is a new Leganés fan club in heaven where all the Lega fans that have left us in the last months are ready with their jerseys and flags to support our team and waiting for the next match to be played. I am sure that my father will push the ball to not hit the post but get into the net this time so we all can celebrate a goal at Butarque. They will not abandon our Lega because we will remain fighting to honor them and our people. Because they are Lega”.
