Penya Barcelonista Montserrat-Monistrol celebrates its 50th anniversary with Joan Laporta

Sunday 15 October saw a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Penya Barcelonista Montserrat-Monistrol, plus the 29th meeting of the Penyas Barcelonistas from Bages, Berguedà and Cerdanya. President Joan Laporta was there to celebrate such a special occasion, accompanied by FC Barcelona board member Josep-Ignasi Macià, and Juan Manuel Asensi and Paco Martínez, president and member of Barça Players Association respectively, who travelled to the municipality of Bages.

The festivities began with a show by cultural institutions from Monistrol de Montserrat, followed by the inauguration of a commemorative plaque for the 50th anniversary of the Penya Barcelonista Montserrat-Monistrol. President Joan Laporta was there for the inauguration, along with the rest of the blaugrana party, who were joined by the town's mayor, Núria Carreras, and the penya's president, Rogeli Serra. 

The blaugrana party then moved to the town hall for an institutional reception and the signing of the council's book of honour.

150 people at the festive event

Once the institutional acts were complete, the blaugrana party were able to share in the celebrations of the 50 years of history of the local penya, as well as the 29th meeting of the Penyas Barcelonistas of Bages, Berguedà and Cerdanya, with over 150 people in attendance.

The audience heard speeches by the Penya Barcelonista Montserrat-Monistrol president, Rogeli Serra, by Antoni Valverde, delegate from the Advisory Council for the Penyas Barcelonistas from Bages, Berguedà and Cerdanya, and by Juan Manuel Asensi, president of the Barça Players Association. They all thanked the 32 penyas for coming.

Lastly, president Joan Laporta also wanted to say a few words to the penyistas to thank them for their loyalty to the Club and its teams, and reaffirmed that the Board of Directors will always stand side-by-side with the FC Barcelona penyas. 

50 years of FC Barcelona support borne out the first penya meeting 

The Penya Barcelonista Montserrat-Monistrol arose out of the first meeting of Penyas Barcelonistas held in Montserrat in 1972, a real landmark in FC Barcelona's history as 10,000 people attended despite the Franco regime. These large numbers inspired the penya that organised the first meeting, the Penya Blaugrana from Manresa, to push for another penya meeting in Bages in conjunction with the new penya that arose out of this major concentration of Culers, the Penya Barcelonista Montserrat-Monistrol. The second meeting was finally held in 1977.