1990-92: A Dramatic Turn of Events
After spending many years transitioning between the Third Division (Tercera División) and Regional Leagues, Villarreal CF experienced a dramatic turn of events that saw them move up the ranks considerably. Under President Pascual Font de Mora, the team got promoted twice in two consecutive seasons. The ‘Yellow Submarine’ won promotion from the Third to the Second Division B in 1990/91, after finishing second in the regular season with 48 points (17 wins, 14 draws and only 3 losses; 57 goals for and 26 against). In the playoffs for promotion, the Yellows destroyed their opponents -Imperial de Murcia, CD Cala d’Or and CF Balaguer- with five wins and only one loss.
Road to promotion to the Second Division B:
- Imperial 0-1 Villarreal (18/05/91). Goal by Honorio.
- Villarreal 8-1 Cala d’Or (26/05/91). Goals by Honorio (2), Nadal, Planelles (2), Aparicio and Quemades (2).
- Balaguer 2-1 Villarreal (02/06/91). Goal by Nadal.
- Villarreal 1-0 Imperial (09/06/91). Goal by Nadal.
- Villarreal 3-0 Balaguer (16/06/91). Goals by Honorio, Aparicio and Latorre.
- Cala d’Or 2-3 Villarreal (23/06/91). Goal by Emilio, Latorre and Aparicio.
Villarreal CF won their group with 10 points and were promoted to the Second Division B.
In the 1991/92 season, the team accomplished the same feat and returned to the silver flight of Spanish football. In Group III, Villarreal finished second in the regular season with 51 points (19 wins, 13 draws and 6 losses; 61 goals for and 39 against) and qualified for the promotion playoffs, in which they finished as leaders and got promoted above UD Salamanca, Girona FC and RB Linense.
Road to promotion to the Second Division:
- Girona 1-2 Villarreal (31/05/92). Goals by Julio Pérez and Adriano.
- Villarreal 2-1 Salamanca (03/06/92). Goals by Mateu and Planelles.
- Salamanca 2-0 Villarreal (07/06/92).
- Villarreal 2-4 Girona (15/06/92). Goals by Mateu and Alcañiz.
- Villarreal 1-0 Linense (21/06/92). Goal by Adriano.
- Linense 1 Villarreal 2 (28/06/92).Goals by Alcañiz and Reyes.
Villarreal CF won their group with 8 points and guaranteed their promotion to the Second Division.
After getting back to the silver league, the Submarine did not leave the Second Division until their heroic promotion to the First Division in the 1997/98 season.
