Gabriel Ortiz "Rompecascos", one of the most famous fans of the Athletic (red and white)
If Benedetti said empty stadiums are skeletons of multitudes, surely there are fans who account for almost vital organs in the body of a club. Gabriel Ortiz López It was one of them. He born in the Bilbao neighborhood of Santa Cruz 1920. While small and it was attracted to football, not so much as an athlete but as a passionate supporter and, Of course, He was always faithful to the hometown team: the Athletic Club de Bilbao.
From Athletic to death
He showed an early age. At thirteen he ran away from home to stow away to Barcelona, slipping into a truck carrying fish, to see his team play soul Cup final against Madrid Zamora, Quincoces and brothers Regueiro. And he got a two for one. That day, 25 June 1933, and in the same stadium Les Corts, Erandio also played the final of the Championship of Spain amateur against Sevilla in which form could only players with amateur record. Gabriel Ortiz He saw both games and enjoyed the double victory of the teams vizcaínos.
The Athletic Club de Bilbao He won by 2 a 1 with rojiblancos goals work Lafuente Y Gorostiza. He returned to Bilbao on the bus from the Erandio, celebrating with the template achieving the title of fans, to be defeated by the 1 a 0 the sevillistas.
It was the beginning of the "race" of what would be the most popular follower of the Athletic, “Rompecascos”. His nickname said it all. It was a peculiar kind, frequenting taverns friend, He worked at sea and had broken as a specialty empty glass bottles on his head, which wore a traditional chapela- every time he scored a goal in the matches televised TVE and saw the famous amateur header bars. After, The goal, the thud of the bottle over his head and cry: “PA- chickens!”.
Apparently, as he himself had, "Rompecascos" became a specialist in the subject when, in a tavern brawl, a Norwegian sailor broke a bottle on the head. He felt no pain any, according to him, the chapela protected him and immunized, although the hardness of his skull probably helped. He also had other skills that brought laughter to the customers who frequented bars, like nuts open with the butt or drink a single drink whole bottles of red wine.
The cry of Athletic
But if anything happened to history "Rompecascos" was their rallying cry (He began to realize in the early sixties) during the Bilbao set matches played in San Mames, a "Athleeeeetic" that, with its powerful vozarrón, it was thundering at the stadium and the rest of the public responded with a "eup". Today, is the battle cry of lions, to such an extent that the club anthem begins with the same. "Rompecascos" abandoned his sacred San Mamés shortly before his death, after the second win of the league Athletic Club de Bilbao of Javier Clemente in 1984, but his cry will last forever in the buff "athleticzale".
