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14.03.2009 10:34
100th anniversary of the Calle Industria ground
Carles Santacana
This Saturday is the 100th anniversary of the opening of the ground in Calle de la Industria, where Barcelona played for 13 years before moving to the legendary Les Corts ground in 1922.
In its first few years Barça was little more than a bunch of friends who had a good time playing football. That meant that the personal possibilities of these enthusiasts who did everything (they were players, directors and members) had a major impact on the life of the club.
Growing club
All that changed after the crisis in 1908 when the club almost disappeared and under
the chairmanship of Joan Gamper things were soon turned around. Evidence of the instability that
had gone before is the fact that the club had had four grounds in the first ten years of its
existence.
Big step forward
In 1909 that changed and on 14 March 1909 the ground in Calle de la
Industria was opened. It was to be the club’s home until the move to the Les Corts stadium in
1922. The Industria ground was bounded by Villarroel, París (then called Industria) and Urgell
streets and was the first in Barcelona to have a two-tier stand.
First game
It is said that 6,000 people squeezed in, though attendance figures from the time are not very reliable. The first game was a Catalan Championship clash with El Català which ended in a two-all draw. Romà Forns scored the first goal and Carlos Wallace bagged the second.
Barça won the second game played at the new stadium and became the champions of Catalonia.
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‘L’Escopidora’ or the ‘Camp Vell’
The ground in Calle de la Industria was also known as ‘L’escopidora’ (‘The
Spittoon') and later on as ‘Camp Vell’ (Old Ground). It was the ground which saw
Barça’s sporting and social rise, where Alcántara played and Samitier made his debut.
It was the first ground that Barça players and fans really felt was their own, and in 1924 journalist Daniel Carbó wrote that "we still think back to it with the fervour and the longing which is left behind by things we loved ".
It was the first ground that Barça players and fans really felt was their own, and in 1924 journalist Daniel Carbó wrote that "we still think back to it with the fervour and the longing which is left behind by things we loved ".
