Levante's Legendary 1963 Promotion

The Vallejo Promotion of 1963

Since Levante U.D. was transformed as the fusion of two clubs, Levante FC and Gimnástico, the constant and sole obsession of Levante fans and club directors was to promote to the newly formed Spanish League First Division. Left out when the teams who would form the First Division were chosen after the Spanish Civil War, it seemed Levante would earn its way in early on. However, as Levante fans, all too accustomed to suffering and disappointments, know too well, Levante U.D. slowly slipped away and distanced itself over the next decade and a half from promoting and instead lived a few relegations to the lower divisions.

It was not until June 2nd, 1963, after a few close calls (Levante had even played a few ties of direct promotion games without luck in earlier years), when Levante could finally celebrate the long desired promotion.

The monumental accomplishment occurred in the legendary former stadium Vallejo. With a squad full of Levante legends wearing the club blaugrana, Dominguez, Wanderlei, Valls, Currucale, Camarasa and company.

That day Levante defeated Deportivo La Coruña and marched its way into the Spanish Primera. It was a time of immense happiness for the loyal and stoic Levante fan base. The months and indeed years ahead would be some of the happiest and most enjoyable for a generation.

Levante managed to avoid relegation in the 1963-64 campaign with some gutsy football, an offensive and risky style of play that ended up condemning the team a year later in the 1964-65 campaign.

It would not be until the 2003-04 campaign, 40 years after the first season in Primera, that Levante would again return as a member of the elite. Since then, Levante has become somewhat a fixture of the Spanish First Division. However, the 40 years in between the Vallejo Promotion and the Manolo Preciado led promotion of 2004 were some of the most trying times for Levante fans.

It is for that stoic nature of the Levante fans, and for a generation of Levante fans for whom this golden moment was the only time they would see their beloved Levante among the elite clubs in Spain, that we celebrate the 50 years (50 anys) that have passed since the Vallejo promotion. May Levante fans long remember where we have come from and never forget our humble roots.

Video footage of the Levante promotion of 1963: