Real Betis fans throwing toys.

The Story Behind Real Betis Fans Throwing Toys at Halftime – How Did the Annual Tradition Start?

Sports

How it started:

Real Betis isn’t the biggest club in La Liga, but the Spanish club always grabs headlines for their annual tradition around the Christmas period. The heartwarming annual tradition is an attempt from the Spanish side to spread joy to kids in need.

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The annual tradition was initiated in 2018 by the Spanish side to collect stuffed toys that can be redistributed to underprivileged kids before Christmas. On the last home game before Christmas, Real Betis fans bring stuffed toys inside the Benito Villamarín Stadium, their home stadium.

Video credit: Tamin RT

Real Betis tradition:

After the half-time whistle, when the players return to the dressing room for the break, fans are asked to throw their stuffed toys onto the pitch. All the stuffed toys that are thrown onto the pitch are collected by the staff of the club. The collected toys are then redistributed to children in need as a way to give back to a special section of the community.

The toys that are allowed in the stadium should follow two basic requirements. No toys should be larger than 35 cm and should be without batteries. The club announced on December 4 that the tradition will continue this season against Girona on December 21.
Real Betis collects over 14,000 soft toys annually through this heartwarming tradition.

Other details:

As per reports, Betis collected 14,000 toys as part of this tradition when it was first introduced in 2018. The numbers have grown after the tradition gained popularity among the fans of the club. The toys are distributed throughout the city of Seville by the Real Betis Foundation and have gained admiration from fans and experts all around the world. The Andalusian club is known for its Verdiblanco spirit, and as part of that spirit, this tradition has become an integral part of the calendar. This tradition has helped raise the value of the club outside La Liga, along with supporting the underprivileged kids in the community.

Conclusion:

In La Liga, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid usually take the limelight for their on-the-field performances; however, Betis have been successful in carving out their own identity with a heartwarming off-the-field tradition. Real Betis are currently 7th in the league table, with only two wins in the last five fixtures. They were able to hold off Real Madrid on December 9 at home with an impressive result. The next home fixture in the league is against Girona, which will be the fifth installment of this Christmas tradition.

Source credit: Laliga.com.

Video credit: Tamin RT Youtube channel

Note: All the videos and the official links are used for fair use purposes only.

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