The town and the village awaken Barcelona

BarcelonaThe fans of Sant Andreu and Europa have celebrated as if it were a goal in the last minute of a derby, the sweetest goals to sing about, the City Council's decision to put natural grass on their fields. The mobilization of the Sant Andreu fans, just after a well-deserved promotion, has joined the struggle of the Gràcia residents in recent months. If you add that elections are approaching, the result has been that both clubs left the first meeting with the council with the most desired news. The City Council had it well prepared. It had listened to what people were saying. It had reacted.

Another day we will debate whether it is necessary to force playing on natural grass. Any footballer will tell you that they prefer to do so. Any director, that having artificial grass allows savings and more youth teams to play on it. A difficult debate, this one. Now it's time to celebrate, as few things are more pleasing than the Narcís Sala or the Nou Sardenya packed to the brim. It also has a symbolic value: clubs that do not leave their streets, their town, and their village. And anything that protects a certain romanticism is welcome in times of few values.

The City Council, like the Generalitat government, has to decide what kind of sporting commitment we want. We also need to overcome the simplistic debate that separates major events like the America's Cup, the Ryder Cup, or the start of the Tour from community and established sports. Both can be combined. Having the Tour, precisely at this time of cycling giants and now that thousands of Catalans are going out to cycle, is a success. Great news. As is having a good marathon. Of the America's Cup, if anything, it's better not to talk about it. That was not a good bet.

But bringing major events should never make us forget grassroots clubs. It's envious to see how the Basques, with a smaller population, have more professional clubs in almost all sports. And better facilities. Now that we are going to fix two municipal fields in Barcelona, it's time to remember that we have a lot of facilities in the metropolitan area that are falling apart, from the Lluïsos de Gràcia pavilion to venues for gymnastics in Baix Llobregat.

If bringing major events, as they always explain, generates profits, it would be good for these to be invested in caring for the sports facilities where thousands of boys and girls practice basketball, handball, athletics, football, rugby or gymnastics, right? It's a shame that many times, when talking about economic benefits, we forget that a good part ends up in the hands of private investors more interested in buying apartments than in fixing stadiums. For now, the people of Sant Andreu and Europa have shown one thing: mobilizing can help improve things. Especially before an election.