Dawn

Dawn

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

With Spain out of the European Cup, it’s hardly surprising that attention has reverted to the local Pontevedra team. Especially as last weekend they were playing the decider for promotion into the Second Division. I watched the first half but – out of boredom - switched off at half-time. This was a shame as Pontevedra scored three goals in the second half and it was something [or would have been] to see both crowd and players become delirious with joy once victory and promotion were in the bag. Unfortunately, this happened three minutes before the end of the game, when the ref. blew for a foul. Anyway, I did get to see the antics that centred on the much-delayed capture of a purple-painted rabbit that was released onto the pitch during the first half. Sadly, though, I missed a reprise with a large, flightless bird that was pursued around the pitch during the second half. The local paper said this had been a cockerel but, on the TV, it looked more like a pheasant to me. And so it turned out to have been. Never trust the press.

The Pontevedra team is sponsored by a local wood-processing factory, whose acronym features in large letters on their shirts. But they have a different sponsor on their shorts and socks. The logo of this company appears to be series of three sharp mountain peaks and this is imprinted on the players’ backsides. Surrealistically, the desperate-for-cash local TV station spends a good deal of time focusing on the players’ rear ends but, as yet, I have been unable to figure out what the company does. Manufactures haemorrhoid cream perhaps.

I have reported previously that the literal translation of Pontevedra’s tourism theme for this year is ‘Pontevedra – A Round City’. I speculated that this cryptic phrase meant ‘rounded’ in the sense that it had many things to offer. And this has now been confirmed by the Director of Tourism, who helpfully added that, when seen from the air, Pontevedra is a round conurbation. And that a football is round and Pontevedra have just won promotion. I am left wondering whose mother, sister, daughter and/or aunt she is.

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