Club Atlético Claypole (Argentina)

CA Claypole are an Argentinian club from the curiously-named city of Claypole, just to the south of Buenos Aires. The town got its name from a chap called Pedro Claypole, who was married to the one of the family who bought the local lands from an older convent. They donated a small patch to the nation to build the railroad, which they called Claypole Station, and the town was built from there. It is said that the official foundation date of the city came when the first train passed through, on 15 April 1884.

The club were formed in 1923. There are two stories as to how the club chose its colours. one, according to the official club history, that they were so impressed by the visit of a well-known English club that they chose to play in their colours. The problem there is that they claim the visiting Brits were Sunderland. So either The Black Cats had a bit of unexpected Toon envy on their travels back in the say, or they've got the wrong North Easterners. The other reason has got a much nicer feel to it, whether it's true or not.

It is said that Claypole were due to play a local side called Defensa y Justica, but both sides turned up in the same plain white strip. Such a fuss kicked up that two passing widows tore strips off their mourning gowns to paste to Claypole's shirts to differentiate the two teams, and they liked the idea so much that decided to keep it. We prefer the latter version of events, but the whereabouts of the two old girls has yet to be confirmed. 

After a long time milling around the local small leagues, the finally becoming members of the AFA in 1978, they play in the Buenos Aires- based Primera D Metropolitana, which is the fifth tier of Argentinian football, and the only league that they've ever won, when they took the title in 1997. Their brief spell in the glory of Primera C didn't last long and they were soon relegated back down to D, where they have remained ever since. They call the right old mouthful of a ground their home - the Estadio Rodolfo Vicente Capocasa, and on a good day it can hold 1300 punters. 

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