The Children of 37 (pt.1): Cambridge, Coventry and Caerleon
The Children of 37 (pt.1): Cambridge, Coventry and Caerleon
The first of a three-part series on the Children of 37 who became footballers, this opening feature focuses on those who did not play for Athletic Club
“The Children of ’37 in the UK”, the AC Museum’s upcoming exhibition, explores the evacuation of 4,000 Basque children to England aboard the SS Habana during the Spanish Civil War. More specifically, it follows the story of those refugees who developed a passion for football in the United Kingdom.
The exhibition’s inauguration is due to take place at midday local time on April 27, one day after the 85th anniversary of the bombing of Gernika.
As we get closer to the exhibition’s opening, we will publish a three-part feature series taking an in-depth look at the refugees who played football at an elite level after the war ended.
Two of the stories, those of Emilio Aldekoa and Raimundo Lezama, will be well known to most Athleticzales, with both players having made several appearances for the Lions.
However, a small number of those Basque children overcame the adversity of their respective situations and excelled as footballers away from Athletic Club, achieving extraordinary feats in their careers. The first article in our series is dedicated to them.
Sabino Barinaga
Born in Durango on August 15, 1922, Sabino was a witness to the bombing of Durango, which occurred on March 31, 1937. Together with his siblings, Barinaga was evacuated to Southampton aboard the SS Habana.
Sabino and future Athletic star Raimundo Lezama stayed in Southampton at Nazareth house, just a stone’s throw away from Southampton FC’s stadium, The Dell. Eventually they were spotted by the Saints and brought into the club’s recently-formed ‘B’ side.
Playing as a forward, Barinaga scored an incredible 62 goals in 18 league and cup matches for the south-coast outfit. When the UK joined WWII in September 1939, the First Division was suspended and replaced with ‘war competitions’, unofficial leagues set up by the FA.
Barinaga played half a season in those tournaments, scoring 22 times in 14 appearances. Saints manager at the time, Tom Parker, described Sabino as “one of the most brilliant youngsters I’ve ever seen”, and it is well known Southampton were keen to keep Sabino at the club.
However, after the end of the Spanish Civil War, the UK government forced the majority of the refugees to return home. So, Barinaga headed back to Bizkaia in March 1940. He continued to play football on his return and even had a trial at Athletic Club, but opted to sign for Real Madrid instead after receiving a huge offer.
Barinaga wrote his name into Merengue history. He became the first player to score at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to his opening strike in a 3-1 friendly victory against Portuguese side Os Belenenses during the stadium’s inaugural match in 1947.
Sabino left Real Madrid in 1950, by which time he had scored 91 goals in 182 appearances, and saw out his playing career at Real Sociedad and Real Betis before hanging up his boots in 1955.
He then had a 20-year-long coaching career, leading the likes of Real Betis, CA Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Valencia CF, and Club America in Mexico, among others. In addition to that, he gained international experience, managing the Nigerian and Moroccan national teams.
Sabino would always remember his time in Southampton fondly. He kept in touch with his carers from Nazareth house for the rest of his life and frequently visited the coastal city.
José & Antonio Gallego
Jose and Antonio, born in Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, were 14 and 12 when they arrived in Southampton along with their three sisters. From Stoneham Camp they were sent to Station Road in Cambridge, along with 30 other refugee children.
The Spanish Civil War had a profound impact on the Gallegos and their family. Their father died in the bombing of Gernika and their mother Luisa subsequently placed them in an orphanage for their protection before getting them a place on the Habana. Luisa herself was forced to flee the Basque Country via France and Portugal, eventually reuniting with her children in Cambridge 10 years later.
Football became a source of escapism for the brothers, “it meant everything to us,” Antonio later recalled. “It was all we thought about. As long as we had football we were happy.” The sport helped the siblings settle into life in Cambridge, where the locals called them Joe and Tony. They set up a team with the other Basque children in the area, playing local sides and other Basque Boys teams across the country.
From there they joined non-league side Cambridge Town (now Cambridge City). In 1947, Tony signed for fellow East Anglian outfit Norwich City, making one appearance in goal for the Canaries in the third tier of English football before returning to Cambridge Town and establishing himself in the region’s competitive amateur leagues.
Joe, a left-winger, signed for Brentford FC, playing six times for the London-based side. In 1948, he went to Southampton FC. Reports described his Saints debut, his sole appearance for the club, as “most promising”, insisting he “deserved another try”.
However, an ankle injury suffered in that same match, along with homesickness for East Anglia, stalled his progress. “Joe loved Cambridge. He never liked moving away. He was always a Cambridge lad, very homely,” Tony said about his brother.
After failing to break into the first-team at the Saints, Joe moved back to East Anglia, signing for Colchester United. At 29 years old, he returned to Cambridge to play for non-league side Cambridge United, spending five seasons with the club.
Unlike many of the other Basque refugees, Jose and Antonio spent the rest of their lives in England, remaining in the university city until they passed away in 2006 and 2012 respectively.
José Luis Bilbao Gallastegui
A left winger from Durango, José Luis played for Hitchin Town and Coventry City, making five appearances and scoring one goal for the latter. His Sky Blues debut came against Chelsea in February 1946, with local reports saying he “gave a good account of himself despite suffering from the flu”.
A week later, Coventry went on to beat Millwall FC 7-2, Bilbao and fellow Basque refugee Emilio Aldekoa both scored first-half goals in the rout. Bilbao left England in the summer of 1946, signing for Girondins Bordeaux, before eventually returning to his hometown, where he would regularly line up for Cultural Durango.
José Luis’ connection with England and his propensity to talk about his time there led to his friends in Durango nicknaming him “Coventry”.
Enrique Garatea Bello
When Enrique arrived in the UK aboard the Habana he was sent to Cambria House in Caerlon, Wales. He made a name for himself playing in goal for the Basque Boys AFC side that took Wales by storm.
The team played fundraising matches across South Wales and the Welsh press often referred to them as “the Basque Wonder Team” or “The Basque Unbeatables”. The Basques even faced the country’s top school team, Moorland Road School, in front of thousands of spectators at Cardiff City’s Ninian Park in May 1939.
Enrique stood out and it is said that many British teams were interested in taking him on once he was old enough to sign a contract, especially Newport County. However, the young goalie returned home as soon as he discovered his parents were still alive.
His interest in football remained strong and he went on to have a long career in Spanish football, playing for CD Touring, Calahorra, Huesca, Torrelavega, Tenerife and Cádiz. Garatea also joined Atlético Madrid in 1952/53, but he never made an official appearance, instead being sent out on loan.
Beyond these five players, several others refugees went on to forge careers in football after leaving England: Vicente Alti Carro (Everton de Viña del Mar in Chile), Luis Arbulu (CD Basconia), José María Arbulu (CD Basconia), Tomas Arbulu (SD Deusto, CD Getxo, Athletic Club*, Sestao SC, Alavés), Iñaki Barinaga (Cultural Durango, Alavés), Tomás Bilbao (SD Erandio, Athletic Club*) and Lorenzo “Lorín” Fernández (Racing Santander, Real Zaragoza, Montpellier, Perpignan, Nimes).
*Signed for Athletic but never made an official debut.
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