“It’s not a repeat of history. It is a total history of the club; not only social, but players, statistics… Of everything that has involved the institution”. This is how he defines it David Tolothe club’s historian, with the same thoroughness that he has used since 2018 to produce an essential work for any parakeet and football lover, a book of more than 800 pages in which the story is told year by year and the data and the main protagonists in the 120 autumns of Espanyol are revealed. ‘History of RCD Espanyol 1900-2021’ its titled.
The investigation even slightly changes the script of some events, such as the discovery of a new president, Eusebio Fernandezor the rectification of another like Josep García Hardoy, whose name was really more morbid: Josep Gaspar Hardoy. All this together with a complete list of the more than 1,100 players who have worn the first team shirt in all competitions or three episodes dedicated to Sarrià, from “the act of purchase of 1920” to “the dispute between the club and the De la Riva family” and the demolition.
A committee made up of historians and led by Tolo began to shape the book four years ago. But the long process has been full of misfortunes. First was the death of the endearing Jordi Puyaltó, who “helped us with all the material from the first era of the club, from 1900 to 1909, the most difficult”. A period even in which the exact day of birth is questioned. “The first news that appears in the media is in October 1900, but the team had been training since September. Then we could place the Spanish Gymnastic Society as the germ of the club. That shield had a similarity and the president was the father of Ángel Rodríguez. You can pull the cable,” argues the historian.
Puyaltó’s death was joined by the personal problems of Gabriel Martinez, the pandemic and the decline. “We couldn’t get the book out with the team in Segunda,” says Tolo, patient. The thrust of Oriol Pagès, Josep and Xavier Ruiz Hierro and José Alberto Salas has resulted in a unique manuscript after digging through the papers kept by Espanyol. “The club has minutes books from the year 1927. We have expense books from the 20s and 30s. And, although there is a parenthesis in the years of the Civil War, we were able to verify the casualties that there were on both sides”, adds Tolo.
David Tolo.
GORKA LEIZA
The historian wanted to highlight other figures that were not the usual ones. An example is Julian Clapper, who “was president, played in the second and third teams and made possible the refounding of the club together with other players. Ángel Rodríguez is very present, but Clapera must be given a space”. He comes out of anonymity like other illustrious characters: José María Calzón, Pepe Guijarro, María Bosch or Luis Gamito ‘Pasabalón’. “They all put their grain of sand”, resume.
Also other firms that have complemented the book. Dolors Ribalta has been in charge of the history of the Feminine, the journalist of AS Ivan Molero has written the chapter dedicated to the quarry and the also collaborator of this newspaper Carlos Maranon has written the epilogue. Arnau Planas, Carlos Ferrer and Monica safewho already participated in the history books written by his father, John Segura Palomareshave also actively collaborated. The book has had the backing of the Fundació Privada del Espanyol and can be purchased for 49.95 euros (45.95 for members), in its Spanish and Catalan versions, on the club’s official channels and elsewhere. This Wednesday at the RCDE Stadium will be presented in society.