José António Carvalho joined the Football Association of Viana do Castelo (AFVC) at age 18 and left at 68, after five decades serving football in Alto Minho, where he held the position of secretary-general. Throughout this period, he went through five presidencies and saw the association change premises, also following the technological evolution that transformed the way of working, from the typewriter to digital processes.
One of the most remarkable stories from this career involves the Bananeiro, a ritual from the late 1970s and early 1980s where referee appointments were delivered in person on Mondays. To ensure the documents arrived in time for the matches, referees received their appointments while eating bananas and drinking muscatel, a tradition that reflects the spirit of football of the era.
When José António started working at AFVC, there were about 20 teams in the district, registrations were done by hand, payments were made in cash, and even the photographs on player cards could be swapped. Workdays were long, with the association operating mainly in the afternoon and evening to accommodate club officials who could only handle matters after working hours, with departures at 11:30 PM.
More than documents and regulations, José António keeps in his memory the people he met over 50 years, such as Domingos Gonçalves and Salvador Miranda, who accompanied him during special moments. Now retired, he devotes himself to photography, the gym, walks along the river, and Vianense, carrying with him many stories from a life dedicated to Minho football.
