The Peña Valencianista Puçol pays tribute to the Claramunt brothers

SemperValencia/ @semvalencia

April 18 marks the 50th anniversary of a historic date for Valencian football in general and for Puçol in particular: Valencia CF won the League 70-71, with the brothers Pepe and Enrique Claramunt playing a special role. To celebrate the event, the Peña Valencianista Puçol is publishing a series of articles and videos on its website and its social networks. In a season in which they cannot go to the Mestalla to experience football live, they at least want the neighbors to be able to relive one of their most brilliant seasons.

"I think it's important for the town's residents, especially the younger ones, to be able to find out which players were, both Pepe and Enrique," explains Juan Sebastiá, president of the supporters club. "Furthermore, it is a unique case in Spain, it has never been the case that two brothers win the league playing together on the same team."

Inaugurated in 1997, the history of the Peña Valencianista Puçol sometimes bears similarities to that of Valencia CF itself. After the initial illusion, a dark stage arrived in which it practically disappeared. "But a group of neighbors who went to Mestalla took up the witness in 2005. We were Valencia subscribers who went to Mestalla together and met to watch the games outside in the bar on the soccer field."

A rebirth that soon led to thinking about other activities: a gathering, together on the Mestalla tour... and the idea of ​​chartering a bus to go to the Valencia CF games at home came along, and thus avoid parking problems next to Mestalla.

But the idea went beyond the comfort of not worrying about parking, as Juan recalls: "It was also a way of recovering a custom that existed in Puçol in the 60s and 70s: when the Claramunt brothers played there was a bus from Puçol to Mestalla . With the centenary of Valencia, we launched it and it was a success, among other things because it was the year in which the most games were played at the Mestalla, because Valencia reached the semifinal of the Cup and the semifinal of the Europa League, in addition to all the League matches.

A bus that was consolidated in the second year, with more than 40 people on each trip... and then the pandemic arrived.

«Valencia had planned to organize a tribute to the 71 league and we wanted to do something in Puçol, but the pandemic has prevented it. So the idea of ​​writing about that season of great sporting achievements with a youth-based team has arisen. We are focusing it above all on the role of Pepe (who played all 30 games, even with a foot injury) and Enrique (with 22 games, despite coming from the 3rd division)».

Seven chapters have already been published on their page, all with an introductory text and a video that includes the most significant images of each day of that historic league that Valencia CF won.

It is not the only time that the members of the supporters' club participate in acknowledgments of the Claramunt brothers: they were present at the 1999 tribute, with the components of the Spanish National Team and Valencia CF together with Pepe; also in the presentation of the book dedicated to the Claramunts and the rest of the footballers from Puçol who have played in the 1st Division; at the inauguration of the José Claramunt municipal soccer field… and recently at the tribute during the Puçol festivities.

Now, in these times of pandemic, they are reinventing themselves to continue showing their support through other means, and social networks are a perfect place to remember historical moments, such as that championship won on April 18, 1971.

And to wait for the pandemic to pass to return by bus to Mestalla. Munt Valencia.

Website of the Peña Valencianista Puçol