15.02.2008 14:05

Great weekend for supporters’ club in Jerez

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Jerez de la Frontera was chosen by the Cadiz Coordinating Committee to host the VIII Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla FC Barça Supporters’ Clubs Congress.

The supporters’ clubs from the region enjoyed a great Barça day out on 9 February.

Successful Congress

The VIII Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla FC Barça Supporters’ Clubs Congress was attended by FC Barcelona director Jacint Borràs accompanied by Social Commission director Martín Martínez and former player Julio Alberto Moreno. Also at the event were East and West Andalusia Advisory Council members Cristóbal Pecino and Miguel Márquez; the chair of the Cadiz Coordinating Committee, Cristóbal Oliva; the chair of the Jerezana SC, Antonio Corral; and the deputy editor of ‘El Mundo Deportivo', Francesc Perearnau.

The Congress showed how engaged the Andalusian supporters’ clubs are with FC Barcelona. The 200 attendees set out their proposals, concerns and queries for the club’s representatives, who made a note of everything.

Issues that came up included the relationship between Barça and the supporters’ clubs, the distribution of tickets for games at the Camp Nou and for away matches, and a number of aspects of supporters’ club regulations. Jacint Borràs said that the club wanted “to have more direct contact with the supporters’ clubs”. Since the start of the year he has held meetings with several them, and is willing to do the same with any other clubs that ask.

600 Barça fans at the dinner

The gala dinner was the biggest event of the weekend and was attended by 600 people who were able to celebrate Xavi’s goal at Seville’s Sánchez Pizjuán stadium. The group Mí Cai Chiquito brought a note of humour and colour to the event.

There was a fabulous atmosphere between the Barça followers at the dinner. Even though Barça didn’t manage to beat Seville, supporters’ club members still had a great time with fellow fans.

The event also gave Mercè Oller, vice-chair of the Collblanc-Torreón Supporters’ Club which is organising the XXXI World Meeting, to invite attendees to come to this annual supporters’ club event to be held in l’Hospitalet de Llobregat on 5 and 6 April.

Welcome dinner, opening speech and horse show

The weekend kicked off on Friday 8 February with a dinner for dignitaries at the Bodega González Byass. Its magnificent facilities played host to 150 people including the FC Barcelona delegation and the representatives of local institutions.

On Saturday morning the Cadiz Coordinating Committee organised a supporters’ club parade with an opening speech delivered by Cristina Cubero, external relations director at ‘El Mundo Deportivo'.

At lunchtime the Royal Equestrian Art School laid on a performance including a demonstration of how to break in a horse.