Summer Reading: Working Class Heroes The Story of Rayo Vallecano, Madrid’s Forgotten Club

Rayo Vallecano is a unique club

A club traditionally associated with the political left, albeit more for economic reasons is Rayo Vallecano (which fits my personal ideology politically more than that of social-issue driven leftists with whom I often find serious disagreement), who also this season are punching well above their weight in domestic competition, and could qualify for Europe.

People can quibble with left-wing social ideologies if they like but the commercialization of the sport is something the clubs traditionally associated with the left have led the fight against - and irrespective of politics this I feel is a worthy cause.

Like German clubs Union Berlin and FC St Pauli, Rayo Vallecano stands tall in its fight against the overt commercialization of football, marking a direct contrast with two Madrid rivals (of which I would say believe it or not, Atlético de Madrid is the more blatantly commercial club with its ownership model and international offshoots, as opposed to Real Madrid, which remains contrary to the narrative, and relatively speaking still *somewhat* purer).

Vallecano also fits my personal preference for neighborhood clubs, stimulating grassroots soccer something I want to see in the United States that national leagues like USL2/ USL W The League for Clubs/WPSL , NPSL and UPSL can help drive.

I can’t recommend Robbie Dunne’s Working Class Heroes, The Story of Rayo Vallecano, Madrid’s Forgotten Club, enough. It’s a journey through Vallecano history and culture using a narrative of the 2016-17 campaign as a lens through which everything else about the club is discussed. I’m not going to give away much about the book, other than to say any fan interested in neighborhood clubs, and football culture should read it. You’ll learn a great deal not only about Spanish football, but about the culture and history of Madrid.

Vallecano interestingly enough, first came to my attention in the 1990’s when they had developed a sort of far-leftist interest in the United Kingdom, which had been connected to Laurie Cunningham playing there before, as we all know he was tragically killed in a 1989 Madrid car accident. Then in 1999, American Kasey Keller signed there, leaving Martin O’Neill’s Leicester City and had a few decent seasons in La Liga before being relegated to the Segunda and then even deeper to Segunda B.

Then Rayo were promoted back to La Liga and became a Yo-Yo club. In that period, while I was still working at NASL, we began talking to various foreign clubs and owners about investment. Vallecano bit and entered a partnership with some local-based owners in Oklahoma to form Rayo OKC. However, logically the club’s fans in Madrid were not happy. Being anti-commercial and neighborhood-driven, why the heck was the club investing in a second division club in the United States?

The venture lasted a single season. And Rayo is better for it, as they’ve refocused on their core business and pushed on to new heights.

This book is a must read.