GIRONAAt every Girona match in Montilivi there is a significant number of spectators who gather on the small hill above the south goal, known as the “tailors’ stage”. The uproar produced during the Catalan derby against Barça, in which some Blaugrana fans threw a flare that fortunately hit the back of the scoreboard, and the great risk that anyone who approaches the area takes take action: the affected parties have already met and plan to close the area permanently. For Almeria’s visit this Friday (9 p.m., GOL), however, there is still no definitive solution.
“It’s not my job up there”, he commented in a report on Movistar, coinciding with the visit of Valencia, one of the security members available to Girona – an external company – on match days. That Sunday, a lot of fans witnessed the victory of Míchel’s team without paying a ticket, just as it happened in the first stadium where the club played, founded in 1930. The “tailors’ stage” is a road that leads to the Pedreres from the neighborhood of Vista Alegre and was filled with spectators on the afternoons when Girona had a match. No one was spending a penny, of course. Enric Mirambell, chronicler of the city, summarized the origin of its name: “One of the meanings of the word tailor is that of murri. This explains why that vantage point or booth from which those who made the living could contemplate the show without paying was called “tailors’ stage”, at a time when the word shop it was only used by the most scrupulous cultivators of our language”. More than ninety years later there are still smart people.
The land on which the “palco dels sastres” is located does not belong to Girona but to the sports service of the University of Girona and is located between a green area, a private area and the aforementioned UdG area. The area is dangerous, since it does not have the appropriate security measures and is not capable – there have often been landslides – to accommodate a large influx of spectators, many of whom climb to enjoy more visibility and expose themselves to the hollow from the precipice. The area can be reached by walking calmly from the road and then passing through a footpath, because nothing prevents access. The Girona club, even if it does not have a direct responsibility in the matter, is upset by the null measures implemented. He knows that his reputation is at stake, because if one day something serious happens, his image will be greatly weakened.
The parties involved met this month in search of a solution to end the problem. Chronologically, first it was the Sports Department of the Girona City Council that convened an internal meeting with the Mayor’s Office, Urbanism and Sustainability. They found no answer. Afterwards, with the presence of area heads from the City Council, the UdG, the Mossos d’Esquadra and the club, represented by the head of security, Òscar Orozco, and the head of operations, Alfonso Ferrer. Neither was a clear solution found, despite the good preparation. “At the most they will put a few more guards on Friday. Or more fences. But we still don’t know anything definitive,” confess the voices consulted by ARA.
“It’s not fair that they don’t pay”
The option that is gaining momentum now involves agreeing on some immediate measures that become definitive in the long term and avoiding, once and for all, the risk of having many people concentrated in a dangerous area. And by the way, stop watching football for free. “We care about the safety of the fans, but also that there are people in the field who pay a ticket or a season ticket and it is not fair that other people can watch the games for free. A solution should be found so that can access, there”, said president Delfí Geli in statements to Girona newspaper.
It is not the first time that the “tailors’ stage” takes center stage. During its history, Girona already tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid its popularity by planting trees and putting up tarpaulins. All in vain In fact, during the pandemic and with the team scrambling to return to Primera, it was common to see the Jovent Gironí support from that area. “Once the police had come to kick us out and identify us, but nothing ever happened. The club also put up security, but they ended up letting us through. Not everyone was from Jovent, not by a long shot. We used to be around thirty , but we controlled who entered because we kept a record. And if the next day we had to go to clean because it was a mess, we went there,” they explain from the rock. Crazy things are done for the love of clubs (especially when they are free).