Ceará Sporting Club

Football club infobox
clubname = Ceará


fullname = Ceará Sporting Club
nickname = "Vozão"("Big Grandpa")
"Vovô"("Grandpa")
"Alvinegro Cearense"("Black and White from Ceará")
and "O Mais Querido" ("The Most Loved")
founded = 1914
ground = Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil
capacity = 60,326 | chairman = Evandro Leitão
manager = Lula Pereira
league = Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
season = 2007
position = Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, 16th
pattern_la1=_whiteborder|pattern_b1=_blackstripes3|pattern_ra1=_whiteborder
leftarm1=000000|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=000000|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF

Ceará Sporting Club, or Ceará as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Fortaleza in Ceará, founded on June 2, 1914.

Ceará's is also one of the most traditional clubs in the Northeast region of Brazil alongside Bahia, Santa Cruz, Sport, Náutico, Vitória and Fortaleza. The club is traditionally known in the state as the most popular club , reason why it is nicknamed "O Mais Querido",which means "The Most Loved".

History

On June 2, 1914, the club was founded as Rio Branco Football Club by Gilberto Gurgel, Walter Barroso, Raimundo Justa, Newton Rôla, Bolívar Purcell, Aluísio Mamede, Orlando Olsen, José Elias Romcy, Isaías Façanha de Andrade, Raimundo Padilha, Rolando Emílio, Meton Alencar Pinto, Gotardo Morais, Artur de Albuquerque, Luís Esteves Júnior, Cincinato Costa, Carlos Calmon and Eurico Medeiros. As Rio Branco Football Club, the team colors were white and lilac.

In 1915, in their first birthday, the club change its name to Ceará Sporting Club.

From 1915 to 1919, Ceará was five times in a row champion of the Torneios Metropolitanos. In 1941, Ceará won the Campeonato Cearense in the same year of the inauguration of Presidente Vargas stadium. From 1961 to 1963, the club was three times in a row state champion. In 1969, Ceará won the Northeast Cup.

In 1970, ended the seven-year titleless state championship period. In 1971, Ceará was the last placed team in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A first edition. From 1975 to 1978, the club was four times in a row state champion.

In 1985, Ceará finished in Brazilian League 7th position. This is the best participation of a team of Ceará State in Brazilian Championships all time. In 1994, the club was the Runner-up of Brazilian Cup. In the final, the club was beat by Grêmio. In 1995, Ceará disputed Copa CONMEBOL, the club's first international championship, becoming the first and only club of Ceará State to play an International Tournament. In 1996, the team administrator was Forró bands businessman Emanuel Gurgel. The team changed its home shirt to an all black one. Because of this, the team was nicknamed "Urubu do Nordeste" (Northeast Vulture), a reference to Flamengo's mascot, a vulture. From 1996 to 1999, the club was four times in a row state champion.

In 2002, Ceará won the state championship after 3 years. In 2005, Ceará reached Brazilian Cup semi-final. The club was defeated by Fluminense. In 2006, the club won the state championship after 4 years without winning the competition.

Achievements

Football

* Campeonato Cearense:
** Winners (34): 1922, 1925, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1948, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006

* Liga Metropolitana Cearense:
** Winners (5): 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919

* Copa Norte-Nordeste:
** Winners (1): 1969

* Copa do Brasil:
** Runners-up (1): 1994
** Semifinalists (1): 2005

* Copa Verão do Recife:
** Winners (1): 1997

Futsal

* Campeonato Cearense de Futsal:
** Winners (3): 2002, 2003, 2004

Stadium

Home venue is Carlos de Alencar Pinto (CAP) Stadium, with capacity for 10,000 people, but the team only plays at Castelão Stadium which has a 60,326 supporters,cite web | title = Estádio Castelão | url=http://www.sesporte.ce.gov.br/institucional/castelao.html | accessdate = 2008-09-12 | publisher=SESPORTE ] and at Presidente Vargas Stadium, which has a 22,228 capacity.

Sponsors

Joma, FIAT

Rivals

Ceará's greatest rival is Fortaleza. It is the biggest derby in Fortaleza city. It was played 511 times, and Ceará won it 174 times, Fortaleza won 156 times and there were 176 draws.

Ceará's second biggest rival is Ferroviário,the third biggest club of Fortaleza city. This derby was played 272 times, with 123 wins for Ceará, 64 wins for Ferroviário and there also 85 draws.

Mascot

The team mascot, an old man known as "Vovô" ("Grandpa") dressing Ceará uniform was designed by Cearense cartoonist Mino for the "Ceará: Paixão Total" Project ("Ceará: Full Passion" Project).

The Mascot appears in late 1919 when Meton Alencar Pinto used to play soccer with the Kids and asked them to go easy on Grampa! And being the oldest club in Ceará state, is called "Vovô" ("Grandpa").

Current Squad

Noted players

*Josimar
*Iarley
*Mota
*Sérgio Alves
*Gildo
*Tiquinho

Logo evolution

The first logo was the club's first logo as Ceará Sporting Club, and was used from 1915 to 1954.

The second logo was used from 1955 to 1969 and was inspired in Santos logo.

The third logo was used from 1970 to 2003.

The fourth logo is the current team logo, and was adopted in 2003. The logo is a restylized version of the previous logo. Adman Orlando Mota is the creator of this logo. This logo introduced the white stars and the foundation date.

Ultras groups

* [http://www.torcidacearamor.com.br Cearamor]
* [http://www.moficeara.com.br Movimento Organizado Força Independente (Mofi)]

References

External links

* [http://www.vovo.com.br Official website]
* [http://www.vozao.com.br Unofficial website]