Madrid-Uno Weblog

Switched on the TV tonight and saw big celebrations going on following the end of a basketball match.

I’m not a big fan of Basketball. It’s not a game we get much exposure to in the UK so its subtleties are beyond me. But it’s an important game in Spain and the country is the reigning World Champions. No, really. Better than the Yanks even. Who’d a thunk it?

Anyway, cause for celebrations? The ‘historic’ Madrid team MMT Estudiantes had saved themselves from relegation in the final match of the ABC league season, thus securing their proud record of being an ever present since the league’s formation back in 1955. It is one of only three such clubs, together with Real Madrid and Joventut.

MMT fans, known as the ‘Demencia’, are well known for being quite batty. The club was originally formed from a well known school (The Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu) on Serrano, near to Republica Argentina, and the hard-core of support emanate from there. And being young student types they have a lot of energy so do a lot of shouting. Balloons and streamers are used assiduously. They bounce up and down in the stands.

It’s also a ’sympathetically’ popular team - Madrilenos in general have a soft spot for them - particularly as they’re classic underdogs, never winning anything (bar a few minor domestic cups) but being league runners-up four times (most recently 2003/04).

For tonight’s crucial game (I should point out I had no idea about any of this crucialness until I was filled in by a mate) the demented ones had travelled in impressive numbers to Leon to support their team so the arena was about a quarter full of blue-shirted aficionadios willing their heroes on. Well, it worked. And we will see the Estudiantes in the Premier League next season. If you fancy attending a match, probably best to buy ear mufflers.