The children of La Graciosa are as if it were Christmas morning. On Saturday morning they will be able to fulfill one of those wishes that they have been dreaming of for some time and that is none other than starting to compete officially in the children's category, facing the federated teams of the island of Lanzarote throughout the season. Nearly 50 years have had to pass for federated football to return to La Graciosa, and it will do so this season with a team that will belong to the discipline of CD Teguise. Without a doubt, a great opportunity for young people from Graciosa to practice sports and, above all, to interact with other players of their same age.
After many years La Graciosa will once again have a federated team attached to the Interinsular Federation of Las Palmas. Domingo Páez is the coach of a group of players who have been preparing for the start of the competition for weeks and who, in the coach's opinion, are "very excited". The La Graciosa children's team has 18 players and for Domingo Páez the important thing is that the children "have fun for a while".
The matches in La Graciosa will be played on a dirt field with dimensions of 55 meters long by 40 meters wide. Workers from the Teguise City Council have been conditioning the new playing field since last Wednesday, which has included the transfer of new goals. José Antonio Valido, president of the Lanzarote Island Football Delegation, and Gerardo Hernández, president of the Lanzarote Referees Technical Committee, traveled to La Graciosa on Thursday morning to measure the new field and give the go-ahead so that the competition can be developed without problems.
Gerardo Hernández, once inspected the La Graciosa football field, considered that "the field in our opinion is in condition to play, what happens is that everyone gets used to the good quickly and being dirt will have detractors" and added that "the important thing is that the children of the eighth island practice the king sport". The desire of the Teguise City Council is to improve the playing field and for the moment the changing rooms that will be used will be those located in the wrestling arena.
Nearly 50 years without federated football in La Graciosa
Historical data indicates that it was in 1968 when two football teams were created in La Graciosa. The Swedish Lemas Vicent, a lover of the island and who liked to play football, was in charge of creating two teams in La Graciosa. On the one hand, the "Rojos de la Graciosa" belonging to the Caleta de Cebo area and on the other hand, the "Amarillos de la Graciosa", made up of players belonging to the Sociedad area. School teacher Juan Pérez Mesa also contributed with his work to the development of football in La Graciosa.
The "Rojos de La Graciosa" was composed at that time by players of the stature of José Luis, Armando, Sixto, Agustín, Andrés, Miguel Ángel, Chani, Kiko, Antonio and Abraham. Nearly 50 years have had to pass to see federated football again on the island of La Graciosa. In the modality of indoor football and Canarian wrestling, the eighth island has had in recent years teams that have competed in the Island Games of Sports Promotion organized by the Island Sports Service. Later, the Real de la Graciosa was created, this being the last team that played its matches in La Graciosa. None of the three teams competed in the federated category.
During this season the La Graciosa team will belong to the discipline of CD Teguise, although the intention is to create a club with its own statutes. The Teguise City Council will strongly support this initiative, covering the travel expenses of all teams that have to travel to La Graciosa to play their matches.
CD Tahíche "A" will be the first rival of CD Teguise "C" – La Graciosa
CD Teguise "C" - La Graciosa has been placed in group 2 of the Alevín Cup, having Maciot Sport "A", Sporting Tías "B", San Bartolomé "C", CD Tinajo "A", CD Tahíche "A", CD Lomo "C", Estefut "B" and CD Tite, as rivals throughout this first phase of the competition. They will play four matches as local in the Municipal of La Graciosa, being CD Tahíche "A", San Bartolomé "C", Estefut "B" and CD Tite, the teams that have to travel to the eighth island.
The start of the competition for CD Teguise "C" – La Graciosa will be this Saturday, October 5, facing CD Tahíche "A" in the Municipal of La Graciosa from 11:30 a.m.. A special match for the people of Graciosa and that will surely have the support of the entire island. Federated football returns to La Graciosa.
