A new development on the Costa del Sol, complete with five-star hotel, golf course and top-of-the-range spa, is being marketed directly to football fans in Britain, with the endorsement of several Premiership clubs. Some players, such as Tottenham’s Paul Robinson, are intending to buy flats there themselves.
Valle Romano Golf and Country Club’s Estepona development is a 400-acre gated community just 30 minutes’ drive from Gibraltar airport. About 400 of its planned 4,000 units are being targeted for sale to football fans. Those who buy into the scheme will find themselves in a UK football “village”, consisting of small, three-storey blocks, each with about 25 apartments. The flats, most with two bedrooms, will be sold for £150,000 to £300,000 off-plan, and are due to be completed by January 2009.
Commercial partnerships, signed this year with clubs including Bolton Wanderers, Rangers, Celtic, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and West Ham United, give the Football Village, which is marketing the development, direct access to thousands of potential buyers through the clubs’ fan and season-ticket databases; in return, the clubs earn a “royalty” for each apartment sold. Arsenal last September endorsed Pueblo Real, a similar development also on the Costa del Sol — 70% of which has already been sold, largely to the club’s fan base.
It seems a win-win situation for all concerned; but will the buyers really have their football fantasies fulfilled? How likely are they to tee off beside their Premiership heroes on the golf course or rub shoulders with them in one of the resort’s bars or restaurants? Andy Hosie, the resort’s marketing director, says none of the facilities will be off-limits to buyers. Fans who own flats at The Village will be free to watch stars train on its three football pitches, work out in a state-of-the-art gym, or make a splash in one of the resort’s three outdoor swimming pools. He warns, however, there is no guarantee the clubs will actually use the development for pre-season training or “bonding sessions”.
“It has to be the clubs’ first-choice destination,” he says. “At the end of the day, we can’t dictate to them to go there, but we can put a lot of pressure on them. It’s in the spirit of the contract that the teams should use The Village for training, but it has to be up to the manager of each football club to decide. We would expect that because the facilities are going to be so good at The Village, many of the teams will use it. Sam Allardyce, manager of Bolton Wanderers, has given us his personal endorsement.”
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Phil Mepham, a spokesman for Aston Villa, warns the players will not necessarily use the facility. “This commercial partnership is very early in the making,” he says. “Training at the resort is an option and to my knowledge the facilities that are going to be available will satisfy clubs’ needs. We’ve been assured they will be of top quality. But we really can’t be definite about using the site at this stage.”
One player is certain to be on hand to sign autographs, however, even if the clubs decide to train elsewhere. Robinson, 26, the England and Spurs goalkeeper, visited the resort when he heard about its football connection and says he really liked it. He’s now about to set up a football academy on site.
“I was chatting to Rob Segal, my agent, about life after professional football — not that I am thinking of retiring,” he says. “Knowing that I like to play golf and wanted to buy a place in Spain, he suggested Valle Romano. When I heard they were looking for somebody to set up a football academy, I went to have a look and really liked the area. I could see it was going to be a good fit for me and my family.
“We are now setting up the Paul Robinson Football Academy, and I’m looking forward to coaching there some of the year. I will be buying at least one property there as well.”
Property experts warn that buyers should not get too carried away by the football connection, however avid fans they are. “I would have to view the individual apartments before giving a firm view,” says Mark Clifton, a British estate agent based nearby. “Estepona is a difficult part of the Costa del Sol to sell property and these prices are not low for two-bedroom units. There is also a lot on the market at the moment.”
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Mark Stucklin, Spanish Property Doctor for The Sunday Times, agrees. “By all means, check out this development,” he says. “It sounds as if it has good facilities, a refreshingly new selling method and the football angle differentiates it from other properties. But get around and look at other developments and resales in the vicinity. Don’t be monopolised by one outfit. You need to make sure you actually like the area, see what’s on the market and build up a picture of your options.”
The Village, 08000 111 566, www.thevillagespain.com