Just posting an update I have been sending to people Updated Information on the Vila-real CSC Celtic Celebrations
For those of you who know nothing about this I would like to run through some of the stuff that will be going on during the Celtic weekender ( thurs 8th to Mon 12th of September ) in the town of Vila-real in Eastern Spain and to give a bit of background to it. For those of you who know about it already there is also some practical info as to accommodation and getting here.
Background
This occasion has come about as a reciprocative gesture from The Celtic Submari CSC of Vila-real for the magnificent hospitality afforded them by Celtic fans , Celtic FC , Glasgow City Council and many more when they visited Glasgow in April of this year.
The Glasgow visit was a way of being welcomed in to the Celtic family for this new CSC which was formed by rival Villarreal FC fans after being overwhelmed by the friendliness and great behavior of the visiting Celts fans during the visit for the UEFA cup quarter finals. Those of you who were there will remember the great feeling of seeing their fans lining the streets to applaud us after the match.
Their experiences after the visit to Glasgow have only compounded the sense of brotherhood and friendship between the two towns and teams and it is in this spirit that the open invitation to all of the world-wide Celtic family has been made.
Planned Events
The dates for the Celtic celebrations have been set to coincide with the annual Fiestas of Vila-real which in themselves are a spectacle worth experiencing.
Every street in the town becomes a focus for fun and partying . Houses , living rooms and work places are turned into makeshift bars by the ‘Penyas ‘ - a Penya is a kind of Social Club made up of groups of friends - where many a paella and many a beer are devoured, whilst watching the nightly bull run ( not obligatory to watch ) . It is normal for Penyas to invite other people to join them for Lunch, Dinner (and as the festivities go on to the next day, sometimes breakfast!) as well as a few beers from there own pumps (free beer! they are even learning essential Glaswegian phrases!) In the evening makeshift parties complete with DJs and flashing lights kick in all over town and the locals dance to the wee small hours The atmosphere is very friendly and the people very open. It is also a child-friendly environment and we will be making crèche arrangements for parents (or kids ) that require them so families are welcome.
Alongside these celebrations we have planned several Celtic centric events which will include , concerts by Celtic bands brought over from Glasgow and a couple who are based in Spain , an open-air CSC dinner –dance in Labrador Square which is in the shadow of the Madrigal Stadium , a football tournament played in Villareal FC’s magnificent training complex between teams made up from Celt visitors and local lads and of course the return charity match between a Celtic 11 ( Huddleboard FC ) and a Vila-real CSC 11 after the success of the one played in Glasgow ( which went some way in raising the 10,000 Euros for the Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow ) . Rumors are going around that the Villareal team may hold some big surprises this time!
There will also be a Celtic Beach Party held at the nearby Burriana Playa and , if it coincides with a Villareal FC home match , a chance to watch the likes of Riquelme , Jose Mari and Forlan in action..
We have been given the use of an events hall that can fit 5 thousand people in which we shall create our own Penya (and bar) and invite the whole town to join us in an evening of green and white merriment and general good-humored hoopery.
A visit to this region would not be complete without partaking of paella so we will be organizing a massive one to be shared by all comers to our newly -colonized HQ at the events venue.
Getting there and Accommodation
At this point I am only going to deal with getting here from Glasgow, if anyone is coming from elsewhere and is having difficulty drop me an email to the address below and if we can help out we will.
There are several ways of getting to Vila-real from Glasgow. There are no direct flights to Valencia, the closest airport to Vila-real from Glasgow but there are to both Alicante ( an hour and a half away approx ) and to Murcia –Alicante Sur ( two hours away ) . These are operated by Easy jet and Ryan air respectively.
If you do want to get to Valencia Airport then it would mean getting a flight to Stanstead and then another to Valencia.
This would be my preferred route, despite the change due to it being the most cost-efficient even though it is counted as two separate journeys as there are some great prices on the Glasgow to Stanstead route at the moment, 13 quid return last time I looked, and the Valencia flight is well priced right now too, about 70 pounds return, but of course these prices will change the longer you wait to book. We cant help with these bookings as you will need your own credit info to make them .
If people who make bookings to come here send me an email saying they have it would be helpful for us to keep track of numbers coming and plan accordingly.
We recognize that Vila-real does not have the best infrastructure to endure large amounts of visitors at any one time as it is a small town. We have therefore made plans to get some camping places arranged where anyone who wants can spend the night free of charge. We appreciate this type of accommodation is not ideal for everyone and so we are also happy to help people make bookings in local hotels, hostels and pensions at cost price.
Prices range from 15 euros ( 11 quid approx ) to 30 euros ( 22 quid approx ) depending on the place.. There is a 5 star hotel in Vila-real but bookings for this should be made as soon as possible as September tends to be a busy month for them , a double room there would cost in the region of 80 euros per night per room a single is only a few euros cheaper so doubling up would be advisable.
Anyone wishing assistance with these bookings can contact us at poblach@gmail.com and we will help out in any way we can. Alternatively you can make your own bookings online. If you are finding difficulty in getting the type of accommodation you want in Vila-real there is also the option of booking in to one in Castellon which is a large town only 8-10 minutes drive away, however public transport at night time is not great and so you should keep in mind a 10 euro (6 quid) taxi journey if its after 10 pm.
I hope I have covered most stuff you need to know about the events and the town . I will be updating this info as and when it is added to. If you want to be kept informed send an email to the above address and ask to be added to the info list.
If there is something you are not sure about that I have not covered here write to the same address.
