What Were Some Spanish Sports Before the 1960s?

Spain is a country that has always enjoyed a wide variety of sports. During and before the 1960s, General Francisco Franco was in power in Spain; he ruled the country from 1939 until 1975. Franco was a strong dictator who restricted many freedoms, but emphasized the importance of sports and fitness.

  1. Soccer

    • "Futbol," or soccer as we know it in the United States, has always been a very popular sport in Spain. Barcelona had a professional team as early as 1900. By the 1960s, Spain had a large professional league with teams in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and many other smaller cities. Spain has always been a participant in the World Cup since its inception in the 1930s. However, Spain did not host a World Cup until 1980, and won the cup in 2010.

    Automobile Sports

    • Another sport that became very popular in Spain during the 1930s was auto racing. There were many cross-country rallies, to augment the extreme interest in formula-one racing. In Montjuïc, the Cataluna circuit formula-one race became very popular in 1932. The race died out during World War II, but once again took off in 1966. Car rallies are popular not only on the Spanish mainland but also on the Canary Islands, where there has been an event since the 1920s.

    Golf/Roller Hockey

    • Golf has been popular in Spain since the early 1900s. The Spanish open was first played in 1912. However, in the years before 1960 golf was very much an elitist sport; only the wealthy upper classes played. Another sport that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s was hockey played on roller skates. Since most of Spain is quite warm, there are few outdoor ice rinks. Instead, many cement rinks were built in the public parks in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Teams and leagues thrived throughout the country during those years.

    Pelota Vasca

    • "Pelota Vasca" was extremely popular in and before the 1960s. Pelota Vasca, meaning Basque ball, is a cross between racket ball and jai alai. Two 25-foot-high walls meet at a 45-degree angle. Then a hard ball that was originally made of hard leather is struck with a wooden paddle. There are also people who play the game on a less competitive level, using a ball similar to a tennis ball. There were actually professional teams in the 1950s.