A group of Deportivo Alavés supporters in London have launched a new fan club to share their passion for the team. Rubén De la Torre and Aitor Ruiz de Larrea are the driving forces behind the project, named Londreseko Alaveszale Hintxa Taldea, which starts with eight members.
The team's strong start to the season, sitting sixth in La Liga with 11 points from seven games, provided the final push. The idea came after seeing other Spanish supporter groups, like Real Sociedad's, gathering in the British capital. "We saw a small group from Real Sociedad, who had their fan club here and met up to watch matches," explained De la Torre. "We said: let's see if we can find more people and if we can do something like that, it would be really cool."
Both founders have lived in London for seven years and knew each other from the Iraultza stand at Mendizorroza before reconnecting there. Their first official gathering as a fan club was to watch the last match, the goalless draw against Athletic Club at San Mamés. They followed it from The Sheephaven Bay pub, a venue also used by fan clubs of other Spanish teams.
Now they are looking for a more exclusive space. "We want to find something more our own, something more for the Alavés fan club," said Ruiz de Larrea. The goal is to move from watching matches alone at home to creating a stable meeting point. The response on social media has been positive and they have already added new members, like Nerea, who found out through her father.
Finding other Alavés fans abroad is not easy. "Finding people from Vitoria outside Vitoria, and especially Alavés fans, is always complicated, to be honest," admitted Ruiz de Larrea. Spanish football competes with the overwhelming presence of the Premier League, and Alavés is largely unknown to the general public. Only the most seasoned fans remember the UEFA Cup final against Liverpool.
Despite the distance, their connection to the club remains strong. Ruiz de Larrea keeps his membership card and attends Mendizorroza when he can, like he did this summer for the match against Getafe. De la Torre, though no longer a member, has also been to some games thanks to friends. Both admit that suffering from afar is harder due to streaming delays.
Their medium-term dream is to become an official fan club recognized by the team, which requires at least 15 members. Meanwhile, they encourage any Alavés supporter passing through or living in the area to join. "Our idea is to bring together a group of Alavés fans who are in the area or visiting and who want to enjoy Alavés," stated De la Torre.
The team now faces an international break before hosting second-placed Atlético de Madrid on October 10th. Supporters can check the full schedule on the club's fixtures page. With a run of two wins, one draw, and two defeats in their last five matches, Alavés aims to consolidate its position near the top of the standings. The new London fan club will follow every minute, hoping that one day they can watch their team play at an English stadium.
More detail at noticiasdealava.eus
