Athletic supporters together in all territories

In 2019, seven official clubs of the Athletic Club were inaugurated: Peña Athletic Club de Novelda (Alicante), Peña Aurtenetxe (Bilbao), Peña Somos Diferentes (Madrid), Peña Athletic de Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz), Peña Athletic Zaleak (Llodio), Peña Txanberiko Lehoiak (Madrid) and Peña Athletic Sempre Contigo (Ourense).

In addition to those inaugurated, three more clubs have presented the necessary documentation to officially become part of the Athletic Club family: Peña Denon Athletic (Bilbao), Peña La Catedral de Yepes (Toledo) and Peña Athletic Club Manizales (Colombia). Pending their official inauguration, they are already a total of 465 red-and-white fan clubs all over the world.

Here a review of the additions of 2019.

In March it was the turn of the Peña Athletic Club de Novelda. Although it had already been in activity for some time and with a good direction, the coincidences of the calendar and the fact that the teams from Alicante no longer appear for the elite, had delayed their official status. Almost 300 people met at its headquarters for a launch where a former lion, David López, who also played for the Novelda football club, also attended. He was also accompanied by President Aitor Elizegi, Carlos Gurpegi and Manu Delgado.

 

 

In April, the Peña Aurtenetxe was inaugurated in Ledesma Street of Bilbao in memory of Pedro Aurtenetxe, president of Athletic Club in the 80’s. Dani García, Muniain, Nekane Diez, Marta Perea, Gurpegi, Argoitia and Manu Delgado were, among others, the guests. The president of the club is Asier Atutxa, former president of the Port of Bilbao, and the vice-president, Monica Durango, who was part of the Board of Directors of Athletic Club, as well as Sandra Aurtenetxe, daughter of the former red-and-white president.

 

 

Also in April, the Peña Somos Diferentes – a club that has been running since 2016 – was officially inaugurated at the Txoko Jai Enea in the centre of Madrid, accompanied by President Aitor Elizegi, the directors María Tato, Goyo Arbizu and Óscar Arce and Manu Delgado. This fan club of Madrid awards the ‘Different of the Year’ prize every year, which has been given to De Marcos, Gurpegi and Guerrero, among others, and which has recently distinguished the figure of Andoni Iraola.

 

 

In September it was the turn of the Peña del Athletic in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Its inauguration, three years after its launch, also served to host the Southwest Zone Congress. The director Aitor Bernardo and Andoni Goikoetxea were present. A documentary film was recently released from the event, which was attended by more than 300 people.

 

 

In October, in Laudio, the Peña Athletic Zaleak was inaugurated, created in February 2018. In Pagolar Taberna were Iribar, Argoitia and Goikoetxea, accompanied by the players Nekane and Marta Perea and the directors Goyo Arbizu and Begoña Castaño.

 

 

A few days later, the Peña Txanberiko Lehoiak was inaugurated in Madrid, in Elcano Tavern on Alonso Cano Street, also in the centre of Madrid. They started in September 2018 and since then they have made a clear declaration of their intentions, from the twinning of the central area in Alcalá de Henares to the international congress in Bayonne, passing through the stands of Butarque, the Bernabéu or the Alfonso Pérez.

 

 

Finally, at the end of October, the Peña Sempre Contigo was inaugurated in Ourense, the only official fan club in the province and which dates back to 2012. The occasion was used to hold the congress of the northwest area with 70 supporters from Galicia, Asturias and León, represented by Goyo Arbizu and Manu Delgado.

 

 

Apart from the inaugurated ones, three more clubs have sent the documentation required during 2019. Peña Denon Athletic, constituted in March and approved by the Basque Government in May, is the first official Athletic Club club founded and formed by people with functional diversity (also the first in La Liga). Its headquarters are at the Taberna de los Ingleses in San Mamés, from where they watch the away matches. It has already accompanied the team this season on trips such as to Getafe, Leganés and Vigo.

Another of the Peñas is The Cathedral of Yepes. This town in the province of Toledo already had in the past Peña del Athletic, but it did not have continuity.

And finally, the Peña Athletic Club Manizales. In the capital of the Colombian department of Caldas, to more than 8,000 kilometers of Bilbao. They were presented in society last November with about 30 people. Its president is Carlos Mario Rosero. In general, it is made up of Colombians who have settled or passed through the Basque Country.