Long-awaited football pitch opens in eastern Costa del Sol town

The long-awaited football pitch in El Morche (Torrox) on the eastern Costa del Sol has officially opened after three decades of waiting and setbacks.

The town hall has completed the first phase of work on the sports complex being built on the grounds of Cortijo Sevilla, in the Santa Rosa residential area of the coastal town. The ten youth teams of Club Recreativo El Morche, which is 75 years old this year, have been training on the artificial grass since Monday 22 September.

Official matches will be able to be played in about two weeks, once the changing rooms are completed. It is "a dream come true," said Torrox mayor Óscar Medina, who said that since he became mayor a decade ago, this project has been one of his top priorities. Medina added that phase two of the project is due to begin, "for which we will shortly be going out to tender".

The new complex, which has had an investment of 5.5 million euros in this first phase, includes the construction of the new Antonio González football pitch, which replaces the old playing field where Club Recreativo El Morche has played its matches for 75 years. It also includes a hundred underground parking spaces.

In the second phase, the stands, changing rooms and car parks will be completed and green areas and gardens will be created, "thus continuing to shape one of the most important projects of the legislative term into an ideal complex for playing football and other sports in an optimal, high-quality environment," José Manuel Fernández, councillor for sport said. The official opening will take place before the end of the year, according to the town hall.