Just around the bay of Alicante, the town of Santa Pola football stadium is named after Manuel Maciá Sempere; born in the town and starting his career for his home town club before moving up the coast to play for Hércules CF of Alicante. Macia is a hero, not only as an exceptional footballer but as a Republican fighter in the Civil War as well.
I am indebted to the groundhopper Ganninaway website for some of the following information.
Better known as Manolo Maciá, or Maciá II during his playing career at Hercules due to his elder brother already playing at the club and becoming known as Maciá I, he was a strong defender, sublime in the tackle, who spent almost all of his playing career in the area of his birth, first playing for Atlétic Club Santa Pola from 1925 before moving across town to Santa Pola FC and then to Hércules CF in 1930.
The Spanish Civil War halted football in Spain and Manolo Maciá fought on the side of the Republicans before he went into exile in Nice and signed for OGC Nice, where he would spend four years playing for them alongside José Samitier and Ricardo Zamora. This would be the only period that he spent playing outside of the Alicante area, where he returned in 1940, after temporarily being imprisoned, having turned down offers from both Barcelona and Real Madrid during his career.
Once back in Alicante, prison would await the player after a false claim was levelled against him that he had burned down a Santa Pola church, an accusation that saw him jailed for six months, before he resumed his career with Hércules, interrupted thereafter only by a one season spell with Alicante CF. Manolo Maciá would later coach Hércules before taking the reigns in Santa Pola.
I can recommend catching a game at the Macia - cold beer and grilled sardines at half time and a dedicated bunch of ultras banging the drums while swigging from super size bottles of Mahou - excellent stuff.
Just around the bay of Alicante, the town of Santa Pola football stadium is named after Manuel Maciá Sempere; born in the town and starting his career for his home town club before moving up the coast to play for Hércules CF of Alicante. Macia is a hero, not only as an exceptional footballer but as a Republican fighter in the Civil War as well.
I am indebted to the groundhopper Ganninaway website for some of the following information.
Better known as Manolo Maciá, or Maciá II during his playing career at Hercules due to his elder brother already playing at the club and becoming known as Maciá I, he was a strong defender, sublime in the tackle, who spent almost all of his playing career in the area of his birth, first playing for Atlétic Club Santa Pola from 1925 before moving across town to Santa Pola FC and then to Hércules CF in 1930.
The Spanish Civil War halted football in Spain and Manolo Maciá fought on the side of the Republicans before he went into exile in Nice and signed for OGC Nice, where he would spend four years playing for them alongside José Samitier and Ricardo Zamora. This would be the only period that he spent playing outside of the Alicante area, where he returned in 1940, after temporarily being imprisoned, having turned down offers from both Barcelona and Real Madrid during his career.
Once back in Alicante, prison would await the player after a false claim was levelled against him that he had burned down a Santa Pola church, an accusation that saw him jailed for six months, before he resumed his career with Hércules, interrupted thereafter only by a one season spell with Alicante CF. Manolo Maciá would later coach Hércules before taking the reigns in Santa Pola.
I can recommend catching a game at the Macia - cold beer and grilled sardines at half time and a dedicated bunch of ultras banging the drums while swigging from super size bottles of Mahou - excellent stuff.
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