Spain's biggest religion

El Rosario

The answer to my rhetorical question may not actually be the one you were thinking of. Judging by the vast quantities of rosary beads, for which the best description can only be ubiquitous, Catholicism is clearly massively popular up and down the country. As a rule of thumb though its devotees tend to come in two large groups; older folk and pre-teenage children who, from a young age learn the teachings of the Catholic faith, (Catechism), as the precursor to taking their first communion at about the age of eleven or twelve. Itself a massive event for the families involved. That then is the young and old catered for but what about the people, and there are millions of them, who are neither? Who are they and where do they perform their acts of religious devotion? Read on for those answers and more. 

Bill Shankly once said.........

For a start, and unlike kids and pensioners, they get the whole summer and every second Sunday off, although at busy times Tuesday and Wednesday nights can be a bit of a nightmare and every couple of years they might have to put in a few hours in June or July. So who exactly are they? If you've not guessed yet I'm going to torment you for another five or six lines. The objects, (plural because they often have more than just the one deity), of their desire alternately delight or dismay and yet these passionate followers still turn up in their droves week in week out in hopeful expectation. So fervent is their dedication, a great many television companies in Spain now feel compelled to broadcast events live for the insatiable masses. Masses that worship a pastime involving a spherical object made of leather being hoofed about various green fields in all weathers by eleven grown men.

Recre' - by Royal appointment 

Believe it or not, football in Spain genuinely does equal or better the huge popularity of that German bloke from Rome with a hat that's just a bit too small for his head. To prove my point I'll also just add that the biggest selling daily newspaper in Spain is a football based publication; when you've finished screwing your face up in disbelief, rub your eyes and read that again because it's true. Presumably though sales of Marca in and around Barcelona are a little down on other parts of the country because it's so heavily biased in favour of Real Madrid. Fans of Gimnastic de Tarragona and Athletic Club de Bilbao would strongly disagree, but Recreativo de Huelva are generally accepted to have been the first football club in Spain and just to ensure nobody forgets it, especially the aforementioned two clubs, both ends of Recre's Nuevo Colombino ground have the year 1889 spelled out in the blue and white seats.

Four hours to Old T by car

Obviously, believers in Spain can't practice two religions and so something has to give, invariably the confessional, because during the season a great deal of top class, in fact every category of football, takes place on a Sunday. In the UK much is made, usually by fans of Manchester City or Liverpool, of the fact Manchester United's fans don't have a Lancashire accent and travel to Old Trafford from somewhere like York or Basingstoke. Imagine then the fun this lot, with their sour grapes, could have in Spain, where every small or medium sized town wherever that may be in the country, has a traditional supporters club, Peña, (penya), where the members can pay homage to their heroes at Barcelona or Real Madrid. Even with a top division of twenty clubs and a couple more than that in the decent quality second category to choose from, you wouldn't believe the following the two giants of Spanish footy have built up. In point of fact, many fans have a "clasico" favourite, Madrid or Barca, and like me also follow their home town club. You can probably guess the preferred option faced with a choice of whether to watch one of the big boys live on television or head of to the stadium to watch a Second Division match. This a particular problem at Elche CF who have to make do on gates of considerably less than ten thousand, an ongoing problem exacerbated greatly by attractive looking fixture clashes.

Sunday best in Bilbao

The final word goes to season ticket holders at Basque outfit Athletic Club de Bilbao for whom, much to their disgust, the history books don't lie. Not only are they blessed with a successful side, (eight times league champions and second only to Barcelona on the all-time list of Spanish cup winners), their stadium, the San Mamés, is also affectionately known by their flock as The Cathedral, (La Catedral). This therefore bestows upon them the honour of being the only club side in Spain revered in a place of worship, mighty handy I'd say for the kids and the OAP's. Rather aggravatingly, Spanish blokes look good in football shirts too, probably the absence of a beer gut and tattoo's I spect!!