by CHRIS WRIGHT
When your wife says, “You’ve done what?” with a heavy emphasis on the ‘what’ you know you are in trouble.
So started the lead up to a wonderful evening for six English people amidst over 300 Portuguese.
I had been doing research on the life of Jorge Fernandes Luciano, a native of Olhão who played football for Benfica in the early/mid ‘60s along with the great Eusebio.
Luciano died in a freak accident at the Stadium of Light in December 1966. My journey through his life took me to the Casa do Benfica in Tavira and then to Olhão.
There are thirteen cafes and clubs throughout the Algarve where benfiquistas meet to follow their heroes.
Almost every municipality of Portugal has its own Casa do Benfica (House of Benfica), as do many cities and towns of countries throughout the world (Andorra, Angola, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, England, France, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Luxembourg, Macau, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States).
In September 2009, Benfica announced that it had reached the 200,000 mark for paid club members and they currently remain the leader amongst international football clubs with the largest number of paying club members worldwide.
I was recently in the Tavira Benfica Café in Praceta das Bernardas, near the PSP Police Station, when I noticed they would be celebrating the 16th anniversary of their formation on the eve of Portugal Day. Rushing home to my long suffering wife I tentatively broached the subject of an evening among masses of Benfica supporters, who would no doubt be celebrating their team’s championship triumph after a gap of four years.
“But we won’t know anybody! We’ll be like fish out of water”. How wrong could we be.
“There’s my fruit and veg man, Jose Manuel, from the market!” my wife exclaimed.
Lin Griffin, who with partner Andy Mahoney, is establishing the first holiday centre for people with special needs in the Algarve, dashed off to speak to her bank manager who is supporting the project. Emily and Neil Richardson were surrounded by neighbours from Santo Estevão and Barbara Hiskett was soon chatting to people she had previously only had a nodding acquaintance with.
I was taken into ‘custody’ by Guido, one of our police officers in Tavira, for a chat about the new manager at Olhanense where Guido coaches one of the junior teams.
The large permanent marquee at the Campo do Ferias & Exhibition Centre was the perfect setting for this large gathering.
A bouncy castle at one end kept the children happy whilst the fans settled down to enjoy their meal. President Luis Perdigão welcomed everyone and then introduced ‘Guests of Honour’ Bruno Verissimo, the Olhanense goalkeeper, and Livramento, a midfield player with Paços de Ferreira.
Both players, natives of Tavira, were signing autographs and having their photographs taken long into the night with young adoring fans.
Following an excellent meal, presentation of medals to the youngsters and speeches, the country dancing group – rancho folclórico – from Santa Catarina Fonte do Bispo performed their symbolic dances as the audience welcomed in Dia de Portugal.
A feature about Jorge Fernandes Luciano and Casa do Benfica will appear in the August edition of the Algarve Goodlife Magazine.
