By Manolo Rodríguez

Joaquín Sierra Vallejo, "Quino", is one of the key players of Real Betis Balompié contemporary history. A striker with an astonishing dribbling ability, quick pace and accurate headers, along an elegance and plasticity while playing that made him a different player.

He wore the Green and White shirt between 1964 and 1970 and he became the symbol of the change of style that arrived to football at the end of the 70s. Intelligent and brilliant, he was not the typical footballer to what was common during his time. As a player, he was one of the pioneers of that kind of poacher far from the stereotypical striker who could only shoot and had no other abilities.

He was born in Seville on the 6th of September of 1945. Quino started playing in his school's team. Aged 12, he entered the Real Betis Academy and started climbing through the teams until 1963, when he arrived to Triana Balompié, a Betis Cademy team that was playing in Third Division that year.

Since he was quite young, fans used to attend different stadia attracted by the things that young lad did. He was a great prospect and Betis fans were proud of his successes in the lower categories of the Spanish national team.

He made his debut with Real Betis first team on Sunday the 22nd of March of 1964, when he was just 17, and that day began his story at the team. All kind of stories. Sometimes, events marked by his immense talent; and some others, polemic moments that increased even more his legend status.

So many things that they would not fit a single text. For that reason, today we are focusing on just one thing: the 50th anniversary of the day when he became Second Division top scorer in the 1968/69 season. The first top scorer in Betis history, scoring 32 goals. An outstanding number for that time and that has only been beaten twice since then.

The Pichichi Trophy (the prize given in Spain to the top scorer) had been created in the 1952/53 season by newspaper 'Marca' to award the top scorers in Spanish football both in First and Second Division.

The award was named after Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, "Pichichi", historic goal scorer at Athletic de Bilbao between 1911 and 1920, the player who scored the first goal ever at San Mamés Stadium and iconic footballer who died young before turning 30. It is known that there is a tradition that each team a team plays at San Mamés for the first time, the captain has to tribute Pichichi laying down a bunch of flowers next to his statue.

This award, that has increased its prestige through the years, always had, until 1968/69 season (the one we are talking about), two winners in Second Division, as this division was split into two groups, dividing the country between east and west.

That was the first year when Second Division was played in a single group and Quino was the top scorer. He played the 90 minutes in each one of the 38 matches of the season and scored in 21 out of those 38 games, scoring three hat-tricks. More precisely, against Mestalla, Indauchu and Mallorca, all of them at Benito Villamarín Stadium.

He scored the first goal in the opening game of the season, with a goal against Murcia at La Condomina Stadium. He netted a brace five times: against Alavés, Alcoyano and Burgos (at home); and at El Molinón against Sporting the Gijón, and at Altabix against Ilicitano.

His great numbers were not enough for Betis to achieve promotion to First Division that year, but the older fans still remember, especially, the goal he socred on the 29th of December at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuan, which made possible for Betis to win the derby away.

That Betis had enormous economic problems. The chairman was, since 1967, Julio de la Puerta, but he had to step down midway through the season due to medical issues. He was provisionally replaced by Pepe Núñez, Juan Mauduit and Francisco Bailo.

The situation did not improve, though. All the opposite, it got worse and Julio de la Puerta eventually resigned in February of 1969. The empty seat was filled by José León, whose first decision, after three days in charge, was to sell Antón to Valencia CF. Betis received five and a half million pesetas. Anton was an extraordinary full back, strong and fast, raised at Betis Academy. He completed a brilliant career at Valencia, becoming league champion and playing for the national team.

If we take a look at the bench, the season was also unstable. Sabino Barinaga began the season with the promotion as only target but, after nine matches, he was dismissed after losing at home against Mestalla. He was replaced by the well-known Fernando Daucik, who already had managed Betis between 1960 and 1962.

With Daucik at the helm, things were irregular, but never good enough. And the total crisis arrived after Match 31, when the hopes for the promotion were almost null. He was sacked in April and replaced by Esteban Areta.

Amidst all these issues, Quino's extraordinary scoring season happened, the best in his career. He got prizes and praises and was called up to Spain senior national team in 1969, with Betis still playing in Second Division.

It was on the 15th of October of that year at La Línea de la Concepcíon (Cádiz), in a match between Spain and Finland, won by Spain 6-0. That match was used by Franco's regime as a propaganda to claim Gibraltar as Spanish land.

It was also the first game of Ladislao Kubala as national coach and Quino came on in the 54th minute replacing one of the biggest Spanish legends, Francisco Gento. Quino scored the sixth goal, heading in a cross from Amancio. The line-up was: Reina, Gaztelu, Barrachina, Violeta, Eladio, Pirri, Velázquez, Asensi, Amancio, Gárate (Pujol 46'), Gento (Quino 54').

It's been 50 years since those two things, the Pichichi Trophy and the national debut. Many more things would come after, but they all deserve their own spot. All of them related to Joaquín Sierra "Quino", one of the everlasting names in Real Betis Balompié history.