Unión SC (Madrid)

Unión Sporting Club was a former football club based in Madrid, Spain. Popularly known as Pardiñas' team, it was founded in 1913, at the same time as the extended Campeonato Regional Centro. It remained active until 1931, when it disappeared after merging with Castilla Football Club—retaining its name—and some members of the recently dissolved Racing Madrid FC in 1931–32.

The club's greatest achievements include three championships in the second division of the Central Regional Championship, the top competition among clubs from Madrid and the Central region.^[a]

Under the name Unión Football Club—its founding name—it was governed by the Central Regional Federation, which was established the same year as the club. Therefore, it began participating in the second division of the Central Regional Championship from that time onward. As for the first division, they made their debut in an official match on October 27, 1918, against Real Sociedad Gimnástica Española, which they won 1–0. Despite this, it was their only victory, and they finished last in the final standings, a position they curiously occupied in every edition of the tournament they played in at the top level.

The union of clubs, necessary for the survival of all, barely had a hundred members.^[1]

In its last season as an independent club, it finished in sixth and last place in the Central Regional Championship, meaning it had to fight for its survival along with five other clubs.^[2][3]

With the merger with Castilla Football Club, the club lost its historic name, although it retained the right to compete in the top tier of the Central Regional Championship after securing its place in the division.^[3] Despite the merger, the new club again finished in sixth and last place, in a championship played under the name of The Central-Aragon Commonwealth Championship—which included clubs from the regions of Aragon, Old Castile, and New Castile—failed to qualify for the 1932 Spanish Cup.

Despite being one of the clubs with the longest history in the still-unstable Madrid football scene, their record against the dominant teams from the capital was rather negative. Against Athletic Club de Madrid, they played a total of twenty official matches, winning only two, scoring a total of twenty-five goals and conceding seventy-six. Two wins and one draw were their best results, compared to seventeen defeats.

Their first field was the Bustillo field (also known as the Hispano-Americano) and was inaugurated on October 14, 1923. It was located on the block where Don Ramón de la Cruz, Mártires Concepcionistas, Ayala, Príncipe de Asturias, and Montesa streets are currently situated. At that time, it was considered a first-class field, along with those of Real Madrid and Athletic Madrid.

In the summer of 1930, they acquired the Torrijos field, where RS Gimnástica Española played. The land was donated by the State, as the team wanted to make a significant investment to acquire a top-class stadium. After some construction, the new Torrijos ground was inaugurated on October 15, 1930, with a friendly match against Real Madrid. The result was 2–5 in favor of the visiting team. Subsequently, in 1932, the ground was renamed Castilla. The old Bustillo ground was retained for training.

The team also played some home matches at the Metropolitano Stadium in the first season after its construction (1923–24).

• Central Regional Championship - Second Category:

3 championships: (1922, 1923, 1931).

• Official website (in Spanish)
• Soccerway team profile