Deportivo Rayo Cantabria

Deportivo Rayo Cantabria is a Spanish football team based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1993 it last played in Tercera División – Group 3, holding home games at the Campo Municipal Mies de Cozada sports ground, which they share with a Segunda Regional football side (Juventud Atlético San Román) and a División de Honor rugby club (Independiente Rugby Club). Before they played at the Campos de San Juan de Monte.

Rayo Cantabria
Full nameDeportivo Rayo Cantabria
Founded1993
GroundCampo Municipal Mies de Cozada, Santander,
Cantabria, Spain
Capacity1,000
PresidentSpain Dionisio González
Head coachSpain Fernando Tejerina
LeagueNone
2017–18Tercera División Group 3,
11th (administratively relegated)

History

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The original Rayo Cantabria was founded in 1926 as Gimnástica de Miranda,[1] later being renamed Sociedad Deportiva Rayo Cantabria[2] and acting as Racing de Santander's farm team from 1951.[3] The club spent 20 consecutive years in the old Tercera División when it was the third tier of Spanish football, then dropped down the levels, competing for just one further season at that level (Segunda División B) after restructuring – that was in 1987–88, and they were relegated. In 1993, the original Rayo was dissolved in a national move to formally absorb affiliated teams into the professional clubs' structure, and Racing de Santander B took its place.[2]

The new Deportivo Rayo Cantabria, who started playing as an independent club in the regional leagues from 1993, was also affiliated to Racing four seasons, from 2003–04 to 2006–07.[1] The reformed Rayo have never achieved promotion to Segunda B, although they took part in the promotion playoffs three times (having finished ahead of Racing B in the table each time).

The club was excluded from competing in the 2018–19 Tercera División due to unpaid debts,[4][5] and did not enter any competitions in 2019–20 either. In their absence, in summer 2019 Racing de Santander successfully applied to have their B-team renamed as Rayo Cantabria going forward.[2][3]

In September 2018, despite the recent problems at the club, chief executive Ángel Meñaca was recognised by the city of Santander for his lifetime efforts and contributions towards the running both the 'original' Rayo up to 1993 and the new Rayo from then on.[6]

Season to season

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Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1993–94 6 1st Reg. 5th
1994–95 6 1st Reg. 4th
1995–96 6 1st Reg. 1st
1996–97 5 Preferente 6th
1997–98 5 Preferente 11th
1998–99 5 Preferente 10th
1999–2000 5 Preferente 4th
2000–01 4 3rd 12th
2001–02 4 3rd 17th
2002–03 4 3rd 9th
2003–04 4 3rd 6th
2004–05 5 Reg. Pref. 4th
2005–06 5 Reg. Pref. 6th
2006–07 5 Reg. Pref. 2nd
2007–08 5 Reg. Pref. 2nd
2008–09 4 3rd 14th
2009–10 4 3rd 6th
2010–11 4 3rd 2nd
2011–12 4 3rd 8th
2012–13 4 3rd 2nd
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2013–14 4 3rd 3rd
2014–15 4 3rd 5th
2015–16 4 3rd 5th
2016–17 4 3rd 17th
2017–18 4 3rd 10th

Famous players

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References

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  1. ^ a b Rayo Cantabria La Futbolteca (in Spanish)
  2. ^ a b c El Racing B volverá a ser el Rayo Cantabria[permanent dead link] (Racing B will be Rayo Cantabria again), Aqui Hay Pelotas, 20 June 2019 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ a b El filial racinguista adopta oficialmente la denominación ‘Rayo Cantabria’ (The racinguista subsidiary officially adopts the designation 'Rayo Cantabria'), Real Racing Club de Santander, 3 July 2019 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ El Rayo Cantabria se queda fuera de la competición oficial (Rayo Cantabria stays out of the official competition), El Diario Montañés, 30 June 2018 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ El Rayo Cantabria pide amparo a ProLiga (Rayo Cantabria asks ProLiga for protection), ProLiga, 3 July 2018 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ Santander premia a los jóvenes deportistas más destacados de 2017 y reconoce a Ángel Meñaca (Santander rewards the most outstanding young athletes of 2017 and recognizes Ángel Meñaca), Santander.es, 26 September 2018 (in Spanish)
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