Paul Tobitt

Ribeirão Preto is a city with a population of around 600,000 that lies 300 kilometres north west of São Paulo in Brazil. It is nicknamed the “Brazilian California” due to the role agribusiness and technology play in the local economy and also for the area’s sunny weather; its growth during the 19th century owed much to the wealth that was created through coffee trading. But exporting food is not all this corner of Brazil is about, and Ribeirão Preto boast two football clubs that reside in the city, Botafogo and Comercial.

While neither club have had much cause to celebrate in recent times, it is the profile of the latter that has been raised during the past two months. After a 25-year absence, Comercial or “Bafo” as they are more commonly called, will compete in the first division of the Paulista state championship next year. The rickety Jardim dos Travassos stadium, inaugurated in 1964 and which from the outside appears considerably older, is preparing to play host to some of the household names of Brazilian football – Corinthians, São Paulo, Santos and Palmerias will all come to town. However, while these giants of the game draw more than their fair share of fans, the majority of people who live in the state also pledge allegiance to one of their local teams. And as is evident by the number of replica shirts being worn around the city it certainly appears that Comercial have found some of their long lost supporters.

Fortuitously, the timing of their return to the first division has coincided with the club’s centenary year. Founded in 1911, Comercial were the seventh club in the state of São Paulo and quickly became popular amongst the local coffee barons, taking part in regional tournaments throughout the 1920s. In 1921, the club defeated Palmeiras, known at the time as Palestra Italia do São Paulo, in a friendly tournament, and in 1923 the Argentinian national team visited Ribeirão and played out a 1-1 draw with their hosts.

 

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 however hit the local economy hard as investment from abroad declined. In 1935, in the middle of the Great Depression, due to lack of funds and mounting debts Comercial closed, only to be rescued the following year by two new investors. Despite this though, it was not until 1954 that Comercial once again became a professional club. The 1960s saw an upturn in form and a period rightly hailed as the the side’s glory days. One highlight came in 1966, when Comercial found the back of the net five times away at Santos, an outfit which at the time boasted the legendary Pele. This illustrious achievement stands in stark contrast to Comercial’s recent fortunes, and in 2009 the side were relegated to the third tier of state football.

Comercial’s promotion means that derby games will once again be restored in the city, referred to as the “come-fogo”. Rivals Botafogo have been considerably more successful than their neighbours over their 90-year history. Unlike “Bafo”, Botafogo have even spent six seasons in the first division of the national championship, the Brasileirão. Most famously, Botafogo was the club where Socrates and his younger brother Rai both embarked on their professional careers. For fans of the club however, the heydays of the 1980s are very much a distant memory. Indeed, the city as a whole has been starved of success on the pitch for some time, a fact that goes some way towards explaining the sheer exuberance that greeted Comercial’s promotion.


“Bafo” currently turn out in the Copinha Paulista, which sees the side meet regional teams they also met in the second division; the winners of the tournament are guaranteed a spot in next season’s Copa do Brasil. But it is not just a spot in Brazil’s national cup that will drive Comercial in the Copinha Paulista, the competition also hands manager Marcio Fernandes an opportunity to form the basis of a team that will compete in 2012’s Paulista state championship.

The future could even be brighter than just a promotion too, with much talk about significant investment in the club, including an upgrade to their current stadium. Perhaps the biggest priority for Comercial though will be to now consolidate after a 25-year absence; relegation would be a bitter pill to swallow after so much hard work.

And Comercial will be prepared to surprise the big guns when they come to town, even if their own fans will often be outnumbered, on home turf too. But perhaps it is not the results which matter most, but simply that Comercial’s current crop may have encouraged a new generation of fans to follow the club. And that could be precious indeed.