Black Lives Matter - Statement from your Board

Hola Culers,

Over the past two weeks, we’ve all seen, listened to, and participated in the protests in solidarity with our black community, members, and loved ones. As a Penya, we fully believe and support any cause that recognizes the rights of all people and their equal access to liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness.

Our Penya is a family that welcomes all people. We stand with our brothers & sisters and echo the voices of those calling for equality in the United States and the world. We acknowledge unequivocally that systemic racism exists and scream the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many countless other black lives that have been lost as a result of these systems. Black Lives Matter is a mantra we proudly stand behind. We want it to be clear with all of our members where we stand.

In support of the BLM movement, we are making a donation to ACLU/NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. We have set up a GoFundMe page for any of our members who would like to monetarily contribute to help end these injustices. The Penya will be starting things off with a donation of $530 from our charity raffle funds. Rest assured that we will be taking every step we can to continue to educate ourselves and those in our communities. We support our members in the actions they are taking to help. If you would like to help and want to know where to start, feel free to get in touch and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.

Through this gesture, we hope to do our part in catalyzing the much needed change in our current system. We love all of you as we stand here in solidarity with you and hope for a better tomorrow, and Barca in our hearts. Also, do not forget to Register to Vote!

Please see below for links.

With much love, say it loud and say it proud! Tots Units Fem Força y Black Lives Matter!!

Sincerely,

Your Board

Penya Barcelonista San Francisco

Penya Membership Pricing Change Announcement

Hola Culers,

I am excited to announce a restructuring of our Penya Membership pricing model. 

Effective immediately membership will be free of charge. Simply fill out the required information and you'll be a Penyista for 2018. 

We at the Penya feel that to earn a yearly fee we need to be hosting regular get togethers for our members outside of matches. We will be putting on multiple social events throughout the year. Some of these events will be free to attend, some will require a small fee to attend. Penyistas will receive discounts on these events.

Sign up in the next 2 weeks and you'll receive your 2018 Penyista card from the Penya Barcelonista San Francisco. Your ticket to preferential seating at big games, discounts on merch and events. Penyistas who signed up last season will also receive their new 2018 cards. No need to re register.

Once we've established a regular calendar of events we'll begin charging again for membership.

Stay tuned for the first event coming soon!

Força Barça!

Matt Manson - President

Joe Dixon - Vice President

FCB vs. Espanyol Copa Del Rey (1)

This was an interesting, if not necessary game.

The Line-up

I was happy to see Denis and Alena get the start. Vidal on the right was unremarkable, overall I thought it was a positive line-up with necessary rotations.

Busquets

Sergi's game has really gotten back to its heights since last season. It is often easy to forget how pivotal he is to the team when the likes of Messi and Suarez are doing all the goal scoring, however, he's been really shinning this season. Early in the game, he showed his skills with some smooth moves against the Espanyol midfield.

Physical play from Espanyol

It's clear that the tactic against Barcelona on this day was to disrupt play by being physical. Espanyol played a scrappy game with many fouls, including a pk against Sergio Roberto. The strategy seemed to work as they effectively prevented Barcelona from really getting a proper flow going.

60'

At the 60th minute mark, Messi, Denis and Busquets were the best players on the field. All were positive offensively including young Denis who not only had the only other shot up to that, point (with Messi having the others) but had made some key dribbles and positive forward passes.

Subs

This was my first biggest point of contention with this game, Valverde removing young Alena and Denis prior to removing Vidal was confusing. Vidal did very little on that right side, he is typically much better than that. The insistence on keeping him on, was like removing Paulinho on Sunday and keeping on Gomes. It just didn’t make sense when considering Denis had been so positive.

Criticism against Denis Suarez

This is my biggest point of contention with not just this game but Barcelona fans in general right now, and commentators. You look at twitter, you read game reports and everyone is saying, Denis didn't take his chance, was a 4 this game when Vidal got a 5 and Gomes got a 6 last game. The same people calling to keep Gomes are calling to get rid of Denis.

I JUST DON’T GET IT!!! Since when was making forward passes, taking on defenders, taking shots on goal in a game where the only other person doing it was THE Lionel Messi the kind of actions that got people asking that you get sold. He has had STATISTICALLY a bigger impact than the majority of players in the midfield ESPECIALLY Andre Gomes.

The goal he failed to score this game was directly due to Alena taking an extra touch before passing the ball. His technique was solid as he had to go near post because the defender had closed down the far post option, which was much more desirable from that angle. This happens every time plays, I am not sure if it's because people expect more of him or if people are just not seeing. Either way, this nonsense has got to stop.

Overall

29 games unbeaten coming into the game and going into the serious end of the season could be a gift and a curse. It's best we got this loss out of the way, I am sure the second leg will be much different and I look forward to a renewed determination with this squad as we fall into trophy-winning season!

FCB vs. Real Sociedad

We all know of the Anoeta Curse, so coming into this game undefeated I was concerned yet optimistic. After the amazing showing midweek, the signings, losses by Real Madrid, a win at Anoeta would just keep the good times rolling. 

The Line-Up

Valverde started with the conservative line-up as we've seen in the past against strong opponents. Being honest, with all the singings and Dembele back, I almost forgot the purpose of this line-up. Of course, my biggest point of contention was the inclusion of Andre Gomes, a player who did nothing for 90' mid-week.

Sergio Roberto

Early in the game Roberto got forward and was adding to the attack. As much as I enjoy Semedo at right back, it cannot be argued that Roberto is not an asset when it comes to the attack. I feel he is to Luis Suarez on the right side what Jordi Alba is to Messi from the left.

Interesting Test Early

So we go down 2 goals…honestly, I wasn't bothered, I was actually interested to see how Valverde handled the situation, how the team reacted. If we want the Treble this season, we will face these types of situations, so that Sociedad was giving it early was a great thing for our team.

I was disappointed in our defense, very much excited to have Umtiti back in the squad. I don't think Pique was as commanding as he should have been and Vermaelen was not impressive. However, I think the bigger issue was a lack of execution of the plan in the midfield. This formation has worked in the past, granted we had Don Andres in the middle to keep everyone on track. Should Gomes have gotten the start? 

Paulinho

Either way, again, this guy is where he should be when he should be there. Clearly, he is an asset to this team and it's been great to see. I was not originally opposed to his purchase, I was most upset at the price tag, but I can say he's been worth it.

The biggest question with Paulinho in this game was, why was he removed after scoring a goal and clearly contributing defensively, why did he give way for the sub?

Luis Suarez in Form

There is not much to say about this other than, Barca fans need to have more faith. I saw so many fans demanding we purchase a new striker when Luis was in his slump. Strikers lose form sometimes, it happens, what's amazing, however, is that he is regaining form towards the most important parts of the season.  An absolutely amazing goal in the top corner, having both him and Messi in form is just a joy to see.

Subs

This was where I had most of my issues this game. Valverde's insistence on keeping Gomes on while he was contributing nothing to both offense or defense was absurd. Putting in Denis Suarez for the last 3 minutes of the game was insulting. At this point, I would not blame him if he wanted to leave, which is sad because the stats show he is a much better player than Gomes.

Overall, this game was a great positive for us, we were tested, we responded well. Lionel Messi is going for his 6th Ballon d'Or in spectacular fashion, this is clearly not his motivation, however, you can tell there is a determination with him and it's great seeing that team-wide.

Have no fear Barca fans…trust in our team! Forca Barca!

FCB vs. Celta Vigo Copa Del Rey

I must admit, I did think this would be a tougher game than it turned out to be. It was primed for an upset, Unzue's knowledge of our team, a 1-1 draw in the first leg (I know it was our second team), it was the kind of situation where smaller teams rise to the occasion. Not a Barca with Lionel Messi, not an Ernesto Valverde FC Barcelona. 

The Line-Up

I was a bit annoyed at the lineup, it is clear I am not an Andre Gomes fan and starting him was annoying to me. I was concerned to see that Denis Suarez was not even on the bench. As of now, I have not been able to confirm why he was absent, I have seen reports that he was injured but have not been able to confirm it. I would have liked to see Dembele get the start but other than Gomes, I thought it was a good lineup.

Jordi and Messi

What an amazing combo! When Neymar left, and Dembele got hurt, that left side was completely open, no one for Messi to hit those beautiful cross field balls to. Jordi has owned it linking up with Messi like Dani Alves used to on the right side. It's been beautiful to see and those three goals between the two of them were just beautiful.

Ivan Rakitic

The rumors of this man's demise were greatly exaggerated. I've always been a fan of his and am glad to see him coming back to form. I would like to think his poor run of form was due to him having to change his game under Valverde to a more defensive type of midfielder. It seems he's finally returning to form, and it's great to see. He had a great game and deserved to cap it off with a goal. 

Subs

I would have liked to see Dembele get a whole half, but, I thought the subs Valverde made were good choices. It's
great to see Arnaiz getting another go, he is the first youth prospect I think we've dealt with properly since Pep's days. He's been given the minutes based on his performance and it's been good to see. 

Dembele Dembele Dembele…interesting enough, when he dropped back to play the Messi role, he got way, way better. Played an amazing pass to Arnaiz, had some great dribbles, almost had an assist then had an assist. This game more than any shows he's going to be amazing…his 35 min cameo could have been a personal highlight reel all on its own. Cannot wait to see him at his best. 

The Biggest Loser

Not trying to end on a sad note but…for all those Gomes fans you have to ask yourself…in 90' mins…what did he actually do? Arnaiz made a run and almost scored, Dembele had an assist, a penetrating pass, and 2 chances created. What did Gomes do this game? This one more than any other should prove why he does not deserve minutes on this team. Hopefully, he gets the transfer or is loaned out and we can focus on players that are actually producing for
this club.  

Peep the highlights, let me know your thoughts, and as always Forca Barca! 

Help for Houston

Join us in helping our fellow culers in Houston help feed the hungry after the devastation cuased by Hurricane Harvey.

Please consider donating to the Houston Food Bank. We've created a website to make it easy to donate to the cause, where 100% of the money will go directly to the Houston Food Bank.

Membership Renewal Reminder

Hola Culers,
This a reminder that the cut off date to renew your membership for the 2016/17 Season in time for the upcoming Clasico is: 

November 1st

Penya members receive the following benefits:

Preferred seating at the upcoming Clasico(s)
Discounts on T-shirts
Special Members Only Raffle
Official Penya Barcelonista San Francisco Pin
Official Penya Barcelonista San Francisco Membership Card

New membership cards will be handed out at the up coming Clasico (December 4th).
Even if you have signed up as a Penyista in the past and received a pin you still need to renew, otherwise you will not receive the above listed benefits.

As a non profit all proceeds from memberships and T-shirts go 100% to funding future Penya activities.

Sign up or renew on our website:

http://www.fcbarcelonasf.com/new-products/membership

Thank you and Força Barça!

Matt Manson
President
Penya Barcelonista San Francisco

New Member Invitation 2016-17

Hola Culers!

The first game of the 2016-17 season is fast approaching!  We, at the Penya Barcelonista San Francisco, are very excited to spend another nail biting season with you, and the rest of the Bay Area’s Barça fans. Join us this season as we work to build our Penya and provide you with the best possible fan experience.  We’ve been working hard during the off-season to improve our member offerings. Membership for the whole season is just $20 and, as always, your contributions go directly to funding future events. As a Penyista this season you can expect:

 

PBSF Membership Packet

Official Penya Barcelonista San Francisco ID Card (we’re making our own cards this season)

Penya Pin

Official FCB Penyista Booklet

Discounts

Significant discount on Penya T-shirts at events (new batch is on its way!)

Tax deductible membership fees (we’re a registered non profit)

Discounts on food or drink at our event venues

One free automatic entry in Penya raffles

Event Benefits

Starting with the first Clasico of the season, only members with official ID cards will receive preferential seating at big events. In addition, if you wish to continue enjoying the benefits of membership, you will need to renew every season. As a non-profit, your annual membership contributions go 100% to the running of our Penya.

Please register before November 15th to receive membership benefits for this season.

Charitable Giving 

Last season's gift of over $1000 to the Boys and Girls Club of SF was just the start! We will be holding raffles at all our big events with 100% of the proceeds going to local charities. We have lots of cool stuff to give away! Penyistes will receive one free automatic raffle entry each!

You can sign up to be a part of the Bay Area’s only Official Penya here

Join us for the first game of the season here

Thank you and Força Barça!

Matt Manson

President

Penya Barcelonista San Francisco

Announcing our New President

Hi Culers,

By now, i'm sure most of you have met Matt Manson, who i'm happy to announce will be taking over as president of the penya. Matt has been the de-facto lead in organizing club activities so it's a well overdue honor to hand the reigns over to him.

When Javier Caelles and I started watching games together over five years ago we never imagined that we were starting something that would grow to the size of our organization and become the official San Francisco. I'm very proud of what we've accomplished together and look forward to many more games in the future. I will be continuing to help out as secretary and look forward to seeing you at the games!

Robert Manson

Support for Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco

This year we were honored to welcome Mr Jordi Mestre, vice president and responsible for Sports Area of FC Barcelona. He was gracious enough to present the Penya with a player's jersey signed by the entire team.

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Sr. Jordi Mestre with Matthew Manson at South Beach Cafe

In the spirit of "Més Que un Club" the penya recognized this as a great opportunity to support Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, an organization that sponsors athletic and academic programs for local children.

We began selling tickets and in June we announced the winner of the raffle after raising $1,000 for The Tenderloin Clubhouse of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

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The lucky winner!

Special thanks to everyone who bought a ticket for the raffle! We raised a substantial sum for a worthy organization, helping disadvantaged youth in San Francisco and throughout the country. Tenderloin Clubhouse of Boys & Girls Clubs provides essential services such as after school soccer and other sports for those who wouldn't have access to it otherwise.

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Matthew Manson of Penya Barcelonista San Francisco, Ashley Monro of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco and local youth.

We are all excited for next season to begin but I'm i'm also excited for the opportunity for us to continue to help the community.  With everyone's help we can use the strength of our organization and the spirit of Barça to make a difference in San Francisco.

Looking forward to season to come,

Robert Manson, President, Penya Barcelonista San Francisco