New sponsors and free tickets

There were two pieces of important news last week regarding FC Torrevieja, that had nothing to do with performance on the pitch.

The biggest news is that the team have a new shirt sponsor in the construction company ‘Torrevieja TM’ and the second, in that next Sunday, 11th, all those involved in an association, club or society, are being offered free tickets, to go and watch FC Torrevieja play on September 11.

Torrevieja Football Club have signed a sponsorship agreement with the construction company Torrevieja TM, whose logo will go on their shirts for the 2011-12 season. The amount that the company will contribute is €30,000. At last week’s presentation, Sports Councillor Daniel Plaza, Club President Vicente Boix, Club Vice President Antonio Serna and Pablo Serna, representing the company Torrevieja TM were all on hand to meet the press! Pablo Serna said the company has 120 employees, of which 70 are at the headquartered in Torrevieja, with offices in the emblematic Avenida de la Libertad N º 1. He added that after several years doing work outside the city, the firm is undertaking a major residential development in La Mata, worth seven million euros, saying it is the duty of companies to reinvest their profits for social, sporting or cultural events. Anecdotally, Dani Plaza said he met his wife through the TM company many years ago, a crucial fact, as Plaza, a native of Barcelona, ended up taking up residence in Torrevieja and subsequently, Spain’s first track athlete to win a gold Olympic Medal, is now Councillor for Sport and education.

And for those who wonder what all the fuss is about, Football Club Torrevieja, competes in the Spanish 3rd division (the forth tier) and this season, amongst the players, management and fans, there is a great excitement and anticipation because it is the club’s intention to reach the 'play offs' and fight for promotion to the second division for next season. On a usual Sunday afternoon at the Vicente Garcia stadium (opposite the Infanta Cristina sports palace, there are around 600 fans cheering on OUR team and, inevitably, the directive committee as well as the players, would like to see this number increased. There is no doubt that, once you have stood on the terraces (or sat on your cushion) at the 'Vicente Garcia' you will be animated to become a true fan of our local club and will certainly wish to come along on a regular basis.

With this in mind, the directive committee of Football Club Torrevieja would like to invite YOU, the members of any local club or association to come along to the home game at the stadium on Sunday 11th September for an 18.00-hr kick off time, for free! This important home game is against rivals and promotion contenders, Alicante FC and promises to offer an exciting 90 minutes of quality football at this level.

It will be a game filled with other fun activities such as the game will be officially 'kicked off' by 'Miss Intercontinental España' while planning is still underway to have entertainment on the pitch before the game and at half time and, of course, the bar will be open with drinks very reasonably priced and the afternoon promises to convert itself into a 'football fiesta'! As they say ‘Come on Torry’ and so come along and see for yourself what fun can be had on a sunny, Sunday afternoon.

Club and associations are welcome to bring along as many members as you wish but the football club would be grateful if you would previously register your interest and inform them of how many invitation tickets you require. You can do so by sending an e-mail to:
oari.torrevieja@gmail.com and informing Graham Knight, the Director of the Foreign Residents Office, of the number of tickets you require, your contact details and the name of the chairman / president or the person who will call at the ticket office of the stadium to pick up your free tickets for distribution. Graham suggests that you arrange to meet at the main entrance of the ground, that the representative collect all of the tickets and distribute them before entering the stadium.

You never know - you may well get bitten by the 'Torry bug' and become a regular attendee at the Vicente Garcia. My tip for the game, bring a bottle of water, a couple of euros for a program, €5.00 to become a member of the Torry Army and a cushion to rest your nether regions on!

Keith Nicol