Melon Trophy
.jpg) Trophy of the first edition (1970) | |
| Organiser(s) | CF Vilafranca |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1970 |
| Region | Vilafranca de Bonany, Balearic Islands |
| Most championships | CF Vilafranca (13 titles) |
Melon Trophy is a pre-season football tournament held in Vilafranca de Bonany (Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain) since 1970. Its organizer was CD Vilafranca, first, and since 1989 CF Vilafranca. It is currently one of the most veteran tournaments of this type in Mallorca, along with Nicolau Brondo (1966), Ciutat de Palma (1969), Trofeu de s'Agricultura (1973) and Torneig de sa Llum (1973).[1]
History
In 1969, CD Vilafranca had promoted the Melon Fair to raise funds for the club. It was held at the beginning of September and over time would become one of the main festivals in the festive calendar of Mallorca. The following year, the football tournament was incorporated, which from the beginning achieved great popularity, especially due to the category of participants and the great interest in pre-season summer tournaments at that time.[1]
In the 1970s it was a leading tournament, with the participation of four teams that played semi-finals, a match for third and fourth place, and the grand final. Most of them were members of the Tercera División, but in those years the main clubs of the Islands were in this category. In fact, the most modest participant in terms of sport was precisely CD Vilafranca, which for this reason never managed to get past the semi-final phase.[1]
Throughout the 1980s the tournament lost strength due to several factors. First, the riots caused by the public in the 1978 edition during one of the semi-final matches; second, the gradual loss of interest in summer tournaments (which would end with the disappearance of many of them); and above all the crisis of CD Vilafranca, until it disappeared in 1983, which meant the temporary disappearance of the tournament. In 1988 it was reorganized, even before the official constitution of the current CF Vilafranca, which that year participated with an unofficial team.[1]
During the 90s, teams from a more local and humble area participated, maintaining the original format of four participants and some editions with a single match. During the decade, the local club improved its sporting results, ascending from Tercera regional to the Tercera división (where it would be ten seasons), which made the tournament recover a poster with better potential. The most outstanding edition was that of 2004, with the competition of RCD Mallorca, then in the Primera división.[1]
From 2007, the crisis of CF Vilafranca (it was relegated again to Tercera regional in a few years) caused the tournament to adopt a simpler format. It became a single match and with more modest rivals, in accordance with the sports category of the team. Even during the 2010s, some editions were played coinciding with one of the team's home league matches. In 2020, the tournament was interrupted due to Covid-19 and resumed in 2022, recovering its autonomy from the league competition.[1]
At all times, the tournament has continued to be organized linked to the events of the Melon Fair, being held on nearby dates or within the events of the Fair itself.
The trophy
From the beginning, the tournament became popular for its trophy, shaped like a melon, alluding to the Fair and the main agricultural product of the municipality. Each year the trophy is different and is received by all participants, always maintaining the figure of the fruit as the main element. This characteristic has been a differential feature of the rest of the sports trophies and has been maintained to this day.
History
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| Year | Ed. | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Other comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1st | UD Collerense | 0–0 (pp) | CE Constància | Semi-finalists, CD Margaritense and CD Vilafranca |
| 1971 | 2nd | CD Margaritense | 4–0 | CD Murense | Semi-finalists, UD Collerense and CD Vilafranca |
| 1972 | 3rd | UD Poblense | 1–0 | CD Murense | Semi-finalists, CD Margaritense and CD Vilafranca |
| 1973 | 4th | CE Manacor | 2–2 (pp) | UD Poblense | Semi-finalists, CE Campos and CD Vilafranca |
| 1974 | 5th | CE Constància | 0–0 (pp) | Atlètic Balears | Semi-finalists, UD Poblense and CD Vilafranca |
| 1975 | 6th | CE Constància | 2–1 | Atlètic Balears | Semi-finalists, UD Poblense and UE Porreres |
| 1976 | 7th | Atlètic Felanitx | 1–0 | UD Poblense | Semi-finalists, CE Constància and UE Porreres |
| 1977 | 8th | CE Felanitx | 2–1 | UE Porreres | Semi-finalists, CE Manacor and CD Vilafranca |
| 1978 | Edition cancelled (a) | ||||
| 1979 | Not played following the incidents of the previous edition | ||||
| 1980 | 9th | UD Poblense | 4–0 | Atlètic Balears | Semi-finalists, CE Constància and CD Vilafranca (b) |
| 1981 | 10th | Porto Cristo FC | 2–1 | CE Felanitx | Semi-finalists, UE Petra and CD Vilafranca |
| 1982 | 11th | CE Montuïri | 3–2 | CE Esporles | Semi-finalistes, CE Cardassar and CD Vilafranca |
| 1983 – 1987 Not played | |||||
| 1988 | 12th | CE Montuïri | 2–0 | CE Sant Joan | Semi-finalists, Badia de Cala Millor and Vilafranca (no federated) |
| 1989 | 13th | CF Vilafranca | 4–1 | UE Porreres | Single party |
| 1990 | 14th | UE Petra | 2–1 | CF Vilafranca | Semi-finalists, CE Llucmajor and UE Porreres |
| 1991 | 15th | CE Cardassar | 2–0 | CF Vilafranca | Semi-finalists, CE Llucmajor and UE Petra |
| 1992 | 16th | CE Badia de Cala Millor | 5–0 | CF Vilafranca | Single party |
| 1993 | 17th | RCD Mallorca B | 2–0 | CF Vilafranca | Semi-finalists, CE Cardassar and CE Montuïri |
| 1994 | 18th | CE Espanya | 6–0 | CF Vilafranca | Semi-finalists, UE Petra and UD Poblense |
| 1995 | 19th | CE Montuïri | 2–0 | CF Vilafranca | Semi-finalists, CE Cardassar and RCD Mallorca B |
| 1996 | 20th | CE Campos | 3–1 | RCD Mallorca B | Semi-finalists, CE Felanitx and CF Vilafranca |
| 1997 | 21st | CF Vilafranca | 4–1 | Atlètic Balears | Single party |
| 1998 | 22nd | CF Vilafranca | 1–0 | CD Binissalem | Semi-finalists, CE Cardassar and CE Montuïri |
| 1999[2] | 23rd | CE Manacor | 2–2 (pp) | CF Vilafranca | Single party |
| 2000 | Not disputed for installation of artificial turf at the Municipal des Molí Nou | ||||
| 2001[3] | 24th | CE Montuïri | 2–1 | CF Vilafranca | Semi-finalists, CE Felanitx and CE Santanyí |
| 2002 | 25th | RCD Mallorca B | 5–0 | CF Vilafranca | Single party |
| 2003 | 26th | CF Vilafranca, CE Montuïri and UD Poblense | 3x1 triangular tournament | ||
| 2004[4][5] | 27th | RCD Mallorca | 1–0 | CF Vilafranca | Single party |
| 2005[6] | 28th | CE Manacor | 3–0 | CE Felanitx | Semi-finalists, CD Margaritense and CF Vilafranca |
| 2006 | 29th | CE Manacor | 1–0 | CE Montuïri | Semi-finalists, CD Ferriolense and CF Vilafranca |
| 2007 | 30th | CF Vilafranca | – | unknown | Single party |
| 2008 | 31st | FB Santanyí | 3–0 | CF Vilafranca | League matchday |
| 2009[7] | 32nd | CF Vilafranca | 3–1 | CF Santa Eugènia | Single party |
| 2010 | Not played | ||||
| 2011 | 33rd | CF Vilafranca | 4–2 | CE Cardassar B | Single party |
| 2012 | 34th | CF Vilafranca | 2–2 (pp) | CC Son Macià | Single party |
| 2013[8][9] | 35th | CF Vilafranca (veterans) | 5–1 | CF Vilafranca | Single party |
| 2014 | 36th | Bunyola CF | 2–2 (pp) | CF Vilafranca | League matchday |
| 2015 | 37th | CF Vilafranca | – | unknown | Single party |
| 2016 | 38th | CF Vilafranca | 1–0 | Pina CF | League matchday |
| 2017 | Not contested due to renovation of the artificial turf at Municipal des Molí Nou | ||||
| 2018 | 39th | CF Vilafranca | 1–0 | CF Sóller B | League matchday |
| 2019 | 40th | CF Vilafranca | 7–3 | CD Consell | League matchday |
| 2020 – 2021 Not played due to the Covid-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2022[10] | 41st | UE Petra | 5–1 | CF Vilafranca | Single party |
| 2023 | 42nd | Athletic Club de Montuïri | 2–0 | CF Vilafranca | Single party |
| 2024 | 43rd | UE Porreres, Athletic Club de Montuïri and CF Vilafranca | 3x1 triangular tournament | ||
| 2025 | 44th | CF Vilafranca | 4–0 | Athletic Club de Montuïri | Single party |
| 2026 | 45th | CF Vilafranca | – | CE Artà | Single party |
(pp): resolved in the penalty shootout
(a) Following the riots of the public during the Vilafranca-Atlètic Balears match, the final and third and fourth place matches were suspended
(b) Resumption of the 1978 edition, played at the Miquel Nadal municipal field in Palma
Titles by club
- 13 trophies: CF Vilafranca (1989, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2025)
- 4 trophies: CE Manacor (1973, 1999, 2005 and 2006) and CE Montuïri (1982, 1988, 1995 and 2001)
- 2 trophies: UD Poblense (1972 and 1980), CE Constància (1974 and 1975), CE Felanitx (1976 and 1977), UE Petra (1990 and 2022) and RCD Mallorca B (1993 and 2002)
- 1 trophy: UD Collerense (1970), CD Margaritense (1971), CF Porto Cristo (1981), CE Cardassar (1991), CE Badia de Cala Millor (1992), CE Espanya (1994), CE Campos (1996), RCD Mallorca (2004), FB Santanyí (2008), CF Vilafranca (veterans) (2013), Bunyola CF (2014), Athletic Club de Montuïri (2023) and UE Porreres (2024)
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 García Gargallo, Manuel (7 July 2026). "El Trofeu del Meló de Vilafranca, 1970" (PDF). Última Hora.
- ↑ "Futbol insular". Diari de Balears (in Catalan). 24 August 1999.
- ↑ "Ambient blanc-i-blau". Diari de Balears (in Catalan). 20 August 2001.
- ↑ "Luis García s'estrena amb un gol en el Torneig es Meló". Diari de Balears (in Catalan). 19 August 2004.
- ↑ "Luis García ya golea con el Mallorca". Última Hora (in Spanish). 19 August 2004.
- ↑ "Margaritense y Manacor abren hoy una nueva edición del Torneig des Meló". Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). 6 August 2005.
- ↑ "El futbol de ca nostra". Diari de Balears (in Catalan). 9 September 2009.
- ↑ "Los veteranos del Vilafranca se llevan el Trofeo del melón". futbolbalear.es (in Spanish). 25 August 2013.
- ↑ "El defensa central Pablo Marí, a un paso del Burgos". Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). 28 August 2013.
- ↑ "Pilotades: El Petra, campeón del Torneig del Meló de Vilafranca". Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). 29 August 2022.