The town of Aranda de Duero has witnessed several attempts at establishing a successful senior team. The closest any club has come until recently was Sociedad Gimnástica Arandina, although the one season (1980-81) that the club spent in Segunda B is probably inappropriate use of the word successful. Gimnástica went to the great football league in the sky at the end of the 1986-87 season and as is often the case in Spain, another club was formed, Arandina Club de Fútbol.
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| Promotion day at El Montecillo |
Having just completed its nineteenth season in the Tercera, Arrandina are still regarded as relative novices when it comes to the end of season play-offs. Their two previous attempts have ended in defeat at the hands of Catalans, with UE Sant Andreu getting the better of them in 2008 and FC Santboia in 2010. This changed at the end of the 2010-11 season, when Arandina CF battled through to the final of the play-offs and overcame Alcobendas Sports 3-1 on aggregate to claim a place in Segunda B for the first time. The 2011-12 season has been far from plain-sailing, but with a few weeks to go, the club are still in with an outside chance of remaining in the third tier.
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| What a nice snowy photo of El Montecillo? Yes, but it's not La Bañeza |
Estadio El Montecillo was built in 1977 for Gimnástica and has a capacity of 5,000, all seated in identical raised cantilevered stands on either side of the pitch. A narrow concrete cycle track surrounds the pitch, which doesn't impact too greatly on the sight lines. El Montecillo is tidy and practical, but doesn't get the pulse racing. Have a look at he pictures and see if you agree.
Labels: Castile-León, Tercera or Below
