Rayo Vallecano de Madrid - last updated on 20 January 2009
(Courtesy of Johnny Beaufays)
Club name: Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D.
Foundation: May 29th 1924
City: Madrid
Colours: White and red
Website: www.rayovallecano.es
Honours:
Segunda División B - 1 (2007-08)
A bit of history:
One of the perennial yo-yo clubs of Spanish football, Rayo Vallecano spent many years during the 1980s and 1990s moving back and forth between La Liga and the Segunda División. Having appeared to consolidate their top flight status with promotion in 1998-1999, their most successful season came in 2000-2001, when they were UEFA Cup quarter-finalists, going out only to the eventual runners-up Deportivo Alavés (they had finished ninth, but UEFA awarded the side a spot for fair play). Since then, the club has fallen on hard times, with successive relegations from the first (in 2002-2003) and the second levels (2003-2004).
In 2005-2006, their manager was José Miguel González Martín, known as Míchel, a legend for Real Madrid in the 80's/90's.
The club finished the 2006-07 season in second place in Segunda División B. They won the promotion play-off semi final but lost 2-1 on aggregate in the final to SD Eibar. The next season they returned to the second division after winning the promotion play-off. They beat Benidorm CD in the semifinal and Zamora CF in the last game (2-1 aggregate).
Rayo Vallecano was Laurie Cunningham's last club - he was killed in a car crash just outside of Madrid.
Spanish antifascist band Ska-P are outspoken supporters of the club (and the whole Vallecas neighbourhood) and have dedicated a song to it, named Como un Rayo (album "Ska-P").
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid - Founded in 1924
