The Language of Athletic Club (pt.6): La Gabarra
The Language of Athletic Club (pt.6): La Gabarra
Athletic Club don’t do open-top bus tours, we do trips down Bilbao’s river in a barge
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.
La Gabarra
‘Una gabarra’ is a barge, but this is LA GABARRA. At Athletic, this specific barge is synonymous with glory.
When Athletic win a major trophy, they don’t take the typical open-top bus tour… Instead, they ride a barge down Bilbao’s River Nervión.
In the early 80s, millions of fans lined the Nervión’s banks and watched their heroes sail through the city with trophies in hand.
The decision to hit the waves was inspired by an old folk song about some footballers sailing down the river in a barge.
Apart from that, the barges, which have to be towed by a bigger boat and were used to haul iron ore and other materials up and down the river, are a symbol of Biscay’s industrial heritage.
Athletic’s Gabarra was used as a normal working barge until being retired in 2013. It’s now kept in a dry dock close to the Bilbao Maritime Museum, along with other famous small vessels.
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