Barça fields, next to l’Avinguda Gaudí

The history of Barça, in Carrer d’Indústria and Hospital de Sant Pau

 The future Johann Cruyff Stadium aims to be innovative, efficient and accessible, but without forgetting the origins. For that reason, the board of directors wants to recover the emblematic double grandstand that characterized the field of Carrer d’Indústria, known as L’Escopidora. In fact, those facilities were the first in Spain to restore this new element, as well as being pioneers in the use of artificial lighting.

 The stadium, inaugurated by President Joan Gamper, was active from 1909 until 1922, hosting up to 6,000 spectators per match who could enjoy stars of that time such as Zamora, Alcántara, Samitier or Plattkó, among others. These football players, however, had to be washed outdoors with basins and jars of cold water because, initially, sports facilities did not have showers or changing rooms. The most veterans in the neighbourhood still remember how the players had to change their clothes into the small house of the field security guard, Manuel Torres.

The stadium at Carrer d’Indústria was a pride for Barça supporters ... but the real location was in the current Carrer de Paris, near the Escola Industrial, because this street changed its name. Many neighbours in Sagrada Família still think that the original Barça field had been near their home... mainly, because before L’Escopidora, the team had played next to Hotel Casanova, located on the grounds that today is the Hospital de Sant Pau.