Into Getafe, and Europe.

Welcome to Getafe.  What has made Getafe a worldwide name across the world - in footballing circles.  Getafe Club de Futbol.  Some clubs play attack passed, free flowing soccer, which zings with glamour and joy.  Getafe play the other sort. The sort that if you are not very wealthy involves grinding down the opposition and then nicking a victory. It seems to work. They have remained in the First Division since they entered it in 2004 and this year they will appear in the European Conference League, taking on the likes of Brighton, Atlanta and Freiburg.  They enter in the Play Off Rounds on 20th / 27th August - and if I remember, I will tell you how they got on.

A Sociedad Getafe Deportivo was founded in 1923. A game was played at the Getafe airfield on 19th May 1923. The Club fizzled out in 1932 and it wasn’t until 1946 it was recreated. The club left the Madrid regional leagues in 1987. They spent the years till 2004 wandering between the 2B and 2nd divisions till their arrival in the top league.

We will pay a visit to the Estadio Coliseum. It was built in 1998 and has a capacity of 16,500. This is usually more than is needed. It is owned by the local town hall.  Let us pop into the official shop. https://tienda.getafecf.com/    The shirt will set you back 80 euros, shorts 30 and stockings 16. Mugs cost 8 euros, scarves 10 euros and official gloves a tenner.  Real Oviedo once sold thongs in club colours. Getafe don’t seem to. Possibly they don’t fit into people's erotic musings.

Sara went there recently.  She noted ‘Last week I went to buy a new t-shirt, and even though they were very busy, the girls were very kind and even screen-printed the t-shirt for me. When I got home, I realized I'd lost my sunglasses. I emailed them, and they said they were there and that I could pick them up whenever I wanted. Today I went, and they were so kind that they even had them in a sealed bag. Thank you so much, girls! 💙💙 ‘

Across the M-45 we go.  Through the houses we will snickle and above Parque Canino.  The seven reviewers don’t seem keen.  ‘Diveridad Lista went all two star over the place. ‘I've been going to the Dehesa del Boyal, Los Pinos, or Las Arrecifes park for six years. And thanks to a small group of us who take our dogs there, we keep the park fairly well maintained. We try to get the "dirty" people who don't pick up their dogs' poop to do so (sometimes with insults). The Contenur company in charge of cleaning it these six years hasn't shown up. The trash can is too small for 300 dogs from Villavende Bajo and San Cristobal. Broken and low fences (big dogs jump over them). Huge rocks in the middle of the park. Stinging nettles that reach the knee. ‘

Bar restaurante Purito Rimac offers us respite in a 3.9 star way.  https://www.canva.com/design/DAFUpjF4ewU/XCwu7IrBB-U-lsQsk8FDZw/view  Starters are 6 euros, mains 16-19 on average.  Four days ago Marlon was wowed.  ‘Stefany, the waitress, was excellent, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was great! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! You go in and they play whatever music you want. The seafood is their specialty. 💯💯 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! ‘

Over the A-4 we go and into the park.  We could use the rolling skating park.  People give it 4 stars.  MG wrote in detail ‘One of the best skating rinks in Madrid, thanks to its size and surface. If you want more space to pick up speed and maneuver, this is perfect. The railing is fine for kids, but it's not very useful for adults because it's quite low. The downside is that the cleaning crews don't seem to come around very often. Besides pebbles and fallen leaves, there are shards of broken glass. They're small, but dangerous if you're unlucky enough to fall on one. The surface has started to crack in places, creating gaps that you have to be careful to avoid. But otherwise, it's a fantastic rink in a great setting, right in the middle of the park, with spectacular views. ‘

Let us end here and plunge deeper into the capital tomorrow.