The island of San Andres is home to a Colombian second-tier side
Amid the plod of a steady reggae beat and under a raging Caribbean sun, the mid-afternoon soporific air is suddenly disturbed. “Yeahhhh monnn!” booms the stadium announcer, as a broken Creole voice crackles from a nearby transistor radio. The teams creep from beneath the shade into the 38-degree heat. Overhead, a huge Saint Andrew’s flag wriggles across a sea of hands.
Real San Andres, one of South America’s newest and most peculiar football clubs, are about to play their final game of the season. They haven’t won a league match at their Estadio Erwin O’Neil all year and today’s Colombian second-division game is a dead rubber. Yet the ground’s main stand still bustles with over a thousand people.
“I didn’t even use to like football,” confesses 34-year-old car mechanic Orlando while gurgling a drop of rum into a plastic cup. “But now we have a team, I’m a big fan.”
Just a few months ago, Orlando’s club was known as Real Santander, a team based in the eastern Colombian city of Floridablanca, not far from the Venezuelan border. Formed in 2006, they had struggled to make ends meet for over a decade. With just a handful of fans and fed up of begging the local council for cash, Real Santander decided to look for a new home.
Three offers came in from across the country, but one immediately stood out – the only snag being the unusual proposal was located 700 miles away.
This story is from the July 2019 edition of World Soccer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2019 edition of World Soccer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Never Say Never Again
Bayer Leverkusen are determined to shake off their tag of perennial runners-up
The Last Days Of Roma
How Jose Mourinho's time in the Italian capital came to an end
Opponents then friends: Beckenbauer and Cruyff
Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff’s relationship defined an era of football
THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN
RB Leipzig's as successful strategy to build a women's team as their men's is right on schedule
New-look Ulsan ready to defend title
The reigning K-League champions have rebranded since last season and are the team to beat yet again in 2024
Messi set for MLS spotlight
The Argentine and his Inter Miami team-mates will dominate the MLS headlines in a big year for North American football
Champions League knockout rounds begin
The last 16 has already begun, with the quarter-finals soon to follow
Hannes Halldorsson
The former Iceland goalkeeper looks back on his proudest moment in football
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2023-24 KNOCKOUT ROUND PREVIEW
Turn over now for Nick Bidwell's comprehensive team-by-team guide
Ventforet Kofu
Japanese second-tier side advance to Asian Champions League knockout rounds with a second-string team