| Full name | Sporting Clube Campomaiorense | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Os Galgos (The Greyhounds) | ||
| Founded | 1926 | ||
| Ground | Capitão Cesar Correia (Capacity: 7500) |
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| Chairman | João Manuel Nabeiro | ||
| Manager | Luís Maia | ||
| League | Portalegre Football Association | ||
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Sporting Clube Campomaiorense is a Portuguese football club, founded in 1926, and based in Campo Maior.[1]
The club had a professional football section that played five seasons at the top level of Portuguese football and reached the Cup of Portugal final in 1999.
Campomaiorense was first promoted to the Portuguese Liga in 1995 under the guidance of former Sporting Clube de Portugal star striker Manuel Fernandes. The club was only the third club in the Alentejo region to reach the top division (the two others being Lusitano de Évora in the 1960s and CAD O Elvas in the 1980s).
Their spell in the 1995/96 season was a disappointing one, starting the championship with a 7–0 defeat away to Sporting and eventually leading to relegation. Further poor results eventually forced club chairman João Manuel Nabeiro to sack Fernandes. New players arrived in mid season, among them Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who had just left AZ Alkmaar.
Former Portuguese international Diamantino Miranda was given the job with the goal of taking the club back into the first league. Campomaiorense finished at 17th place. The 1996/97 season in the second division earned them a first ever champions title, with former Chaves and Paços de Ferreira striker Rudi being the top goal scorer.[2]
Diamantino's season in first division football, however, was no better than Campomaiorense's first spell and he was also sacked by Nabeiro in mid season. Christmas brought coach João Alves (Cup of Portugal winner with Estrela Amadora in 1990) along with Brazilian players in the likes of Isaías (previously with Benfica and Coventry City F.C.) and Demétrios. Alves' efforts earned Campomaiorense the 11th place and another year among the elite. The club underwent an ambitious change of image via a marketing campaign, changing its symbol to the greyhound and the green colors to bordeaux.
Managers seemed to only be fortunate in Campo Maior at the end of the season, and João Alves faith was no different than its predecessors. José Pereira had the honor to lead the team to the Portuguese Cup final in 1999, against SC Beira-Mar. Campomaiorense had benefited from all three major clubs' eliminations: F.C. Porto's shock defeat at third division side S.C.U. Torreense, Sporting's loss to Gil Vicente F.C., and Benfica's to Vitória Setúbal. In the final, people from all over Alentejo descended on Estádio Nacional in Jamor, where a free banquet was offered by millionaire Rui Manuel Nabeiro, father of Campomaiorense chairman João Manuel Nabeiro, whose coffee packaging company Delta Cafés was the club’s main sponsor. However, a late dramatic goal by Porto's on-loan midfielder Ricardo Sousa ended the dream for Campomaiorense.[3]
The club managed to remainin in the top division for two more seasons, but following relegation in 2001 and inability to return the following year lead to the decision to abandon professional football. The situation of having more available seats in the stadium than inhabitants in the village was one of the reasons for the club to be considered unworthy of the effort by its sponsors. The club dedicated the next four years to competing only in the youth championships while looking for new talent.
In 2006/07, the club was revived and began competing at the regional level.
Contents |
| Season | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | Pts | Portuguese Cup | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1993 | 2H | 15 | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 40 | 53 | 25 | ||
| 1993–1994 | 2H | 9 | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 43 | 46 | 33 | ||
| 1994–1995 | 2H | 2 | 34 | 19 | 8 | 7 | 58 | 27 | 46 | promoted | |
| 1995–1996 | 1D | 17 | 34 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 32 | 69 | 33 | relegated | |
| 1996–1997 | 2H | 1 | 34 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 51 | 32 | 62 | last 64 | promoted |
| 1997–1998 | 1D | 11 | 34 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 53 | 58 | 40 | last 64 | |
| 1998–1999 | 1D | 13 | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 41 | 51 | 37 | final | |
| 1999–2000 | 1D | 13 | 34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 31 | 51 | 36 | last 32 | |
| 2000–2001 | 1D | 16 | 34 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 29 | 58 | 32 | last 64 | relegated |
| 2001–2002 | 2H | 10 | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 48 | 50 | 45 | last 64 | folded |
| 2006–2007 | 1AF Portalegre | 2 | 26 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 81 | 25 | 62 | Did not participate | reinstated |
| 2007–2008 | 1AF Portalegre | 6 | 28 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 59 | 31 | 51 | 1st round | |
| 2008–2009 | 1AF Portalegre | 5 | 32 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 58 | 34 | 58 | Did not participate |