The story was initially told by Mário Pereira, called Perigo Loiro, who in 1935 was a young right-winger for Santos. In the event of a defeat for Corinthians on that November 17th, 90 years ago, visiting fans were ready to set fire to the wooden stands at Alfredo Schürig, the rival’s stadium in Parque São Jorge, in São Paulo.
In a text prepared to celebrate nine decades since the beach club’s first victory in the Campeonato Paulista, historian Guilherme Guarche observed that “the then black and white president, Carlos de Barros, had given an order to the dockworkers at the port of Santos, who traveled carrying a gallon of gasoline.”
They embarked towards São Paulo on a São Paulo Railway train, with carriages rented for the fans. “Thank God, there was no need to burn down the stadium, as the eleven from Praia won and won the much-desired title”, reported Guarche, member of the Santos Futebol Clube Memory Center.
It was the first São Paulo title for a team not based in the city of São Paulo. In the 1935 LPF (Paulista Football League), played on a straight points system, Santos secured the title in the penultimate round, making it 2-0 in what would become its biggest rival.
The team only lost one game in 12 rounds – precisely to Corinthians, in the first round. The trophy seemed to be on the way before the duel at Parque São Jorge, but there was the trauma of consecutive runners-up finishes at the end of the previous decade and the feeling that the capital’s clubs were benefiting.
There was a very specific resentment, regarding the 1927 state championship, organized by APEA (Associação Paulista de Esportes Atléticos). The beach team had a good campaign, with a powerful attack that scored 100 goals in 16 matches, but a disputed defeat to Palestra Itália, now Palmeiras, cost them the cup.
Therefore, eight years later, as Raul Estevan observed, “injustices would not be tolerated”. In another official text from the Centro de Memória alvinegro, he pointed out that president Carlos de Barros was “fed up with the countless frauds of São Paulo arbitration” and that, “if the club were harmed again, the gallons of gasoline […] would be useful.”
“For everyone’s sake, it wasn’t necessary, and the Santos team secured the ball,” wrote Estevan.
Santos even had superiority over Corinthians, who were going through a problematic period, experiencing enormous difficulty in adapting to the era of professionalism in Brazilian football, inaugurated in 1933. Raul opened the scoring in the 36th minute of the first half, and Araken Patusca, one of the greatest idols in the club’s history, closed the score, in the 27th minute of the second.
“I was going to lift the ball and I saw Araken. I sent it to him, and he shot hard. José [goleiro do Corinthians] couldn’t even react”, recalled Mário Pereira, in 2007, at the age of 93, in an interview with Sheet. “Their team was very good, with Teleco and Carlito, but ours was not far behind. We had Araken”, cheered Perigo Loiro.
The champions were received with a party in Santos. There were no local rivals with the size of the black and white team, and the triumph was treated as a glory for the city, which broke São Paulo’s dominance of the Campeonato Paulista.
“Santos’ brilliant achievement, in the Liga Paulista championship, this year, filled the city’s sporting population with just joy. Never before have so many and such lively demonstrations of enthusiasm been seen on the sporting field. As soon as the radio announced the final victory, the streets began to move, as if something abnormal and strange had happened”, reported A Tribuna.
“What happened when the train carrying Santos arrived at the station is incredible. The champion players were as if pulled from the cars and taken to the street, on the shoulders of fans. Flowers covered the Santos defenders. The satisfaction was undisguised. Hugs and more hugs. Cheers and hurrays. General contentment. The music bands performed the first marches and then the enthusiasm reached its peak. Indescribable spectacle”, added the Santos newspaper.
Santos already had titles on the coast and triumphs in the Torneio Início – state, but of minor importance. It was 90 years ago that the club opened its gallery of great achievements, which includes three continental titles.
Legendary coach Virgílio Pinto de Oliveira’s team, Bilú, gave the first major glory to what would be the “glorious black and white beach club”. Absolute champion that year. He is responsible for preventing a fire in São Paulo in 1935 – even though the fire, according to the club’s official sources, was a plan by its own president.
