The origin of Lions San Mames

One hundred years of history as wrapping a basket full of matches, goals, stories, titles, great players and a tradition that endures through the decades. San Mames Stadium on Sunday turned its centenary after that distant January 20, 1913 that was the foundation stone of the fort that would form the Athletic Club. No comply 101: not least because the old stadium, only a few feet, is being erected the new modern field Atletico to replace the old. San Mames will be called, as well. But whence comes this name? Why the Athletic players are called Lions? Both designations are related, and in this post we will find the answers.

In this story there are no balls, boots and goals involved. Neither the name of Leon comes across a metaphor with which to describe the claw of the players that throughout its history have worn the red and white bloom, although it could. To discover the origin of San Mames we must go back, according to legend, the year 258 in Caesarea of Cappadocia (now Turkey) when the child was born in a family Mamés who committed the sin of being Christian in times of persecution by Romans. It was for this reason that Mamés was orphaned at age 15, being taken in by a wealthy widow named amniotic.

The Roman governor of Cappadocia goods amniotic craved but when she died one year after hosting Mamés, left all his inheritance in the hands of the young Christian, which drew the ire of the governor, who persecuted the excuse Mamés his Christianity: imprisoned him and tortured him in order that renegase of their beliefs, but the boy's faith was stronger than the methods of the Governor who, failing to their purposes, let's fate in the hands of the emperor Mamés Aureliano, also recognized enemy of Christians.

Aureliano imprisoned and tortured equally Mames, but then released the boy angels of the bars in which he was held and escaped into the jungle, where he lived for a whole year with special locking animals friendship with lions, with whom he played often through the forests of Cappadocia. But he was again captured when he was 17 years by Emperor Aurelian, who did not hesitate to send it to the Roman arena to be devoured by lions.

However, a surprise awaited him Aureliano: far from being attacked by ferocious animals, these recognized soon Mamés and play with him in the middle of the arena to the astonishment of all present. Blind with rage, kill Aureliano Mamés and sent one of his soldiers obeyed orders and sticking a trident of iron in the boy's abdomen. Since then, after his death in 275, became Mamés Christian martyr and one of the saints of the Church.

So what does all this with Athletic Bilbao and the? San Mames was a highly revered saint in the city, and the land adjacent to the future stadium, which were acquired by the club, had a home and a church with such behalf. Thus was built the San Mames Stadium. Thus, the players who defended the Athletic began to be known as the Lions for being guardians of San Mames. And one more fact remains: why Cathedral? In those days, in order to differentiate the stadium to church, people exclaim: "I go to San Mames, but not to the church, to the Cathedral!"

A legend that gave its name to a stadium where you have lived a thousand and one stories during its hundred years of existence. Hopefully the new stadium will bring us so much to tell.