Richie PriorPalma30/08/2024 11:30
TW
0

There’s always a sense of excitement and nervousness when a new football season starts. How will your team play, where will they finish the season and will they win a trophy, are three of the most important questions in most fans minds. There was the same anticipation for me and my two boys as we made our way to the Estadi Son Moix to see Real Mallorca’s first game of the season. Just the small matter of Real Madrid as our first opponents. Yes that Real Madrid who were La Liga Champions, Champions League winners and just last week they had won the UEFA Super Cup. And to top it all off, they had just signed arguably the greatest player in the world right now, Kilian Mbappe.

A trip to the stadium is no longer a chore, apart from the parking of course! But the American owners have totally transformed the club from top to bottom. It is now a pleasure to turn up early outside and have a couple of alcoholic beers. I say that because alcohol is banned inside the stadium, unless you’re with the garlic prawns brigade. That has now been enhanced with the opening of the Mallorca Sports Bar, which luckily enough for us is under the stand where we sit. They had big screens showing live games from La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Chelsea v Manchester City game from the Premier League.

Last week I read that the most expensive pie-and-a-pint combo in the Premier League this season is at West Ham United’s London Stadium. It will set you back a total of £11.30 for both on a match day. Well Mallorca will certainly give them a run for their money. A burger and a caña (half a lager) will set you back €12.50 or €15.50 if you want a pint! Now I have to say the burger was actually pretty good but not €9.50 pretty good. The club need to make sure they don’t price their fan base away from the game. They have a lot of great corporate opportunities but never lose sight of the real fans who turn up week in and week out.