- Title: SPAIN: Flags fly off the shelves as Spain prepares for World Cup final
- Date: 9th July 2010
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (JULY 08, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SOSA DIAS FLAG FACTORY MANAGER, CESAR DE CASTRO SAYING: "We are going to win. That's for sure. We have Dutch flags if people want to buy them but it will be useless because we are going to win." FLAG ROLLS WITH TAGS IDENTIFYING THE COUNTRY THEY ARE FROM CLOSE OF TAG WHICH READS "HOLLAND 150 X 100" WIDE OF FACTORY WITH WORKERS AT SEWING MACHINES SEAMSTRESS FLAG READING 'GO RAMOS AND VILLA' VARIOUS OF WOMAN SEWING FLAG ON SEWING MACHINE VARIOUS OF WOMAN FOLDING FINISHED SPANISH FLAGS
- Embargoed: 24th July 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVADBWO431GY23NAVXDIEDLCM73I
- Story Text: Spain is being dressed in red and yellow with flags flying high across all cities, as the country gets ready to face The Netherlands in its first ever World Cup final.
Spain's only flag manufacturer, Sosa Dias, said their sales have soared from the usual 10,000 flags a quarter to more than 50,000 in the last month alone.
Flags which come in many sizes and can cost up to 50 euros for the largest versions, have taken over Madrid and can be seen on display over balconies, in shop windows and some are worn as capes by die-hard fans.
Factory manager Cesar de Castro said many lessons were learnt after the factory struggled to keep up with demand following Spain's win at the Euro Cup in 2008. Now there are always flags in stock and only finishing touches need to be done on them.
"The thing is as Spain reached the World Cup, and after the experience of the Euro Cup, we started making Spanish flags two months ago. At full speed. So right now we no longer have to print any but we do have to make up a lot of hours in sewing flags and finish them in order to meet the orders we have," said de Castro.
Spain, a country which is fanatical about soccer, won 1-0 against the German side in Durban on Wednesday (July 07), a historical moment for the "La Roja" team.
De Castro said that for the first time since the factory opened in 1988 for bulk buyers, individuals are now constantly arriving to buy their personal flags.
"In the large majority of cases we always work for distributors. But lately our doors have been almost full of people that come to buy their flag. They don't even know what size they want, but they want their Spanish flag to wear or hang from a balcony which wasn't done before. Before individual people never used to show up to buy flags," he said.
On Wednesday, thousands of euphoric fans draped in flags of all sizes swarmed the streets of Madrid to celebrate their team's victory.
"You feel very proud about the fact that people have started to use their country's flag, which never used to be done in Spain but it was done around Europe and America. People everywhere are proud of their flag. Spain until now wasn't. But thanks to the football team people are getting used to and are proud to show off their colours."
The factory said the 50.000 flags sold in the last month is the equivalent of around 100,000 metre square of material.
Football fever is set to continue and with that the flag bonanza as the Spanish squad now prepares to face The Netherlands in Johannesburg on Sunday at 1930 local (1830GMT) for the final.
De Castro said he is so confident of the Spanish win, he would advise people not to waste their money buying the Dutch flag.
"We are going to win. That's for sure. We have Dutch flags if people want to buy them but it will be useless because we are going to win," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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