The Barça i Catalunya conference cycle doesn’t rest, not even in summer. After kicking off the season on August 16 with the conference Ambaixades, la història de les Penyes del FC Barcelona at PB Faió (Federació Lleida Sud i La Franja), the second half of the month began with a new premiere: “Barça i Catalunya, Llums i Ombres”. This third chapter of the historical series was presented as a pilot session on Saturday the 23rd, in an event organized by PB Tivenys (Federació Terres de l’Ebre), which gathered around thirty attendees. The conference was led by Salva Torres, vice president of the Confederació Mundial de Penyes. The audience responded very positively, welcoming the new session with enthusiasm.
Among the attendees were Eladi Galbe, mayor of Tivenys; Ramón Fibla, president of the Peñas Federation of Terres de l’Ebre; and Sisco Pinyol, president of PB Tivenys and representative of the regional Consell Consultiu.
The ‘Llums i Ombres’ conference covers the period from 1953 to 1979 and marks the conclusion of the Barça i Catalunya trilogy. “From Basel to the present day, it’s no longer worth continuing; there’s already plenty of information available. I’d rather focus now on writing the book for this third part, which will likely be released on Sant Jordi,” said Salva Torres, pleased with the reception in Tivenys.
Next stop: Rocafort de Queralt
The second trial session of this conference will take place on Saturday, August 30 at 8:00 p.m. at the Local Cultural of Rocafort de Queralt (Conca de Barberà). The event has been coordinated with the town’s mayor, Sergi Andreu, and will include presidents of local penyes, journalists, former players, and mayors from nearby municipalities. “The more critical perspectives in the room, the more rigorous the conference will be,” said Torres, who has already received requests to schedule it for the upcoming season.
A complete cycle for the penyes
Penyes that haven’t yet attended any of the conferences can start the cycle with the first installment: Els Orígens de la Simbiosi (1899–1936), presented alongside Xavier Gamper, grandson of the club’s founder. The second, Temps de Foscor (1936–1952), features Josep Seguer, son of the legendary Barça player from the “5 Copes” era. And now, Llums i Ombres, which may include testimonies from key figures of the 1960s and 1970s.
Complementary events
Another highlight is the historical roundtable Llegendaris, featuring protagonists from various sporting eras of FC Barcelona, presented by Salva Torres with the collaboration of conference coordinator Aksana Vayevoda. The “Llegendaris” conference will have an upcoming international presentation this December, at the Penya Barça de Luxemburg (FCB World Federation).
All these conferences can be requested by penyes, municipalities, or cultural associations through the Federations of Barça supporters’ clubs across different regions. They are completely free of charge and, in some cases, serve as presentations for the books that complement these in-depth courses on Barça’s history. Their creation has benefited from the generous contributions of renowned FC Barcelona historians such as Frederic Porta, Antoni Closa, David Salinas, Manel Tomàs, Jaume Sobrequés, Joan Poquí, and Jordi Finestres.
