On July 7th 1970, Villarreal CF got one of the most important achievements of its history at the Santiago Bernabéu.
July 7th 1970 was the first major step in the history of Villarreal CF. That day the team led by Pepe Rey achieved its promotion to the Second Division after beating Bilbao Athletic (2-1) at the Santiago Bernabéu.
After playing three seasons in the Third Division, Villarreal finished as the leader of Group 5 with 56 points -23 wins, 10 draws and 5 losses, and that position allowed the club to play the play-offs for the promotion to Spanish Silver football category. In the first of the two qualifying games, the Submarine faced Union Popular Langreo, and was beaten in the Asturian stadium (1-0) and could only draw at El Madrigal (1-1). But the Yellows didn’t waste their second opportunity against Bilbao Athletic: both teams won 2-1 at home, and a third tiebreaker game had to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu. That July 7th, 1970 would be part of history for Villarreal, who won 2-1 and achieved its promotion to the Second Division.
After 44 years, it remains an important date for the club and many fans still remember this day as the first historic step of Villarreal CF.
