Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league, although reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their senior team. Reserve teams are also no longer permitted to enter the Copa del Rey. In addition, only under-23 players, or under-25 players with a professional contract, can switch between senior and reserve teams.
The following year, La Camocha's rights in Tercera División were acquired by Gijón and the team was renamed Club Atlético Gijón, being relegated to Primera Regional after three seasons.[2]
Sporting de Gijón B was founded as Club Deportivo Gijón in 1960. Because the club started in the lowest level in Asturias, Segunda Regional, Real Gijón used other clubs to promote its youth players such as La Camocha. In 1970, La Camocha was replaced by Deportivo Gijón as sole affiliate after both clubs were to start in Primera Regional.[2] La Camocha eventually became an independent club and was renamed Atlético Camocha Sociedad Deportiva.[3][4] Deportivo Gijón finished as runner-up in 1971–72 and lost the promotion play-off to C.D. Acero 3–8 on aggregate,[5] promoting to the fourth level two years later after winning the regional league.[6]
In the following decades, Sporting B fluctuated between division four and Segunda División B, first reaching the latter in 1979–80, but being immediately relegated. In 1991, it first reached the promotion playoffs in the category, repeating the feat in 1996 and 1997, but consecutively falling short.
In 2018, the club qualified for the promotion playoffs to Segunda División, 21 years after their last participation. The club beat Cornellà in the first round but lost the two legs against Elche in the second. On 6 July 2023, the club returned to their previous name of Sporting Atlético.[8]
Sporting de Gijón B play most of its home games at Escuela de Fútbol de Mareo (field 1, also named Pepe Ortiz), which also acts as both the training ground and football academy for the first team. It has a capacity of 3,000 spectators.
Aitor Zulaika
