El Relleno, otherwise known as the Alameda landfill area, was a sports venue in the city of Vigo, Spain. Vigo, the home of football, has its origins in El Relleno, where it served as the home ground of the very first football clubs in the city and the pitch for the very first football games played in Vigo. These historic moments led to the first recognized game played in Vigo on 9 February 1905 between Exiles FC and Exmouth, where this ground is the first household of Vigo FC.^[1]

Origins

Throughout the 19th century, Vigo suffered a couple of natural land reclamations, including a large piece of land that had been stolen from that sea. On that location, a mall with gardens would later be built, and today bears the name of Emilio García Olloqui. Emilio was the person responsible for expanding the city towards the sea.^[1] This landfill soon becomes known as El Relleno due to its proximity to the Relleno Squares. In the 1870s, an International Communications Telegraph Center was established (located on Taboada Leal street), known in Vigo as "El Cable Inglés".^[2] The English Cable workers soon established a sports club in 1873, the Exiles Cable Club, which formed a football section in 1876 known as Exiles Football Club. They controlled all the ships that anchored in the port of Vigo to challenge crew members, if they were British to a football match at the Alameda landfill area, near the port. Playing football games against members of the crews of English ships, ranging from sailors to captains through officers were a norm. The games were held in El Relleno, officially became one of the first football fields in the country.^[3][1]

El Relleno dominance

El Relleno became the home of football in Vigo and began to bring together hundreds of people, especially on Sundays. Eventually, some Spaniards who were studying in England or France began to be incorporated into these British-origin teams from Vigo.^[1]

On 9 February 1905, El Relleno had the honor of hosting the very first (recorded) football match in Vigo, in which the Exiles FC played against a team made up of sailors from the British battleship, HMS Exmouth, anchored in the port, in front of a large crowd at the Alameda landfill area, known as El Relleno.^[4] The Vigo fans were devoted to the players of Cable Inglés, who was believed to be the team that represented the city. The first players who defended the football pavilion of Vigo were British, and they rose to victory with a 3–0 win.^[1]

On the following day, 10 February, a group of students from Vigo did not hesitate to confront the sailors of the British battleship HMS Triumph. At the Relleno, given their inexperience, they lost 3–0. This is historically significant because it was one of the first times that the youth of Vigo showed interest in that new sport.^[1] Moreover, the many spectators who had attended El Relleno to witness the match were pleased with the quality of the venue and game. There were great expectations among the football enthusiasts of Vigo, who soon created a club of their own, Vigo Football Club.^[1]

Three months later, on 14 May 1905, the newly-created Vigo FC played against the Exiles, and they lost 0–1 to the British, with a goal that was achieved almost at the end of the game.^[4] The venue no longer had the capacity for the growing crowd. The limits of the field of play were highlighted before the game, but due to a lack of options, the game was held there.^[1] Finally, with a large audience at the Relleno, the Vigo FC players took to the field wearing a red and white checkered shirt and white shorts, which were the colours of the city. Vigo FC's first-ever line-up included the likes of the Ocaña brothers (Andrés and Manuel) and César Rodríguez.^[1] The players from Vigo were constantly applauded by the fans at the El Relleno who witnessed and enjoyed this new sporting spectacle that was entering their lives.

Another club known as Petit Football Club was established in May of 1905, and the club's home ground was the Relleno field. It was Petit who defeated the "invincible" team of Cable Inglés. The fans who had come to El Relleno to witness this match was enormous when they saw how Petit FC achieved an unexpected victory against the English in a sensational match, defeating them 2–0. Some of the players who lined up for Petit that day were goalkeeper Raúl López, César Rodríguez, Francisco Estévez, Roberto Pérez and Rafael Tapias, with the latter two being the goal scorers, which were loudly and widely applauded by the entire Vigo public, who could not believe their team's victory. This triumph of Petit FC against Cable Inglés was a pivotal event in football in Vigo.

Decline and collapse

Exiles continued to play in the El Relleno until the end of 1910, the year in which the venue was demolished. The year of the enclosure is unknown.

El Relleno, nowadays urbanized into six residential blocks of houses and divided by the current Luis Taboada street.

References