Article updated: 27/09/2025
Inaugurated in 1913, El Rubial is the second-oldest football stadium in Spain after Sporting Gijón’s home, El Molinón. As you would expect for a stadium of such an age, many of the game’s greats have graced its turf. Zamora, Di Stefano, Kubala, Kempes, Bebeto and Torres have all played at El Rubial. Unfortunately, most of these appearances have been in friendlies. Until their downfall in 2010, Águilas Club de Fútbol was the resident club for the majority of the stadium’s history, but they never played above Segunda B (Tier 3). In fact, they only managed a total of 7 seasons at this level and spent over half their existence in the regional leagues.
The first official match recorded at El Rubial was on 19 January 1913, when Sporting Club, a team of English ex-pats working in the local mining industry, played Sociedad Levantina. There are, however, anecdotal accounts of matches being played on this field as early as 1908, the year El Molinón opened. It should also be noted that El Rubial has occupied the same site throughout its existence, whilst El Molinón can only claim to have occupied the same area of Parque de Isabel la Católicat since August 1917. Originally, El Rubial was directly behind the local power station and was the property of John Gray, the Scottish owner of an esparto factory, who arrived in Aguilas in 1890. In the deeds for the ground, he stated that it should be used for playing football and not for any other purpose. This stipulation continued when the land was transferred to the local municipality in 1987.
Águilas CF was founded in 1925, and spent just over half of their competitive seasons playing below the Tercera. The pinnacle of their footballing history occurred in the 2005-06 season, when, after a 5-year absence, they returned to Segunda B and finished second in the league. This was only their third season in the third tier, but hopes of promotion to La Segunda were high after such an impressive campaign. In the playoffs, they were paired with Alicante CF, and although they lost the first leg in Alicante 1-2, the team was confident of progress. A 0-0 scoreline dashed their hopes, and it was back to Segunda B football for the 2006-07 season. That was about as good as it got for Aguilas CF, and after finishing the 2009-10 season in last place and with debts of over €400,000, the club folded. A new club, Club Deportivo Águilas Futbol Club, now use the ground for their matches and, after a decade of trying to escape the clutches of the Tercera, have played in the Segunda Federación since 2023.
El Rubial is a simple enclosure, which is a hefty goal kick away from the town’s Poniente beach. Its main stand and club offices on its north side date from 1954, and were formally opened with a friendly against Real Madrid. To build the stand, the ground had to be extended, and this land was donated to the club by the owner of a farm from which El Rubial takes its name. Following the election of the new club president, Alfonso Garca, in 2020, El Rubial underwent a major refurbishment, the first since the 1950s. The narrow terrace that stood opposite the main stand was demolished to allow space for new dugouts and better access to the changing facilities in the south-western corner. Sections of prefabricated seating were added to the south-eastern corner and the eastern end, whilst existing seating was replaced in the main stand and at the western end. The playing area was extended and a new pitch was installed. El Rubial now has an all-seated capacity of 4,000.
The Power station and the farm have long since disappeared, replaced by modern housing, and one is left wondering if John Gray’s insistence that the ground be used solely for football may have played a part in the downfall of Águilas CF? With no land to sell, the club and the municipality’s options were limited. Here’s hoping that CD Águilas FC has a more realistic set of ambitions.
Estadios de España 