The first part of this post was written prior to the 2009/2010 season. More up to date information is below.

Never in Spanish football history has a supporters club achieved so much so quickly, as has the Torry Army. Established for less than seven years, it has already received both nationwide acclaim the length and breadth of Spain and fame and respect internationally. Supporters’ clubs in Spain are known as peñas, and are made up of hundreds of small groups, normally within their own towns and villages but are not a united force. Normal peñas are about a hundred strong, or even less and do not normally concern themselves with many of the activities that English supporters’ clubs would normally involve themselves with. So, for this and many other reasons the Torry Army is unique in Spanish football at any level.

Through its hard work and the undying loyalty to the club by its members, it has awoken a spirit and self-belief in the football club and community generally, that brought promotion to the third division this season, at its first real attempt. And as a consequence of this energy and drive, the Torry Army has been recognized, and as such, has received acclaim and awards from the Spanish business community and from the Torrevieja sports council: no mean feat for a small band of mainly retired individuals who dedicate themselves to giving something back to the local community through the sport that they all love so. Friendships are formed and for many expats it is one of their few contacts with local Spaniards. The local torrevejenses were at first suspicious but have now fully accepted the Torry Army and support and applaud its efforts. True integration.

We have to remember that unlike other clubs in their divisions, FC Torrevieja accomplished promotion – not by buying players from higher placed clubs – but by sticking to its youth policy. It is interesting when you consider that fifteen of the twenty strong squad are home grown talent that came through the FC Torrevieja youth system, which is available to all, including foreigners, so long as you have signed onto the Padrón (the town hall registry), at your council.

The Torry Army is the first supporters club to issue match day programmes for FC Torrevieja, which have now become collectors items, receiving requests from as far away as Great Britain, Thailand, Australia, USA and many European countries. It does not stop at programmes either; requests for shirts, shorts and scarves are also everyday events.

The Achievements of the Torry Army and its supporters are many; the club is the first to have a club shop, located at its ground, and selling FC Torrevieja football clothing, caps, and scarves.

The club once famously bought national television broadcaster Canal+ to its ground and on several occasions, the ground reached over 4,000 supporters for a home match. In the autumn of 2008, it brought over a very strong Liverpool Veterans side who played a friendly against a Torrevieja All Stars team.

It has an end of season dinner dance, with the supporters, players and directors all present at the award ceremony. It organizes away travel and regularly takes anywhere between 80 to 400 supporters, some travelling by coach and others preferring their own transport. Away travel is sponsored by the main club sponsor, through the supporters club with which has a close working relationship and they generously contribute financially to the Torry Army. It has a united supporters club, a legal entity and is the first in Spanish football history. The Torry Army has grown from the dream of a few hard-working individuals to an integral part of the club and indeed the town itself. Fame indeed! A Website to be proud of contains a forum, which includes regular contributions from our Spanish fan-base, with match reports and photos, and many other items of interest on www.fctorryfans.com . It is improving every day, with new ideas and feedback coming from visitors and members.

For the season 2009/2010 all eyes are on promotion to 2B and after the nightmare of failing in the play-offs to a very good Haro side, nothing short of second division football will suffice. After failing in the play-offs in both 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 everybody is hoping for third time lucky.The Torry Army has a superb sponsorship arrangement with the prestigious Moneycorp organisation as well as a unique sponsorship package with Caja Murcia. All in all a very professional set-up which is the envy of clubs two divisions higher.

The next exciting initiative is the building of a superb new stadium within the recently-announced Sports City and the council have promised FC Torrevieja a stadium to be proud of. With everybody working together and everybody focusing on a common objective, the future is indeed bright for FC Torrevieja and the Torry Army

By Andy Hermida

Now move on to season 2010/2011. The club was ripped to shreds with numerous changes of owenership, directors and support. After one “famous” home game against Puyol several of the players chased an English director and his wife through the ground and there was a stand-off between the Spanish peña and the expats. Sadly, police needed to become involved. Many expat fans left as a result of that day and other unsavoury incidents. The attendances dropped from the glory days of five and six thousand to just a few hundred and the club is now in a worse position than it was before the Torry Army started! On the football pitch, a poor team who found it hard to score goals finished just three points off relegation. All in all, a very disappointing season.

Moving on further to the beginning of the 2011/2012 season, Keith Nicol writes.

Torry Army Reinvented

The new football season is about to resume in Spain, at least in the level below La Liga, depending if the players go on strike or not! Locally, Orihuela Costa, CD Montesinos, Pilar de la Horadada and FC Torrevieja probably attract the majority of International support. The highest profile team is FC Torrevieja who this year have been trying to reinvent themselves, a new manager, new squad members, new steering group to try and change the financial circumstances of the team, all now in place, or almost! Plus, after all the problems over the past few years, the Torry Army is re-inventing itself just like the football club it supports FC Torrevieja

As we go to press, there are still a few areas of uncertainty surrounding the club, namely that the manager has been offered a La Liga scouting position and has left the club and so the squad and management team have still to be finalized, but two weeks away from kick-off. In terms of support, one former supporters club has now defected to another local team which brings us back to FC Torrevieja’s original supporters club; The Torry Army.

With a base of almost 100,000 British residents living all or part of the year in Torrevieja, The Torry army encourage all international supporters of FC Torrevieja to join the oldest and now only international supporters club of FC Torrevieja; The Torry Army, which in future, will operate more along the lines of a Spanish Pena..

Under the leadership of Pat Stewart and her small committee of willing helpers, the Torry Army has trimmed its expenditure significantly over the last year so does not need to generate too much revenue in order to meet its running costs. It will no longer give money to the football club to pay for club finances but will continue to actively and positively promote the football club and help it in any way it can. The Torry Army, as it as always done, will offer, when there is sufficient demand, coach transport to away games and organise social events for the enjoyment of its members a couple of times each month.

In short the Torry Army will be run for the benefit of its members. The Torry Army will be producing a pocket sized list of players with photos/ squad numbers and fixture list for the season and will also produce and give out a free newsletter of topical information on the Torry Army and FC Torrevieja at home games. Volunteers from the Torry Army will continue to run the Match-Day Raffle and club merchandise will be sold on behalf of the football club.

If you are a supporter of FC Torrevieja then pick up a membership form at the Torry Army stand, just inside the entrance to the ground on match-days or visit the Torry Army office at the entrance to San Luis which is open between 10.00 and 13.00-hrs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. At the office you can also purchase season tickets, merchandise and if you are an avid reader exchange or borrow a book from the lending library! What you can be assured of is a very warm welcome. The cost of becoming a member for season 2011/12 has been reduced to only five euros so please consider joining now.

Feel free to visit the Torry Army website www.fctorrevieja.net for up to date news on the Torry Army social events plus news about FC Torrevieja and updates, as news happens. The Torry Army are fully behind FC Torrevieja and are looking to build up its membership as the football club is its support base, following a team which this coming season is looking to play attractive football and have a highly successful league campaign.

This season is being viewed as one for both stabilization for the club while at the same time they will be pushing for promotion. It is hoped that a democratically elected board of directors will be put in place for the 2012-13 season, as there is only a steering group in place this season, as there has been for the past couple of years, while the club deals with its difficult financial situation. Should the club rid itself of debt and especially find promotion, then other money for the redevelopment of the Vicente Garcia Stadium will be made available, to bring the zone up to the standard of the rest of the Sports City Complex.

However, bums on seats, noise in the stadium, encouraging the team to strive for promotion is the first small step required to build a successful team. Why not join the Torry Army now and help to support your local football club to a bigger and better future. The carrot, promotion up the league will mean inclusion in the King’s Cup draw with the mouthwatering opportunity for a chance draw against the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona a possibility. Just ask any fan of Crawley Town what drawing Manchester United in the FA Cup has done to boost their support and reputation and you will have an idea of what can be achieved by supporting your local football team, FC Torrevieja.

© Keith Nicol 2011 Please contact him for further information.

Similar initiatives have been successful at other clubs such as Málaga C.F., Cartagena, Pilar de la Horadada and Almoradí. The best example is probably at C D Jávea where local expats have again got behind the local team www.javeamigos.com At a higher level the Málaga international peña has a busy site and a large following but as a percentage of the total attendance they are probably as well-represented.