Saturday started off like any other day, enjoying a flat white in Laynes Espresso while feeling ambivalent towards the fact that I had to return to work when suddenly I received a tweet from my younger brother, which read “Have you bought shares into Oviedo yet? I know you want to”. He was right.
Before football dominated the headlines with scandalous stories of affairs, assault and racism, it used to be about the fans – the honest, working people who spent their wages to watch their heroes wow and disappoint them with equal measure every weekend. So when I heard that Real Oviedo faced extinction unless they raised €2 million to cover a capital increase – depriving their fans of this simple pleasure – I was immediately concerned, and began researching my potential investment.
The greatest source of information for Real Oviedo came to me in the form of the Guardian’s Sid Lowe on Twitter. Sid himself is a Real Oviedo fan, and has been instrumental in bringing this story to the forefront of people’s minds, and also helpful in explaining the share process in English (at the time, instructions on the website were in Spanish; there is now an English alternative website). With his help and a quick Wikipedia search, I was practically an expert on them. Real Oviedo ply their trade in the fourth tier of Spanish football, Segunda Division B Group 1. They also have 11,500 season ticket holders – mind-boggling for a fourth division club, and a 31,000 capacity stadium.
Impressively, Premier League stars such as Santi Cazorla, Juan Mata and Michu all started their careers at Los Azules. From a personal point of view, I linked their plight to those of my own club, Leeds United. Like Oviedo, Leeds too suffered relegations in quick succession and faced extinction; I put myself in their fans’ shoes, and remembered the gut-wrenching sensation I’d felt. I had to help them. Real Oviedo are offering a share in their club for the marginal price of €10.75, and have offered rewards for shareholders, such as free entry to their game against Real Madrid’s reserves and development squad Real Madrid Castilla.
While it remains unlikely that I will jet over to watch my new team play (although the thought of storming into the dressing room in a suit, cigar in hand and telling the manager who to pick, Abramovich-style brings a huge smile to my face), it’s a generous gesture from the club. However, even if football isn’t your thing, there are several other reasons to invest; shares would make an interesting Christmas or birthday present. Besides, how many people do you know who part-own a football club? It’s an interesting conversation starter and Paypal makes it an easy way to establish your stock market portfolio – after all, why should Devonshire and Charles Morris students have all the fun?
As if that wasn’t enough, they play in the same league as Tenerife – perfect for a ‘lads holiday’ and an away fixture. I spoke to Finance student Ethan Monks about the purchase, and although he questioned the yield-rate of the share, he couldn’t deny that owning one was undoubtedly a generous and interesting way to give back to the sport. Whether you’re a fan of football or an optimistic stock market chancer, I encourage you to get behind this football club.
In a time where Spain has over 4 million of its population unemployed, get behind the feel-good story of the year and give them something to smile about. For more details go to realoviedo.es/yosoyelrealoviedo/index.html and click on the “English Version” tab. Here you can find out about the club and purchase shares via Paypal. Four shares buys entrance to the club’s AGM.
Author: Kyle Hulme