Importance Score: 55 / 100 🔵
Spanish Football Fans Stun Harborough Town in Surprise Visit for Non-League Match
In an unusual turn of events that left local supporters astonished, over 100 passionate Spanish football fans journeyed approximately 1,000 miles to witness a Harborough Town Football Club non-league game. These unexpected visitors were present as part of an innovative collaboration with a popular YouTube channel dedicated to English football, bringing international attention to the Southern League Premier Division Central.
Unexpected Arrival of Spanish Supporters
Harborough Town FC faithful were taken aback when a large contingent of Spaniards descended upon their modest ground to watch their team compete against St Ives Town. Video footage captured scenes of the stands filled with enthusiastic fans proudly sporting the home team’s yellow colors, chanting and singing in Spanish throughout the Southern League Premier Division Central encounter.
YouTube Partnership Fuels International Fanbase
These surprise attendees traveled from Spain, choosing the East Midlands market town over major English cities like Liverpool, London, or Manchester. This unique trip was organized through a partnership with La Media Inglesa (LMI), a prominent YouTube channel boasting over 440,000 subscribers, which delivers English football coverage to Spanish-speaking audiences globally.
Match Outcome and Visitor Reactions
Despite the fervent international backing, Harborough Town, positioned 7th in the league, unfortunately succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against St Ives at Bowden Park last Saturday. While the result may have disappointed the home crowd, the visiting Spanish fans expressed delight with their experience of English non-league football.
La Media Inglesa and Harborough Town Collaboration
La Media Inglesa initiated organized excursions to English football matches in 2018. The connection with Harborough Town originated from the channel’s Barcelona-born founder, Ilie Oleart, who sought a smaller English club for deeper engagement. Subscribers participated in a vote to select a partner club, and Harborough Town FC emerged as the chosen team. Following an agreement with the club chairman, this inaugural fan trip was arranged.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Vision for a Global Non-League Club Fanbase
Mr. Oleart stated, “Our objective was to transform a small local English club into a small local club with a global fanbase.” He explained that after visiting Harborough in September to understand the club’s history, the town, and its facilities, they concluded it was “the perfect club with the right values” to share with their audience.
Positive Reception from Local Fans
Carlos González León, representing La Media Inglesa, noted the initial bewilderment of local fans, saying, “Some of them didn’t understand and were shocked – but in a good way.” He added, “Once we explained everything to them, they were really happy. Some of them were even joining in with us to sing the Spanish chants,” highlighting the warm reception and cross-cultural football camaraderie.
Harborough Town on Global Stage
Carlos further commented on the overwhelmingly positive response to their presence, emphasizing, “I noticed that everyone there was really pleased with our attendance and support… It was something huge and groundbreaking.” As a result of this partnership, Harborough Town’s seventh-tier English football matches will now be live-streamed on the LMI YouTube channel, extending their reach to a Spanish-speaking global audience.
Future Visits and Quality of Non-League Football
Looking ahead, Carlos suggested the possibility of future visits, impressed by the standard of play: “The seventh league is much better than people would think. The level of professionalism, the facilities, the quality of players- it’s massive.” He drew parallels to Spanish lower leagues, stating, “The atmosphere is quite good. It is similar to the third or fourth division in Spain.” Enthusiastically, he concluded, “If Harborough goes to the playoff we’ll return, maybe not with 100 people, but Le Media Inglesa staff will definitely come.”
Fan Perspectives on the Unique Event
Alvaro Sanz, a Madrid native and newly converted Harborough Town supporter, recounted to the BBC, “Some of the local fans were quite surprised, probably wondering what 100 Spaniards were doing there.” Echoing this sentiment, Harborough fan Rick Wood lauded the visitors, stating, “The Spanish contingent were amazing, added to the atmosphere and all credit to them their behaviour was exemplary,” underscoring the positive impact of this unique international football partnership on the local non-league club.