The Language of Athletic Club (pt.4): All Iron
The Language of Athletic Club (pt.4): All Iron
From the mines to The Cathedral, find out where the expression ‘alirón’ comes from
Every football club has its own particular set of vocabulary, a glossary of terms that reflects its history and the pride of its fans. And in that sense Athletic Club is no different. However, the Club’s unique history in addition to the blend of Basque, Spanish and English has given Athletic’s vernacular a distinct flavour.
In this series, we briefly explain the origins and meanings behind some of the most popular Athletic Club terms.
Alirón
“Alirón, alirón, el Athletic, campeón” (All iron, all iron, Athletic, champion) the famous chant goes. There’s some debate as to where exactly the term ‘alirón’ comes from, but it most likely originated in Biscay’s iron mines during the late 19th century.
It’s believed that whenever the Basque miners found pure forms of ore -which meant increased pay- they would relay this information to the English engineers by shouting “all iron”.
At the turn of the century, the expression jumped from the mines to sport, becoming a term of elation and celebration. Furthermore, having been affected by the local pronunciation, it shifted from ‘all iron’ to ‘alirón’.
The song became popularised in the 1910s thanks to singer Teresita Zazá, who would regularly belt it out at concerts around the city to celebrate Athletic’s triumphs.
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