Campo_de_La_Cruz_(Gijón)

UC Ceares

UC Ceares

Association football club in Spain


Unión Club Ceares is a Spanish football team based in the neighbourhood of Ceares, Gijón, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded in 1946, it plays in Tercera Federación – Group 2, holding home games at Campo de La Cruz, which has a capacity of 1,500 spectators.

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History

Early years

The club was founded in 1946 as a merger of two clubs: Fortuna and Reconquista. In 1965 and being Mr. José Ramón Elvira Sastre the president, UC Ceares promotes for the first time to Tercera División, but finished in the last position, being subsequently relegated. Ceares continued playing in regional divisions until 1986, year that the team returned to Tercera División and played in it two years.

2000s: Comeback to Tercera División

In the seasons 2001–02 and 2002–03, Ceares achieved two consecutive promotions from Primera Regional to Tercera División with Rogelio García as head coach. He would coach UC Ceares during six consecutive seasons, with a break in 2007, remaining in Tercera starting the longest streak of the club in this division.

In 2007, former Real Sporting footballer José Antonio Redondo replaced him until 2009, when he resigned. With Redondo at the helm, on 5 April 2008, Ceares earned a 1–1 away draw in the last minute against Asturian powerhouse Oviedo[1] and qualified for the semi-finals of the Asturian tournament of the RFEF Cup, where they were eliminated by Langreo.

Rogelio would take the team again until the end of the 2008–09 season.[2] After that season, Florentino Angulo was hired as new manager. Angulo managed Ceares until 2012.

2010s: "People's football" project and promotion playoffs

Before the 2011–12 season, a new board takes the control of the club and gives it a new philosophy based on a claim of social and people's sport and criticism the actual business in football.[3] For this philosophy, Ceares board inspired on English football and clubs like St. Pauli or United of Manchester.

La Cruz stadium, full, at the playoffs game versus Águilas

The 2013–14 season was the 14th of the club in this league (the 11th consecutive one) and the second of Nacho Cabo as manager. Ceares started the season with only one defeat in the first fifteen games, earning 34 points, which allowed the club to lead the table during two weeks, after a win at L'Entregu CF by 1–3 in its 500th game in Tercera.[4]

Finally, Ceares qualified for the promotion playoffs to Segunda División B in the last week, after winning by 0–3 to Luarca CF. The team finished in the third position with 74 points, 21 wins, 54 goals scored and only 31 allowed. All these numbers were records in the history of the club.

In the first round, Ceares dropped Águilas by 2–1 in the aggregate. In the first leg, the brickers earned a draw by 1–1 thanks to a goal of Pablo Martínez in the 87th minute. Martínez also scored the only goal in the second game. This was the second time La Cruz registered an attendance of 1,500 fans. The first one was in 2003, when Oviedo visited the field for the first time.

Ceares faced Trival Valderas, the champion of the group of Madrid, in the second round, but was widely defeated in the first leg, played in Gijón, by 0–3. The team earned a 2–2 draw at Alcorcón, in a game where Borja Noval missed a penalty when the game was 2–1 for the brickers.

18 May 2014 Águilas 1–1 Ceares Águilas
17:00 (CEST) Ginés Meca 65' Report Pablo Martínez 87' Stadium: El Rubial
Attendance: 1,300
Referee: Pérez León
25 May 2014 Ceares 1–0
(2–1 agg.)
ÁguilasGijón
17:00 (CEST) Pablo Martínez 35' Report Stadium: La Cruz
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Martín Pérez
1 June 2014 Ceares 0–3 Trival Valderas Gijón
17:00 (CEST) Report
  • Óscar 16', 51'
  • Herrero 32'
Stadium: La Cruz
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Díaz Álvarez
8 June 2014 Trival Valderas 2–2
(5–2 agg.)
CearesAlcorcón
11:30 (CEST)
  • Palacios 45'
  • Óscar 94'
Report
  • Ponte 63'
  • Juan Carlos 67'
Stadium: La Canaleja
Attendance: 750
Referee: Creus Rodríguez

On 30 August 2014, Bryan Jiménez became the first Ceares player who played an international game. He made his debut with the Dominican Republic national team in a lost friendly against El Salvador.[5]

In 2015, Ceares signed a collaboration agreement with women's football club Gijón FF for sharing La Cruz stadium and to create a youth academy for boys and girls.[6]

2020–present: Tercera División title and first promotion

In the 2020–21 season, the one with a two-staged format, Ceares ended the first leg of the regular season as champion of one of the two subgroups. On 2 May 2021, Ceares had the option to directly promote to the newly created Segunda División RFEF, currently called Segunda Federación, that would replace the Segunda División B, by defeating San Martín at home. However, they had to wait one more week as they were widely beaten by 1–4. Seven days later, Ceares clinched the Tercera División title and promotion after beating 0–2 in a do-or-die match at L'Entregu.

9 May 2021 L'Entregu0–2 Ceares El Entrego
Report Aitor Cañedo 14'
Juan Carlos 67'
Stadium: Nuevo Nalón
Attendance: Limited to 300
Referee: Juan González Suárez

The first win in the new league arrived at round 3, after defeating Arenteiro by 2–0. However, a long streak of losses quickly demoted the team to the last position. On 30 November 2021, Ceares made its debut in the Copa del Rey, by facing local powerhouse Sporting de Gijón. The match was played at El Molinón, as La Cruz did not meet the requirements of the RFEF for hosting matches of this competition, and finished with a 0–1 defeat.

30 November 2021 Ceares0–1 Sporting Gijón Gijón
20:00 Report César 38' Stadium: El Molinón
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Javier Iglesias Villanueva

However, Ceares finally could not avoid relegation and finished in the last position in their first experience in a league with teams out from Asturias.

On 1 May 2024, Ceares qualified again for the promotion playoffs to Segunda Federación with two rounds left.

Stadium

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During the 1960s, UC Ceares played its matches in the old pitch of Los Fresno, in Viesques, neighbourhood of Gijón. This location is today occupied by a school. During some years, due to not having an own stadium, played its matches in several fields until the current Campo de La Cruz was built in the 1970s.

The pitch is made of natural grass and has dimensions of 99 by 65 meters. The stadium has got a lateral tribune, improved in 2004, with 250 seats. It's located in Parque de Los Pericones in Gijón.

The stadium was used also by Gijón FF, for playing the 2005–06 Superliga Femenina, the only season the club played in the top women's league in Spain. It came back to La Cruz in 2018.

In April 2017, Ceares agreed with the Gijón Town Hall the renovation of the facilities and the construction of a second pitch made of artificial turf for Gijón FF and the youth teams of the club.[7][8] However, due to some controversies in the city, the Town Hall preferred to build the second pitch in other area of the neighbourhood.

One year later, Ceares authorised Gijón FF to play its games in the women's second division at La Cruz.

In July 2019, the Town Hall of Gijón refused to continue with the project of the new pitch mainly for the women's team and only offered Ceares to renovate La Cruz by building a new tribune and changing the pitch of natural grass for one made of artificial turf. This proposal was widely rejected by the club members.[9]

In 2020, the building of the lockers and club office and the kop, both located behind the goal, were reformed.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

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Current squad

As of 20 November 2021

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

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Season to season

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Source[11]


Awards and trophies

Statistics and records

In Segunda División RFEF

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Updated as of the end of the 2021–22 season.

  • Best position: 18th (2021–22).
  • Record home win: 2–0 vs Arenteiro.
  • Consecutive games undefeated: 2.
  • Consecutive games without goals against: 2.
  • Top scorer: Óscar Fernández (9 goals).
  • Most games played: Héctor Zuazua (33 games).
  • Coach with more games: Pablo Busto (34 games).

In Tercera División

More information Seasons, Pld ...

Updated as of the end of the 2020–21 season.[12]

  • Best position: 1st (2020–21).
  • Consecutive season in Tercera División: 17th (2003–04 to 2019–20).
  • Record home win: 6–0 vs Condal (2017–18).
  • Record away win: 0–4 vs Llanes (2012–13) and vs Barcia (2023–24), 1–5 vs Siero (2019–20) and vs Gijón Industrial (2023–24).
  • Consecutive games undefeated: 13 (2020–21).
  • Consecutive wins: 7 (2020–21).
  • Consecutive games without goals against: 5 (2009–10 and 2020–21).
  • Top scorer: Jimmy (47 goals).
  • Most games played: Juan Carlos (295 games, including playoffs).
  • Coach with more games: In Tercera División: Nacho Cabo (156 games, including playoffs).

Most capped players

Below is a list of the ten players with the most caps for Ceares in national leagues, Copa del Rey and Copa RFEF, as of the end of the 2022–23 season. Players in bold are currently playing at Ceares.

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Top goalscorers

Below is a list of the top ten goalscorers for Ceares in national leagues, Copa del Rey and Copa RFEF, as of the 2021–22 season. Players in bold are currently playing at Ceares.

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Famous players

Head coaches

Rogelio García, one of the most prolific coaches in the club's history

All official games are counted.

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Memorial Pepe Ortiz

Since 2011, UC Ceares starts the pre-season playing a friendly trophy called Memorial Pepe Ortiz in hommage of the former player of Sporting de Gijón from 1949 to 1963, considered as the best player of the history of the neighbourhood.[13]

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  1. Four teams played the first edition. Racing La Guía finished third and Manuel Rubio fourth.

Agreed and affiliated teams

Aboño

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Since July 2019, Cultural Deportiva de Aboño acts as the reserve team of Ceares.[14]

The club, founded in 1929 in Aboño, Carrió, Carreño, currently plays in Tercera Asturfútbol – Group 1, eight and last tier, and in its best years reached the Regional Preferente, fifth division.[15]

Season to season (as reserve team)

More information Season, Tier ...

Gijón FF

Gijón Fútbol Femenino is the only women's football team of Gijón that played in the Superliga.

In 2015, Gijón FF started to act as de facto's women's section of Ceares and both created the Mixed Football Academy.

Veriña

Veriña Club de Fútbol, located in the namesake parish, is one of the most important youth football teams in the city. The collaboration agreement started in 2020, during the months Ceares had to play at Estadio Lloreda due to the improvement works at La Cruz.[16]


References

  1. "El Oviedo cede un empate ante el Ceares en tiempo añadido" (in Spanish). El Comercio hemerotec. 6 April 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  2. "El Ceares es el mejor club para la despedida" (in Spanish). El Comercio. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  3. "De las gradas a los despachos: Fútbol popular y anglófilo en Ceares" (in Spanish). Los ideales del gol. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  4. "El Ceares se hace con el liderato en casa de L'Entregu" (in Spanish). El Comercio. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  5. "2-0.El Salvador vence a dominicanos en primer triunfo en era del español Roca" [2-0.El Salvador defeat to Dominicans in first victory in era of Spanish Roca] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  6. "Resumen de la Asamblea Extraordinaria de soci@s" (in Spanish). UC Ceares. 6 March 2015.
  7. "Ceares y Gijón Femenino tendrán sintético" (in Spanish). FutbolAsturiano.es. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  8. "Sobre la instalación de hierba sintética en La Cruz" [About the set up of synthetic grass in La Cruz] (in Spanish). UC Ceares. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  9. "La Federación Nacional desestima el recurso de los equipos regionales". El Comercio (in Spanish). 27 August 1952.
  10. Profile at Fútbol Regional
  11. "Histórico UC Ceares" (in Spanish). Futbolme.net. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  12. "III Trofeo 'Pepe Ortiz': UC Ceares – Real Avilés" (in Spanish). UC Ceares website. 24 July 2013.
  13. CD Aboño at Jugadores Segunda B. (in Spanish)

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