Football Thread!

[Chicho Makedonski]

Illegal name and illegal agreement signed against the interests of most of the Macedonian population who boycotted the name change referendum, making both the name change and Anti-Macedonian Prespa agreement illegal. Hopefully FFM don't change it to the illegal name. Macedonia desperately needs a patriotic political party to stop all the illegal and anti-Macedonian activities.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Personally, feel it is beyond party politics; they need a revolution.

[Momce Makedonce]

Was re-watching this great documentary about Vojvodi Tetovo's 30 year anniversary back in 2018. For those that don't know Vojvodi are the Ultras group that supports the football club Teteks Tetovo.

They touch on a number of topics, from the establishment of the group in 1988, highlights of the club and group, incidents over the years and what it means to be a Vojvoda and Macedonian in Tetovo. I found it a great watch and have a lot of respect for the Macedonians of the Tetovo region.

Have watch here if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLgncC5qp_I

Shorter news report on their 30 year anniversary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC1YpdDQB9c

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Ultras in Macedonia showing more patriotism than political organisations.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

OFK Belasica Petrič promotional shot dressed as komiti

[Momce Makedonce]

OFK Belasica Petrič promotional shot dressed as komiti

Hmm interesting, any idea if the club identifies as Macedonian? Tried searching and couldn't find much, wiki says their nickname is "Komitite".

I can also see their apparent previous names on Wiki:
1923 FC Manush Voivoda
1928 FC Lubomir Vesov
1931 FC Macedonia
1946 FC Ilinden
1948 FC Spartak

Can't seem to find much apart from their Wikipedia page.

I remember discovering a video about the team Pirin FC Blagoevgrad with a song mentioning Macedonia and the original name of Blagoevgrad, Gorna Dzhumaja. Lyrics I believe were "od Gorna Dzhumaja, toj e gordosta na Makedonia, samo Pirin ale"

[Soldier of Macedon]

Hmm interesting, any idea if the club identifies as Macedonian?

Unlikely. Look at their logo. The "komiti" thing is just an attempt to appeal to people through the historical legacy of Macedonia.

Can't seem to find much apart from their Wikipedia page.

Here is something about Bulgar football from Wikipedia. Check the sources.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_in_Bulgaria

Between 2003 and 2013, 15 club presidents or previous owners of Bulgarian top league clubs were murdered. A US diplomatic cable of 2010 published by WikiLeaks claimed that since the end of Communism, allegations of illegal gambling, match fixing, money laundering, and tax evasion abound in Bulgarian football, which has become a symbol of organised crime's corrupt influence on important institutions.

How was it again that Bulgaria got into the EU? Anyway, Belasica are currently in the 3rd division. They should probably stay there.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Momce, any idea where that video is?

[Momce Makedonce]

Unlikely. Look at their logo. The "komiti" thing is just an attempt to appeal to people through the historical legacy of Macedonia.

Here is something about Bulgar football from Wikipedia. Check the sources.

How was it again that Bulgaria got into the EU? Anyway, Belasica are currently in the 3rd division. They should probably stay there.

That is ridiculous, how did they get into the EU indeed. You are probably right SOM, it is interesting that apparently the club was called FC Macedonia in the 1930's, but who knows if this is true.

Momce, any idea where that video is?

Sure, here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Lboa83SSc


There was also this article from 2018

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/bulgarian-clubs-fans-cry-foul-call-for-move-to-macedonian-league-132302

"Bulgarian club’s fans cry foul, call for move to Macedonian league

Pirin Blagoevgrad fans, fed up with what they called “repression” by Bulgarian football authorities, have asked to join neighboring Balkan country Macedonia’s football league.

The Eagles were relegated from Bulgaria’s top division after a hotly disputed goal sent them to a 2-1 defeat at home to Vitosha Bistritsa on May 21.

Vitosha’s Grigor Dolapchiev was flagged offside by the assistant referee, but the referee waved play on and striker Dolapchiev took full advantage to score his side’s second goal.

“Dear leaders of Macedonian football, we the supporters of Pirin Blagoevgrad, urge you to accept Pirin in the Macedonian football championship as of next season,” Pirin fans said in a written request to the Macedonian Football Federation, adding that they would accept a place in any division of the league.

Pirin and the club’s fans have complained of unfair treatment by the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) and referees on several occasions during the season.

“In the last 20 years Pirin have been deliberately subjected to repression by the BFU,” the fans’ letter said.

In happier times Pirin, based in Blagoevgrad - a town, located 20km from the border with Macedonia - reached the Bulgarian Cup final four times and competed in UEFA’s European club competitions.

In 2011 Pirin was expelled from the Bulgaria’s top flight over unpaid debts and six years earlier was kicked out because of unpaid taxes.

Pirin has a tradition of developing young players, such as former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who spent seven years with the club, members of Bulgaria team that reached the 1994 World Cup semifinals as well as several players in the current national team."

[Liberator of Makedonija]

What ever came of Pirin's request to the FFM?

[Momce Makedonce]

What ever came of Pirin's request to the FFM?

Nothing ever came of it, from my knowledge I don't think a formal request to join FFM was ever submitted. Might have just been a stunt to get the Bulgarian association to listen to them.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Nothing ever came of it, from my knowledge I don't think a formal request to join FFM was ever submitted. Might have just been a stunt to get the Bulgarian association to listen to them.

Similar to when PAS Iraklis in the Greek comp threatened to defect to FFM.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Bulgaria relocates match against Macedonia

The Bulgarian Football Union has relocated its League of Nations game against Macedonia from Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, to Huverpharma Arena in the north-eastern city of Razgrad.

https://www.gol.mk/fudbal/oficijalno-makedonija-protiv-bugarija-vo-maliot-grad-razgrad

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Goran Pandev serves as delegate to Football Federation of Macedonia conference

https://24.mk/details/goran-pandev-izbran-za-delegat-vo-sobranieto-na-ffm

[Liberator of Makedonija]

I saw a Facebook post a while back by someone claiming that in the 1980s fans of Rockdale Ilinden would hold portraits of Tito and taunt fans of Sydney Makedonia (now Bankstown City Lions), who they referred to degradingly as "patriots". A comment in the thread also claimed the same for Cringila Lions, who were supposedly also pro-Yugoslav and against the "patriots" at Wollongong Macedonia (now Wollongong United). There were insinuations that the same was true for Altona Gate "Vardar" (now Altona Magic), who I know used to sometimes call those at Preston Makedonia "Greeks".

Is anyone able to shed some light on all this?