Sete Rios Football Field

In a short time, an agricultural land was transformed into a wide one, with a soil prepared to become a sporting field. The operation marked a time of great incentive inside the club, which had already, by that time the statute of the most popular among all the Portuguese sporting teams. The effort of all members was remarkable – by means of their possibilities (work or few money). The circumstances led to a kind of “collective fever”. Board directors, athletes, members, contributors, or just supporters of our club and teams, all involved, in a spirit of effort and cooperation.

On certain Sundays, there was no stopping or resting. By the morning, stones were carried, plants removed and bushes were ripped off; then after was the popular lunch of fraternization – normally it was a “bacalhauzada” (codfish) with potatoes; later on, if there was a match of any of our teams, they were moving to the field determined, in order to watch it; and at last, at the end of the day, tired but still excited, they used to scream with one voice: “Viva o Benfica”.

In the two seasons, between the Feiteira’s exit (1911) and the inauguration of Sete Rios (1913), Benfica in 1911/12 and 1912/13 used the Campo Palhavã (of SC Império) and Campo Laranjeiras (of CIF) to play home matches, for the Campeonato Regional de Lisboa. And the truth is that this situation did not affected the team’s performance, which won two titles during the period. The Sete Rios field was ready for the beginning of the 1913/14 season and for the initial training sessions. It was with joy and confidence that the Associação de Futebol de Lisboa’s (AFL) homologation was expected.

On 12/10/1913, in front of about 5 000 people – an unusual number, by that time, for sporting activities-, the AFL opened the 1913/14 season. In the most important match, for the Regional de Lisboa, Benfica won against Sporting, at home, 4-0. The new field caused some astonishment, because of the construction’s celerity and its position: at the end of the field was built a wooden “chalet”, strategically placed next to a water mill, where Benfica had the showers and “toilette”.

On 12/10/1913, in front of about 5 000 people, the new field caused some astonishment, because of the construction’s celerity and its position.

In order to facilitate and extend the action of the collectivity, it was felt the necessity to improve the new field in accordance with the possibilities, the stands in particular (desired years ago for Quinta da Feiteira), in order to offer better conditions to the spectators and increase the attendance levels. On 11/04/1915, after the beautification of the entire space, Benfica, with 11 years of activity, finally had a field surrounded by stands.

On May 29th, of the same year, it was inaugurated the first tennis “court”, just like other clubs which loved to show their “lawn-tennis”, with the particularity of giving access to all the “benfiquistas”. Taking advantage of an old irrigation tank, the Swimming was introduced in the club (in 1914) and the Water Polo (in 1916)! In Football, Benfica has continued to win titles and tournaments, showing more and more that was the best Portuguese club – 3 regional titles (13/14, 15/16 and 16/17), a “Taça de Portugal” (Portuguese Cup) tournament (13/14) and the Torneio Internacional “Quatro Cidades” (15/16) – the last one with a concluding winning against the proclaimed “campeão do norte” (champion of the north), the FC Porto, by 9-0!

On 17/09/1916, it was defined with Desportos de Benfica the basis for the junction of both institutions, being decided that, in spite of having an athletic field in backyards of Avenida Gomes Pereira (headquarter), the Campo de Sete Rios will be kept – as it was more centralized – until ascertaining the costs of the maintenance, it could bring advantages (or not). It happened that the land owner, on the 20th and 26/06/1917 (a few months before the end of the rental contract), endorsed two letters to the benfica’s Board, asking for a place, day and time for a meeting, with the purpose to “make some changes to the contract, for a new rental period, starting on January 1st, 1918.

The changes were after written on the following terms: an annual income of 650$00; the contributions (more than 40$00 per year) became a tenant’s responsibility; betterments and works done, or to be done, using any type of materials, would be the owner’s responsibility; the tenant would be forced to remove, or, at least, to spread uniformly, all around the soil, if it was the owner’s wish, the rubble coming from the field and which was elevating the general side; it would be a 3-year contract, with no right to a compensatory indemnity, in case of the land’s expropriation by the Câmara Municipal (City Council).

These conditions were considered absolutely unacceptable by all the administrators present at the meeting, on 13/08/1917. On December 31st of the same year, the Board decided, while trying to solve the problem created by the owner (in the best way), to leave Sete Rios and to remedy the situation with the Benfica’s field, after being well adapted. The last match was on 27/05/1917, against Sporting (L 1-4), final of Taça de Honra. Benfica was moving, then, to Quinta de Marrocos, at the back of Avenida Gomes Pereira, where there was a wide headquarter since 17/09/1916 (former facilities of Desportos de Benfica).

Nowadays, the land of Sete Rios, where our club used to play, was sacrificed for the urban expansion, from Lisbon to the north, being occupied by buildings and respective yards, in the block delimited by the Prof. Lima Basto street (old Estrada de Palhavã), Dr. António Granjo street, Dr. António Martins street and by the railway’s internal line, next to the station of Sete Rios. After 4 glorious seasons, the club was returning to Benfica, collecting the “fruit seeds” which were left over there, in 1911.