The women's basketball team was launched in the 1962/63 season under the stewardship of José Ángel Múgica. The side claimed the provincial crown in each of its first seven seasons. In 1969 the team was promoted to the Segunda División Nacional. However, in that very same year the side was disbanded. Amongst others, the names to feature in that roster were Sexmilo, Barinaga-Rementeria, Urretabizkaia, Olondris Amador and Fernández. The Kursaal court, which was made entirely out of marble, was greatly promoted through it use in the team's training session.
A group of youngsters, led by José Luis Leclercq, came together to form the club's first team in 1949, securing the Gipuzkoa and Spanish titles in their first year. The side continued to perform well as they claimed the provincial title and contested the Spanish Championship in four successive seasons. Amongst the festival tournaments staged at the Frontón Gros, the most memorable games were those against teams from the United States. The team was disbanded in the 1955/56 season, although they did reform a few years later, achieving promotion during that second period. Players that made their mark included Zabaleta, Zubimendi, Yarza, Fritchssi and Leal.
The 1943/44 season saw the launch of a handball team. The club's president, Pedro Chillida, wasted no time in bringing together the groups of players who had suggested creating the team. The side qualified for the Spanish Championship in their second year, reaching the quarter-finals of the competition. In subsequent campaigns, the team claimed virtually all of the Gipuzkoa titles, with their highly technical style of play serving to boost the levels of interest in handball across the region. The biggest achievement of all came when the team reached the final in Pontevedra, where they ultimately came off second best against FC Barcelona. The La Real side featured the following Spanish internationals: Marcelino and Marcos Arenaza, Carlos Sallée and Anselmo 'Muenen' Mandizábal.
One of the lesser-known activities within a club like Real Sociedad is the boxing team, which reached its pinnacle during the 1920s. Lluch, Pastor, Aramayo, Michau, Losada, Pepe and Javier Urbieta and Arizmendi were amongst the boxers to compete for the club under the Sebastián Silveti's presidency.
There can be no question that cycling has played a big part in the history of Real Sociedad. The club's beginnings were dominated by all things two wheels. The Atocha Velodrome was built in 1906 and two years later the San Sebastián Cycling Club was founded, whilst the Spanish Speed Championship was also organised in the city. The cycling club joined forces with the football club, who lifted the Copa del Rey under the cycling club's name in 1909. The Atocha Velodrome gave way to the football stadium as football began to take root in San Sebastián, although the club's identity would be always linked to cycling. Things were different back in those days and in 1923 Real Sociedad de Fútbol paid tribute to its cyclists and the special place that cycling will always hold in the club's history.
Throughout our history, which spans over 100 years, the only athlete to have flown the club's flag on the slopes has been Lide Miner, but we really couldn't have wished for a better representative. Right since her involvement in youth competitions she outperformed the rest of the field and she boasts an exceptional trophy haul from throughout her successful career. She has won Spanish titles in all age groups, including children, junior and adult competitions. On the international stage, she also scooped two gold and a silver medal in 1988 and three bronze medals in 1988 and 1989. She was named Gipuzkoa's best female athlete in 1990.
There was a lengthy 16-year break following the 1957 League Championship. The domestic competition was resumed in the 1972/73 season and Real Sociedad took the title in three successive seasons. In addition, the team also captured the Copa del Rey crown in each of these three years. After this period and now with a dozen teams involved in the league, the club failed to regain their title and in the 1976/77 campaign they took part in the Junior league, which proved to be a significant breeding ground for the Txuri-urdin. The club enjoyed success in this division by lifting the following pieces of silverware: Copa del Rey and league runners-up in 1979 and league champions and Copa del Rey runners-up the following year.
The 1917/18 marked the founding of a men's grass hockey team, who a couple of years after their inception went on to secure the Copa del Rey title. Following a few years during which the team's standards dropped, the side were on the up again in 1928, when they secured the Basque Cup and reached the semis of the Spanish Championship. During the following campaign, the team successfully defended their Basque Cup crown and also won the Spanish Championship. After a spell during which saw the team go into the wilderness, the city's hockey scene underwent some restructuring in the post-war period. Up until this point, the leading lights in the team had been Ángel Azcona, Santiago Ugarte, Ignacio Londaiz and Javier Arbide. Several years passed before a young side was built and La Real once agin assumed a leading role in the hockey scene, lifting Gipuzkoa titles and reaching the latter stages of national tournaments. From the 1980s onwards, the team, which was full of players who always give their all for the shirt, were always nailed on for a third-place finish.
Roller hockey can be defined as a stunning and beautiful sport. The feats of the roller hockey team over the course of two decades (1950s-1970s) is of real note. During the early years of the 50s, the endeavours of Manolo Eguiluz saw the La Real team win the Championship trophy in 1954. From that year onwards, the team claimed the title every year up until 1962. At that points it was the youngest members of the squad who took over and the team went on to win their last Gipuzkoa Championship crown a few years later. The club contested several international fixtures, with one standout result being the win over the French national team in 1957, a game which was held at the Gran Kursaal, a pitch which no longer exists.
Photos courtesy of: Real Sociedad, Jaunsar, A.Alonso and Fototeca Kutxa