The Book Fair has been dyed red. Rayo’s centenary became the protagonist of a talk and its faithful fans filled the pavilion of the Community of Madrid. Antonio Luquero, journalist Vallecas Webled this colloquium, structured by the books ‘It’s not a beast to tame’, by Nacho Pato, and ‘100 stories of a centenary Ray’, by Maite Martín. However, the prologue of the event had a nod to two other works: ‘Rayo Vallecano, a neighborhood team’, by Alejandro Castellón, and ‘The origins of Rayo Vallecano: from an unfederated team to the Second Division (1924-1956)’, by Juan Jiménez Mancha. The latter, the basis of everything that has been published later.
The authors spoke about the past, present and future of the Strip in a talk in which Antonio Anero participated, a Rayista youth player, who experienced exile to Vallehermoso, the first promotion to Primera, Matagigantes and the first Cup semi-finals of its history, even being called up with the National Team. “We were unknown in Second Division. We didn’t expect to go up, but we did it on our own merits. I had the honor of playing with footballers I had seen on TV. It is very gratifying that, so long later, the fans remember you. And that, through football, we have made many people happy“said the legendary right back.
Although the most emotional moment came from the seats. More specifically, Óscar Bayona, “a ray player from the Pacific”. “In my time, Rayo didn’t appear on stickers or badges. The children of that time painted the stripe and gave it a name. I had Alcázar, Anero…“, the fan began to recite from memory. To which he added between laughs: “I was good at it and there was also a Giant Killer of metal plates in Pacífico”. Anero looked at him attentively, with glassy eyes. The same ones that Oscar ended up with: “They say that in Vallecas there are no idols, but I do have one: Anero. “My childhood idol, the one I used to play with on the boards.”. Applause echoed throughout the venue.
Vallecas moved to those 400 square meters in the heart of Retiro. La Franja played at home and celebrated the 24th anniversary of Planeta Rayistarepresented by Alberto Rivero and David Rodríguez. “We met on an internet forum, which also included people from other countries such as the Argentine Fernando Luis Puente, and we made the leap to peña at a meeting at the Filón de Cota. I still remember that trip to Andorra…”, he recalled Willyas he is known around the neighborhood because of his nick. Another club present there was Los Nadies, made up mostly of immigrants. “We want to go beyond football and get involved in social issues,” admitted Renzo.
When choosing moments for the story… “El Tamudazo, as a symbol of collective catharsis”confessed Nacho Pato, while the AS journalist was left with “the golden era of Women”. “We must vindicate everything they achieved because Rayo does have titles and they won them”, argued Maite Martín. There was also representation of clay, from Second B. That of the few media that covered the team’s information then, such as the Rayo Herald website and the Tele K program, Rayomania. El Rayo is centenary thanks to all those people. To his people.
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