Last update March 20, 2019 by Javier Argudo
Today we will tell a story that features to the Racing de Santander, specifically the nickname he received for many years their stadium, El Sardinero.
Perhaps many do not know but Real Racing Club de Santander was very close crowned champions. In fact, the Cantabrian club finished second in the season 1930-1931 with the same points as the Athletic Club de Bilbao who it was the champion for having better goal difference for and against.
Were the early years of the newly created National League Championship and Racing It was one of the most powerful teams in Spanish football. Not in vain, It was one of the founding clubs of the tournament just two years earlier with other 9 teams (Athletic Club de Bilbao, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real society, Arenas de Getxo, Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, Europe and Real Union Irun).
Although the first season 1928-1929, Santander's team finished as final qualifier, He achieved the permanence after a tie with Sevilla FC who had been the champion in Second Division. From there, the potential of the Racing grew to said 1930-1931 in which he touched the glory.
SARDINERO a blockhouse
One of the strengths for which the team was characterized by then led by Robert Edwin Firth britático was for show almost invincible in their stadium. Field of Sports of El Sardinero became a blockhouse in which all teams ended up succumbing. Of the 9 matches played at home, Racing won 7 and with a goal difference mostly.
This tradition continued the following season where racinguistas lost no home game and managed a creditable fourth place in the league. That's when El Sardinero was renamed to ‘The Garden of the French‘.
The origin of this new nickname must be sought in the population Peñaflor (Sevilla) where a few years earlier (back in 1906) They took place a series of crimes and murders in the home of a man named Juan Aldije, alias The French. Apparently this individual with the help of a colleague carried out several robberies and murders of several people who visited their house burying their bodies in his garden.
Somehow, that Racing de Santander se encargaba de “enterrar” a todos los equipos que visitaban su casa y de ahí se fue forjando el nombre no oficial de su estadio. Somewhat macabre but no less true.
