Last update 19 May, 2013 by Alberto Llopis
Elche, after Alcorcón's draw against Barcelona B, has confirmed the fifth promotion of its ninety-year history to the First Division, twenty-five after the last one he achieved at the end of the season 87-88. The club chaired by José Sepulcre and trained by Fran Escribá has achieved its goal in a season in which it has been a leader from start to finish, always with a wide advantage over the rest of the teams in the category.
Although the club from Elche has been away from the elite of Spanish football for a quarter of a century, spent nineteen seasons between 1959 y 1988 in the First Division and is the twenty-third club in the historical classification of the Spanish League.
Elche's first promotion to the top flight of Spanish football occurred in the season 1958-59, with a team led by César Rodríguez, who served as coach and player.
The people of Elche achieved that promotion after winning Tenerife by 0-3 he 19 April 1959, with two goals from Nito II and one from Cardona. Elche lined up Navarro in that match, Gómez, Quirant, Riquelme, González, Rodri, Pahuet, Cardona, César, Outerelo and Nito II.
The team lived through a period of splendor in Primera throughout the decade of the sixties with many campaigns finished above the middle of the table and with the dispute of a Cup final in 1969, until the descent of 1971.
The people of Elche soon returned to Primera, in the season 72-73, in which it was the first of the promotions that Roque Olsen starred in as a coach.
He 1 May 1973, Elche prevailed in the field of Altabix al Barakaldo by 1-0, so much achieved by Aníbal Montero, in a match in which Mora played, Poyoyo, González, Canós, Montero, Lompart, chiva, Jaime Cano, Sitja (Alvarito), Romea and Melenchon.
Eleven years later the second promotion to the First Division would arrive with Roque Olsen on the bench, in what was then called Nuevo Estadio del Elche (current Martínez Valero).
After the descent of 1978, the group from Elche raised the 27 May 1984, by beating Bilbao Athletic by 4-0 with so many from Quesada, Anquela and two from López Murga.
Elche lined up Miguel, Lopez Perez (Lucas), Juanin, Perez Garcia, Quesada, Leguia (Sanchez Lorenzo), Anchor it, Ruiz, Boria, Belanche and López Murga.
One year the team was in First, until the end of the season 87-88, with Felipe Mesones on the bench, A goalless draw at home against Deportivo gave the team the last promotion on 1 May 1988.
Miguel played in that game, Sánchez, Tell, Cartagena, Does, From the neighborhood (Isidro), Pedro Pablo, Arm, Claudio, Sixto and Rodríguez (Boria). The team, nevertheless, he had gotten the virtual promotion a week before after winning Granada at Los Cármenes (0-1), with Robi's goal.
Elche was only in First one season and after descending in 1989, spent two seasons in Second before going down to Second B. From the campaign 99-2000 has remained uninterruptedly in the Second Division, category in which it is currently the oldest club.