Football enthusiasts with a penchant for retro have a treat on social media, specifically on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter), where the Retrofootball de Iker account has posted a video reenacting a Canarian derby from the 80s.
The simulated match takes place at the iconic Insular Stadium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, for which a detailed documentation work has been done to replicate it. One can see how the fans vibrated in such popular stands as the ‘Curva’ and the ‘Naciente’, accurately conveying the excitement and atmosphere that was experienced in the Gran Canarian stronghold.
Many memories come to mind when seeing the capital venue packed to the rafters. It would only be missing to recreate the smells of octopus, mackerel, and fried squid that were served outside the stadium. Undoubtedly, the good work done by its creators manages to touch the hearts of both UD Las Palmas and CD Tenerife fans, as there were great matches between both island representatives.
It would be nice to be able to enjoy something similar, but replicating the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with its Hierro Stand and Standing General sections.
UD Las Palmas lineup depicted in the reenactment video published by Iker’s X Retrofootball account. / X de Retrofúbol de Iker
UD Las Palmas, Embracing Canarian Culture
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Looking at the lineup reflected in the video, the team taking the field at UD Las Palmas’ magical arena corresponds to the squad from the seasons spanning 1982 to 1985. The yellow team’s main reference was Pepe Juan (Suárez), who was the top scorer with eleven goals in 82-83, the season that ended with the fateful relegation to Segunda División A.
In 83/84, the Gran Canarian side kicked off under the guidance of Uruguayan Héctor Núñez, who was later replaced by Germán Dévora, and the team finished eleventh in the table.
By 84/85, under the management of Argentine coach Roque Olsen, the yellows once again savoured the fruits of promotion. In that season, they clinched a flawless promotion to La Liga as champions with 22 wins, eleven draws, and five defeats (56 goals scored and 37 goals conceded). Fortunato, Julio Suárez, Pepe Juan, and Juani Castillo formed the attacking front. Manolo and Pérez shared goalkeeping duties.
UD Las Palmas stood out for its strong Canarian identity, as many of its players were from Gran Canaria, except for, for example, Felipe, who hailed from Tenerife.
CD Tenerife lineup shown in the reenactment video published by Iker’s Retrofootball X account. / X de Retrofúbol de Iker
Tenerife’s Youth Talent and Foreign Experience at CD Tenerife
During the 83/84 season, CD Tenerife was built on the foundation of the team that achieved promotion from Segunda División B in the 82/83 season. The cornerstone of the sports project consisted of blending Canarian players, mostly from Tenerife, with the contribution of veterans such as goalkeeper Aguirreoa or forward Lasaosa, who had excelled in the third tier.
In the derbies of that season, the Blue and Whites prevailed 0-2 in their visit to the ‘Insular’ stadium, while in the second leg, at the Rodríguez López stadium, the match ended in a goalless draw (0-0).
At the end of the season, CD Tenerife finished fifteenth -sixth from the bottom among 20 clubs-, narrowly avoiding the relegation that awaited the bottom four teams at that time.
The Tenerife club had three coaches that season: José Ramón Fuertes, who was responsible for promoting the team to Segunda División A; Justo Gilberto (interim), and Juanjo García.
Of the eleven players from the rebuilding phase, eight were in that squad. Aguirreoa, a traditional Basque goalkeeper, and Lasaosa, from Aragon, a goalscorer and idol from the previous season 82-83. Eizmendi, a footballer.
Young Talent and Loaned Players: The Pillars of CD Tenerife
The CD Tenerife team in the 83/84 season had a mix of young talent and loaned players. One example is a player from the Real Sociedad academy who remained with the team for several seasons.
Voro represents the loaned players, a key element for CD Tenerife. Most of these players were on the island because of military service requirements. Voro, who came from Valencia’s academy, later found success at Deportivo de La Coruña.
The rest of the first team squad consisted of homegrown players like David Amaral, a club legend, and Paco, the captain and brother of the referee Brito Arceo. In the starting lineup featured in Iker’s Retrofútbol recreation, defenders Mini and José Ramón, who also came from the Tenerife academy, originated from teams like UD Realejos (a prominent club in the north of the island, later playing for UD Las Palmas) -the former- and Tenerife Aficionado -the latter-.
The other three players in the initial team lineup in the video did not play in that specific season. Lacalle was a midfielder loaned from Real Sociedad in previous seasons before 83/84, just like the case of Pedro Martín. On the other hand, the Yugoslavian striker Miloserdovic, known as ‘Milo’, arrived in the 84/85 season, along with the goalkeeper Milenkovic, under the management of their compatriot Dragoljub Milosevic, who was the coach for CD Tenerife that season.
Exotic Touches in the White and Blue Squad
The 83/84 squad also featured Honduran midfielders Gilberto Yerwood and Primitivo Madariaga; the legendary Spanish-Argentinian striker Rubén Cano; and homegrown players Andrés, who later played for UD Las Palmas, Manolo, Alberto, and Toño Hernández, who would become the captain of CD Tenerife in the early 90s. Among the loaned players, it’s worth mentioning Noly from UD Las Palmas and the defenders Camus and Ordoki.
In the 84/85 season, CD Tenerife finished eleventh. Besides the infamous footballers’ strike – which led to a derby match against UD Las Palmas being played by reserve players and the two Yugoslavians, Miloserdovic and Milenkovic – the club faced financial difficulties and even player protests. Despite this, the team managed to secure their status in the league.
Regarding the direct clashes between the Canary representatives that season, the match at El Insular ended with a victory for UD Las Palmas (2-1); while at the Rodríguez López stadium, the result was a 1-1 draw.
