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A goal is scored and the stadium roars. “The Final Countdown” booms from the speakers. The fans haven’t stopped cheering - not even during the 15-minute break - and, whatever the result, will not stop bouncing.

 This is our club, not just of Vallekas but from Vallekas. Independent of Madrid, left-wing in a right-wing city, against the demise of football, pro-immigration and beautiful football from start to finish.

 Welcome to the Pride of Vallekas, a blog that will feature news, insights, pictures and more.

 With a lightning bolt in our logo, Republican ideals in our hearts and freedom in our souls, we are the last of the barrio teams.

 And the fans will not stop bouncing.

On September the 21st, 2015, I posted an article on BackPageFootball entitled Rayo Vallecano – The minnows defying the script. (Read it here). Ever since then, Rayo have been relegated, survived a relegation battle, have sent back a player they had loaned within a day, and for some dumb reason Raúl Martín Presa is still in charge.

I want to write about Rayo. I want to write about its history, its famous players and its struggles. I want to write about the football and the board, the politics and the fans, the players and the coaches. But more importantly, I want to give my take on the day-to-day coverage.

This is that blog. Rayo, plus the untold stories of Spanish football.

And while it's daily, on some days, I will write as much as this page. On some days, I'll probably just link to a post I wrote somewhere else. On some days, I won't write at all.

But bear with me - I'll try my very very very best.

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Francisco Pérez Pérez - the actual oldest player to have played in Spain (1st November, 2017)

I've always wanted to ask a football player: how much do you love your club? If you see your club go down, what are you willing to put on the line to see them go back up? The notion that "players will come and players will go, but the fans are the club" is one that is sadly true in what has become a money-filled sport. The story of a player sacrificing money and success for his club? That story is rare. That story is beautiful. This is that story. This is the story of a player who loved his club. His local club. It'll be a long time if and when someone beats his record. Francisco Pérez Pérez, also known as Chico, currently holds the record for being the oldest player to play in the Segunda B - 43 years and 93 days is the figure. That's a figure that second place Diego Rodríguez Fernández (41 years and 324 days) falls short of by a year and 134 days. I should also point out that the top 3 list for oldest players to play in any of the top three tier
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When three teams offered a 19-year-old an eight year contract (11th October, 2017)

Just how many players can you name who have the following descrption: He is a striker of great quality, and was a great promise of Spanish football, but his bad luck and some injuries denied him the opportunity to recover - he has never played more than one season in the same team. This is the story of a player - a technically and physically excellent striker - who made mistakes and suffered injuries very young and never really recovered. Born in Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana, Barcelona, Iván Peñaranda started his youth career at Granollers. His real formation, however, was in the lower categories of Barcelona, ​​in which he stayed for seven years (1991-98). Playing alongside Xavi Hernández, Gabri and Carles Puyol. He was considered as one of the young players with a huge future within the club. In the summer of 1998, he angered Barcelona by using "change of residence" as an excuse to sign for Mallorca B (he would move there along with his family), where he would play alongs
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Who is Raúl Martín Presa, the Mickey Mouse? Part 1. (20th August, 2017)

José María Ruiz-Mateos was the head and main shareholder of Nueva Rumasa - the company that owned Rayo and other companies - mainly specializing in dairy products. (He wasn't the president of Rayo though - his wife, Teresa Rivero, was Rayo's president). In early 2011, the directors announced a debt of over 700 million euros, that it was on the verge of bankruptcy and that staff wouldn't be paid. And the players were visibly angry about it - captain Míchel assured the press that the club would continue fighting on the pitch, but the day after the announcement was made, six key players didn’t attend training. Veteran midfielder José María Movilla spoke on radio station SER about the situation, about the fact that he had only received seven of the last eighteen months of pay, about the fact that there were a few players who couldn't even afford car repairs. When Rayo Vallecano were about to earn promotion to La Liga despite all the odds - the players not being paid,
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