Pepe Gonçalvez Stadium (Rompeolas Field)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Memory spaces · Year: 1937

This is the story of some young islanders (directors of the Victoria club) who embarked on the adventure of building a stadium in La Isleta. The chosen site was the esplanade of the Muelle Grande, where the old Rompeolas field was located, the place where football began on the island.

They worked on its construction without any pay. After finishing their workday, they went to the future field to continue working, whether carrying sacks or doing whatever was needed, to one day see the stadium that the island so badly needed completed. This is how a large playing field was built. They named it Pepe Gonçalvez in honour of the man who "only loved sport for sport's sake". This field was undoubtedly the cradle of island football and many remember truly memorable matches.

It was inaugurated and blessed by the Bishop of the Canary Islands, Pildáin, on 29 April 1937. That day two matches were played, one between Marino and Athlétic Club and another between Gran Canaria and Victoria.

Today, the site where the stadium once stood is occupied by the building of the Organisación de Trabajos Portuarios (OTP) (Port Labour Organisation).

28.14953, -15.421897