On October 12, 1916, a Thursday, the day of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Santos inaugurated its pioneering Sports Square, located in the neighborhood of Vila Belmiro, formerly Vila Operária.

Before the opening of its Sports Square in Vila Belmiro, Santos trained and even played a few matches on its field on Rua Aguiar de Andrade, currently known as Manoel Tourinho, between Rua Lowndes and Rua Emílio Ribas, in Macuco, but without the dimensions and accommodations necessary, the question of the countryside became an urgent matter.

The first formal manifestation of the need to build a field was made by President Agnello Cícero de Oliveira who, in a board meeting on July 14, 1915, exposed the “urgent need to build a football field with all the accommodations and facilities that our players and our fans need”. To address a matter of this magnitude, the president appointed and requested the cooperation of a committee of members, which was responsible for the task.

At first, the most attractive option was a plot of land examined by Urbano Caldeira in good condition to build the sports field, located in Campo Grande. However, at a meeting on April 14, 1916, coincidentally the 4th anniversary of the club, Luiz Suplicy Junior informed the board that Companhia Construtora de Santos proposed to supply a complete field, selling it in monthly installments.

In a matter of such importance as the acquisition of such an important asset for the club’s destiny, all aspects were discussed. The proposal of Companhia Santista de Habitações Econômicas and respective examination of the land plan proved to be the most viable. Therefore, on June 10, the president closed negotiations for the purchase of land with Companhia Santista de Habitações Econômicas. The draft was read and recorded in the Minutes on June 23, 1916.

The Inauguration The Santos field, it was about time, was about to be inaugurated. At a board meeting on October 11, a letter from the Associação Paulista de Sports Athleticos (APSA) was read, “naming a commission that will examine the ground of this club”.

The same, in common agreement with the club, agreed with the transfer of the game Ypiranga x Santos that should take place on the 12th to the next 22nd. On the festive day, there were several games and games among the associates. It was goodbye to the games on the fields located on Ana Costa and Conselheiro Nébias avenues. Only the field rented by the club in 1912, in Vila Macuco, continued to be used for the club’s domestic league games until 1917. On October 12, Santos inaugurated its Sports Square.

Urbano Caldeira and Vila Belmiro

When the Santos stadium was founded, it was just called “Santos Field”, or “Santos Sports Square”.

Over the years, the name of the neighborhood also became the stadium’s nickname. On March 24, 1933, after the death of Urbano Caldeira, the field was officially renamed Estádio Urbano Caldeira.

The suggestion was made by Ricardo Pinto de Oliveira in honor of the greatest selfless person in Santos history. Despite the official name, the Alvinegro stadium is better known as Vila Belmiro. Over the years, it also received the popular names of “Alçapão da Vila” and “Most famous village in the world”.

The Trapdoor

The famous nickname “Açapão” – immortalized in the marchinha “Leão do Mar” – composed by Maugeri Neto and Maugeri Sobinho to commemorate the São Paulo title of 1955, was created much earlier, in 1930, by journalist Antonio Guenaga, from the newspaper A Tribuna. That year Santos remained undefeated in 25 matches played at their stadium.

Rei Pelé is the top scorer of the Santos stadium with 288 goals, followed by Feitiço with 162 and Pepe with 152.