How to watch CD Tenerife football club
On this page you will find:
HOME and AWAY
The team play home games in the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez in the capital city of Santa Cruz. Due to the considerable distance from peninsular Spain, matches attract few away fans and the atmosphere in the stadium at matches is generally free from aggravation, although like all football fans, Tinerfeños can generate a considerable excitement in the ground when the match merits it. The stadium holds about 22,500 spectators (average attendance is less, so seats are usually available), mainly in the open air which is seldom a problem as matches are often played in beautiful sunshine or on calm, warm evenings although we have been to one of the few matches to be played in a continual rainstorm (a 1-1 draw against Deportivo La Coruña in October 1994 - at least the rain was warm!). there is a roof over the Tribuna (main stand) and the back seats in the lower tier are also under cover now the modernisation is complete. The San Sebastian side of the ground was the final part of the stadium to be improved to match the rest of the stadium with two tiers and the Heliodoro now looks very impressive.
I have a page of
Spanish football
vocabulary to help you understand a bit better if you aren't fluent and you may come across some local terms such as "chicharerro" (someone from Santa Cruz) or "chicha" both of which are used to desribe supporters, "guanche" (the original inhabitants of Tenerife) often used in the phrase "orgullo guanche" (guanche pride) and "blanquiazules" (the blue and whites).
Away games
necessitate the team travelling by plane and requires a stay in mainland Spain
which is not popular with the players and their families and also means that it
is difficult for fans to watch away games. Some away games mean a flight to Madrid of about 2 hours followed by a four hour coach journey. The only exception to this will be the local "derbi" against Las Palmas from Gran Canaria which is a short flight or hovercraft ride away but you need to book up for this in advance (contact Chris Todd, details below, if you want to go). Also the contrast in weather conditions between midwinter Tenerife and the northern coast where several of the teams are situated is considerable. However, there are usually a number of fans at away games especially if the match is being played in an attractive city (the Segunda División hosts clubs in Córdoba, Salamanca and Madrid amongst others). It is a further trip for Tenerife to play a normal league game in most of Spain than it would be for a British club ! When I saw Tenerife play Albacete (which is quite a way South in Spain) in the 2007-8 season the Tenerife from Peña Puntera fans who had come to watch the game on a trip from the island travelled were surprised that I had come from Britain to see the game until I pointed out to them that they had travelled further than I had. If you are staying where Tenerife are playing away you will probably find a small group of fans who have travelled all the way to see them and the ticket office may give you a seat in the same section.
TICKETS
Tickets can be bought at the ground from the taquillas or in a number of other ways.
THE GATEWAY TO THE OLD HERRADURA with the new Herradura stand behind it. The ticket office (taquiila) is just to the right of this
monument in the bottom of the new stand itself. On matchdays there are many
stalls selling flags, scarves and other souvenirs of Tenerife (and other clubs)
in this area.
The ticket office appears to be open on most days from 10.00 to 13.00 and again from 17.00 to 20.00 but check, if you can, before you make a special trip.
The ticket office itself does not have a phone but you (or, if you don't speak Spanish well and are staying in a hotel, possibly the reception desk) may be able to ring the club to enquire about ticket details - the main club telephone number is 298100 or 00 34 922 298100 when ringing from Britain. However this won't be necessary for almost all matches in the Segunda División as the stadium will not be full and you will normally be able to buy tickets just before the match or get them in one of the other ways mentioned below.
Una ENTRADA (entrance ticket)
- Fila means row
- Asiento means seat
- Puertas means the gates you can use to enter the
ground
the bar code is used when you enter to check the number of spectators
The probable prices you will
find during the 2008/9 season - these were correct at the Rayo Vallecano game in November - (with prices for children under 14 designated as "Infantil") are:
Popular baja - bottom tier behind the goal we usually attack in the second half - 13 euros
Popular alta (
sometimes called Anfiteatro) - upper tier at the same end - 13 euros
Herradura - other end behind the goal (alta/upper tier and
baja/lower tier) - 20 euros (children 3 euros)
San Sebastián - alongside
the pitch opposite the Tribuna - 27 euros (children 6 euros)
Tribuna - main stand and only covered one - 37 euros (children 9 euros)
Children's prices - limited to under 12 year olds and
where they can sit may be limited to rows 2
and 3 so seats sold to children may not be next to adult seats but this is not a problem if the ground is not full as you can just all sit together - I've never known this to be a problem).
You will probably be able to
choose roughly where you sit as in many parts of the ground people don't bother
with the numbers on the tickets but please note if you are in a crowded area
with season ticket holders having their "own seats" that adjacent seats will be
odd or even numbered e.g. 3 is next to 5 and 7, whilst 12 is next to 10 and
14. This system applies at other public events such as theatres and
cinemas as well so don't panic and think you will have someone sitting inbetween
you.
Another place you can buy tickets is Raquel y Carla Libreria/Papeleria (a stationer's and paper shop) on the ground floor of Apartmentos Mar-Ola Park in Avenida Penetración which is one of the main roads from Playa de Las Americas to Los Cristianos. This could be useful if you are staying
in the south of the island and going to a game by car.
Peña
Internet recommendation
A great way to arrange tickets
and to watch the match with other fans is to travel with one of the supporters buses and this is the Peña Internet recommendation. One group of international fans including British residents in Tenerife who run these is a fan club called Armada Sur (Southern Army) and lots of tourists and locals go with them from Los Cristianos, Playa de las Americas or the Las Chafiras area to watch matches. They
can sort out the tickets for you and you can take part in the atmosphere of the
match with fans. The coaches start at the Toby Jug bar situated in the San Eugenio Alto part of town near the Aqua Park and have two or three other pick up points on the way. Chris Todd, one of the organisers, can usually arrange tickets even on the day of the game but sometimes the coach gets full so it is best to book early when you are sure you want to go to a match. The cost includes the coach so is a good deal.
You can contact Chris on his
mobile (00 34 from Britain) 606 836 585 or via the
Armada Sur website . I have travelled with Armada Sur myself on many
occasions and have heard from lots of people who travelled on one occasion when on holiday how satisfied they were going with Chris on his trips to matches.
You should note that
the crowd is very good natured and, although where most people going on the
trips sit is very noisy, this all adds to the atmosphere. The various "peñas"
(fans groups) like the "Frente Blanquiazul" (blue and white front) are not right
wing "ultras" as in some Spanish and Italian clubs and their posters proclaim
anti-racist slogans. You will however see some banners proclaiming the desire
for independence from mainland Spain for the Canary Islands (it's a nice idea
that if they get that we could beat Las Palmas twice and win the national league
every season and be in the Champions League every year !!!)
OTHER TICKET OUTLETS
There are also outlets in other towns a villages. If you are staying in the north of the island, the one most likely to be useful to tourists is the Bar Canario, Carretera General, El Botánico 100, Los Rechasos, n° 11, Puerto de la Cruz. The following information sent me by John Twistleton will be of help in finding it. He says that "I was able to buy tickets in a bar call Bar Canario which was on the road from the Autopista del Norte towards Puerto, about 300 meters (approx) from junction 32 (or 18 depending of which map you use), and is on the right of the road, almost opposite the banana place. Inside the bar, to the left of the bar, and next to an impressive collection of toy cars, there is a lottery booth, and match tickets are available here". A full list of outlets outside of Santa Cruz is given below:
La Laguna
Música y Deportes Penedo. Calle Capitán Brotón, nº 18.(Trasera del Teatro Leal)
Tegueste
Fernando del Castillo. Calle Calvo Sotelo, nº 56
Tacoronte
Estanco La Sucursal. Mercado Municipal, La Estación-esquina. C/ El Durazno (Local 21)
Puerto de la Cruz
Bar Canario. Carretera General El Botánico 100, Los Rechazos, nº 11. (Frente a la bananera)
Los Realejos Alto
Libería Papelería La Zamora. Carretera General La Zamora, nº 110
Güímar
Despacho de Quinielas Manolo "Manolo Millán". Barrio de Fátima
Las Galletas (Arona)
Deportes La Estrella 2000. Carretera General Las Galletas, Urbanización La Estrella, nº 5
Playa de Las Américas (Arona)
Librería Papelería Raquel y Carla. Avenida Antonio Domínguez, Apartamentos Mar-Ola Park, local nº 5
TRAVELLING TO HOME MATCHES ON YOUR OWN
On of the easiest way to get to matches from the main holiday resorts is by hire car. The islands two motorways both lead to Santa Cruz and the ground is near where they converge (it is marked on most maps - look for the Calle San Sebastian which runs along one side of the ground). Follow signs for the "Ramblas" and the ground is on the right at the first roundabout, about a quarter of a mile past the open air swimming pool which you can see as you go over the flyover. Parking is limited but you should be able to find somewhere in the streets around the stadium. Alternatively, park nearer the town centre or the harbour and walk up to the ground.
It is possible
to travel by ordinary bus (the Tenerife dialect word for a bus is "guagua"
pronounced "wah wah") and the main Santa Cruz bus station is not too far from
the ground but evening matches may finish too late to get back that night and some of Tenerife's games kick-off in the early evening so you need to check the timetable before setting off. Taxis are also available but will be very expensive if you are travelling any distance to the game.
If you are staying in the South of
the island, a much better way is to travel with one of the supporters buses such as Armada Sur (see above).
USEFUL PUBLICATIONS
There is usually a
printed programme that you can pick up before the game (although this
is, of course, in Spanish) but you can also buy a copy of the
daily papers such as La Opinión de Tenerife (also on its
website - click on "Deportes" if a Tenerife story is not on the homepage). On matchday they will print the likely teams and the day after you can read extensive reports of the game, interviews with players, etc. as well as seeing lots of statistics and photos. This is, of course, all in Spanish.
Extensive news is also available in Spanish in another
newspaper El Día
website. Navigate through the site to the Deportes (sports) page where there are usually several Tenerife stories. A few years ago they did a full page in the paper and on the website about Peña Internet.
The "Diario de Avisos" has also
had a feature on Chris Todd and myself and they too have a
website.
The locally printed version of the national sports daily paper Marca has a "Canarias" supplement in the middle pages and the local version of another football dominated sports paper, AS, also has more news on CD Tenerife than do editions bought in peninsula Spain.
If you can read Spanish "MARCA" is
now on sale in large cities in Britain and can be ordered from newsagents
elsewhere and in other European countries (it costs 1 euro in Spain and can
be obtained from virtually any news kiosk). Match reports generally appear in
Monday's edition (unless we play on Saturday) and there is sometimes news about
Tenerife on other days in the section on the Segunda División.
MARCA also has its
own internet pages as does AS.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
Spanish TV has an external service that sometimes shows matches but this is likely to be limited to cup games as far as Tenerife are concerned - it can be found at channel 795 on Sky. In Spain and elsewhere Canal+ covers Spanish football and although coverage is dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona fixtures they are increasingly showing games from the Segunda División with the downside being that they usually change the kick-off to 11 am UK and Tenerife time on a Sunday. There is also a Canary island television channel (TV Canarias) which shows matches live and highlights.
In Tenerife you can often watch away games on TV - if so they will be shown at the Royal Oak II bar in Las Americas where you can watch with the Armada Sur international supporters.
The Sky Sports channels show Spanish matches almost every Saturday and Sunday and, although these do not feature Tenerife (being "feeds" from Canal+ and exclusively featuring Primera Divsión games).
WHERE TO BUY CD TENERIFE SOUVENIRS
On match days there are always stalls around the ground selling shirts, flags, pins (badges) and lots of other souvenirs.
The club shop, La Tienda del CD Tenerife, is in Callejón del Combate on the corner. This is the same street that the club offices are in but on the opposite side. The shop opens from 9.30 - 13.00 and from 16.30 - 20.00 on Mondays to Fridays and from 10.00 - 13.30 on Saturdays. They only sell a small range of souvenirs and shirts with names on will be limited in number and have to ordered about a week in advance if you want them doing especially.
HELP IMPROVE THIS INFORMATION
Please send me an e-mail at Peña Internet if you have any further sources of information on CD Tenerife which would be of interest to English or Spanish speaking supporters.
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