Sporting Clube de Espinho (Portugal)

Sporting de Espinho are a club from the city of Espinho in the north west coastal area of Portugal, some 10 miles from Porto. The city is perhaps most popular as a seaside resport - more particularly as it is one of the few legal gambling zones in the country. They're one of the oldest clubs in Portugal, having formed in 1914. They are part of a much wider sporting club, with considerably more successful handball and volleyball teams on their roster.

They're currently playing their football in the Second Division Serie B - the third level of Portuguese football where they have spent a lot of the last few seasons. But they were a regular top flight yoyo club for a 20 year spell between 1974 and 1997, finishing as high as sixth in 1986. They may only play in the third  tier, but they are certainly battlers, finishing second in 2008 - although sadly missing out on promotion in the play-off series.

They play their home games at the strangely steep sided but nicey intimate 7500 capacity Estádio Comendador Manuel Violas. Famous old boys include Ireland and Blackpool legend Mickey Walsh, Angolan international Marco Abreu, well-travelled Hungarian star Péter Lipcsei and Yugoslavia's 1982 World Cup squad keeper Ivan Pudar.

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