Political Rally in Alicante, 1977: A City Poised for Change

The summer of 1977 in Alicante carried more than heat and surf. It was a moment when the city stood on the edge of change, gathering people for a rally that would herald Spain’s first legislative election after decades of dictatorship. The organizers chose a venue capable of embracing every citizen who wished to witness the moment when Felipe González would introduce his party to the city. The plan was simple in spirit but ambitious in scale: secure permission from the city’s best known sports figure, José Rico Pérez, then president of Hércules, a club that stirred memories and pride in the local crowd. Don José did not hesitate. He granted the use of the stadium, but with one condition no one should step onto the grass—this field, after all, had its own rhythm, a space where heroes trained and played every fortnight. A sizeable service rolled into place, ready to feed the crowd, and hours before the doors opened, more than forty thousand voices were already shaping the air with anticipation. In the knowledge that González would be delayed by a performance in Andalusia, the organizers organized an additional moment of warmth by inviting a renowned flamenco singer, José Menese, to entertain the attendees. As the venue filled and the first notes floated through the stands, Menese approached the guitarist with a quiet message that carried both humor and significance: the boss was in the stadium, so finish the tune with care, let the moment breathe for him to arrive.