RED STAR IS THE ONLY THING IN LIFE THAT MATTERS, THE REST ARE TRIFFLES

 

 

Sports Club Red Star was founded on March 4, 1945, as a result of Belgrade youth's effort to establish a sport club which they will be dedicated to. At the very beginning, there was made a section of members-friends of SC Red Star wich had about 100 faithfull supporters of red-whites.
wich started to go with the club on all away games.
The section was mostly made of boys from the burjoise parts of the city - Senyak, Topcider Hill, Dedinye, Knez Mihaylova st., but amongst the first Red Star supporters there were also children of workers, wich will form the 'first team' of supporters leaders in future period. All these guys had something special, because they represented the very soul of our capital.
Mostly they were city rough guys and bohems - all in all young Belgradians wich did not like nor army nor communist system, wich has already began to rot.
In late 50s begins a differentiation between spectators and pure supporters, mostly because of the fact that supporters have began to bring rattles, bells and a few flags to the stadium.
With Dragoslav Sekularac arrival in Red Star, supporters get their mirror on the field, because Seki had Belgrade manirs, not only talent. Supporters especially appreciated Seki's battle spirit, which was magnet for new red-white guys. The complete new glow Red Star got after one of the Europe's largest stadium was built and named Marakana after Brazilian temple of football. The most faithfull supporters finally gather on their own staduim, and among them most fanatic are grouping on NorthEast side.



Turning the North into a volcano erruption - scene from the end of 70s

 

 

70ies bring first supporters gathering before the match - mostly in pub 'White town', on Green market, where you could find supporters from the 'old days', and some of the most popular 'city guys'. 'White town' has a special meaning in the history of Red Star tifos - that's where they have gathered,made jokes, tanked up and training their voices before the game.
When going to the stadium, the leaders stood in front and walked before the others. If they, by chance, met opponnent group, clash was inevitable and the opponents always lose their and other marks. When the roof construction of stadium was finished, the most fanatic supporters have moved to the central part of the North side of stadium, where from even today the Crazyness of North begins, as illustated in a graffiti - EPICENTER OF MADNESS - CRAZY NORTH.
At these days Red Star already became a great club - it reaches to the semifinals of Cup of European Champions and without Dzajic (sent off) it beats Panathinaikos with fantastic score 4:1. Fourteen days later revenge was played in Athens where PAO won 3:0 and threw all red-white supporters down.
Supporters already have large number of away games out of boundaries of old Yugoslavia (although it was very hard to get passport), and their favorites get their support in Madrid, Liverpool, Muenchengladbach etc. The end of 70s brought first big fights, not only at the staduims, but out of them as well. So, traditional flags with big carrier bars were banned, but that did not stop the fights, especially with great rivals, wich were always black and blue after clashes. Rival groups have try to insult us shouting 'Gipsies' while we yelled back - 'We are gipsies, we are the strongest'


'Love' between DELIJE and police : unrests on handball match Red Star - Teka (Cup winners cup '96)

In the 80s there was a football fan boom all over the world - so on the North two big supporters groups appear - ULTRAS and RED DEVILS. While ULTRAS were doing it Italian way (long and melodic songs, fireworks, coreography), RED DEVILS group was based SERBIAN habbits - (which was oftenly mixed with English habbits) - drinking to death, beating rivals to death and consuming marijuana. ULTRAS and RED DEVILS leaders were not aware of the fact that they have become idols of young generation, wich was very numerous at the stadium. These two groups regularly made unrests, wich brought them into conflict with the communist police. Because of many incidents guys belonging to these two groups were regularly arrested.
In the mid-eighties, ULTRAS and RED DEVILS were strengthened by another new group - ZULU WARRIORS. These 3 groups have become the body of the North, and with help of other formations like WINNERS, RED WHITE ANGELS, BRIGATE, EAGLES, R. S. CLAN, R. S. ARMY... the made opponent supporters tremble. They had really big number of away games, where they made friends and (much more often) ennemies. Some of the gratest away trips were to London, Paris, Athens, Berlin, Milano, Barcelona and Madrid.

End of 80s came with strong nationalism, and Red Star supporters, in the spirit of their tradition, declare themselves as extreme Serbian nationalists (who could know what it will lead to ...), but clearly stating that Red Star is the most important thing in the world - much stronger than all political divisions. While leading supporters groups in Croatia, under cover of HDZ (leading party in Croatia) made several 'coalitions' (even that didn't help them), 'gipsies' have always emphasized that their greatest rivals are Partizan's tifos, although they are mostly Serbs. To show that it isn't under anybod's patronate, and that it uses its own head, the North gives an example to the others. In the moment when politics was already deeply inside stadiums and when Red Star fans were close to thing that has already happened to supporters from Croatia, wich became a branch of a leading political party, big meeting of all North groups was held - with only one goal - that no other name excpet Red Star, Belgrade and Serbia should be spoken on the games. That rule is obliged even today, although fans use every opportunity to express their political opinion.


Soon info-center for fans was opened, and also a shop of supporters arsenal (caps, scarves, posters, shirts, audio tapes etc ...). We also got a room for meetings, and member card were also made. From the day of founding DELIJE have stated that they intent to be a modern European group, what became true in a very short while.

Of course, fights with Partizan fans and fans of Croat and Moslem clubs were still inevitable. In these fights DELIJE 'best crew' was never beaten. Their willingnes to fight for Red Star and Serbia DELIJE prooved on May 13th in Zagreb, during the anthological unrests, when great battle with home supporters Bad Blue Boys happened and when whole southern side of the Dinamo stadium was demolished.

Maksimir 13.5.1990. - We are Gipsies, we are the strongest

New North epoch started, away trips were more often and more organized. It became absurd to talk about the number of DELIJE, because this number was greater from game to game. DELIJE catch their star, and do not let her go, they follow it on every game, not even dreaming that it will lead them to heavenly heights... These years there was strong North wind blowing, and hurricane named Red Star was blasting around Europe, having no mercy to anyone.

 


That's how Dresden looks when DELIJE arrive - 20.3.1991.

DELIJE in great number follow their beloved club on trips to Zurich, Glasgow, Dresden, Munich and to the finals in Bari. DELIJE members who were in Dresden speak of that trip as the best one, because of the great clash with German police. Fight lasted for few hours, and funny domestic nazi-supporters were kicking their asses in front of 'red furia'. On semi-finals second game DELIJE made inforgetable fireworks and with fantastic supporting they help the footbalers to do the impossible and go to the finals of European Champions Cup
The finals are not just a dream anymore, and ships, planes, bicycles, bikes took the world's craziest fans - DELIJE of the North, to one single place - St Nicola in Bari, Italy. In Bari everything and everybody was with us. St Nicola, Ciciolina and dozens and dozens thousands of supporters from all parts of Yugoslavia and Europe. Mig and gave us hty God listened to our prayers and gave us what we wanted for years - the Cup of European CHamipon. Fans of Olympique Marseille left Bari in tears - some of them because of their club's defeat, some because of 'close encounter' with Delije - who have brought dozens of souvenirs grabbed from the opponent fans. Winning of European Cup didn't fulfill our ambitions - December 8th 1991 in Tokyo Red Star beats South-American champion Colo-Colo of Chile adn wins the title of the World Champion

While Red Star lives, we will remember Bari - final game of European Champion's Cup - 29.5.1991.

Together with Red Star's winning of European throne comes the destruction of ex-country. In season 1991/92 international community forbides our clubs to play their matches in Yugoslavia - so Red Star hosted Portdown in Szeged and Anderlecht in Budapest (Hungary), and Panathinaikos and Sampdoria in Sofia (Bulgaria). Despite of war, poverty, closed state borders, the most faithfull supporters in the world follow Red Star on all matches, beating everyone who comes their way. Guys from Genova will forever remember the clash with DELIJE, and so will the green-whites of Athens.
The war came along as old country fell apart. The Serbian national spirit brought many supporters from the North side to front - to preserve Serbian people in Republic of Srpska and Serbian Kraina from being slaught by Ustashi (Croat) knife. The legend of brave guys from the North who gave their lives for mother Serbia will always be present among the Red Star supporters.


When sanctions were over, thing got a little bit better. Young guys, 18-25 years old came in the front, after getting experienced on the stadiums all over Serbia nad Montenegro. Old supporters also keep comming back. ULTRAS way is most popular, because the name DELIJE became a synonim for every Red Star supporter, and the greatest fan alays want to differentiate themselves. A lot of ULTRA subgroups appear, and the most significant ones are Ultra Boys, Ultra Brigate, Red Boys, Padina Corps... All away games in the country are very attended, and love for the Red Star DELIJE show not only supporting footballers, but basketballers, handballers, volleybalers, vaterpolers as well. First European trip for new generation of ULTRAS was on 15.10.1995 when handball club Red Star played abroad match in Gyor - Hungary - one bus of ULTRAS went there.

 

DELIJE in Kaiserslautern

Unforgetable coreography on match against Barcelona - 30.10.1996.

Next year, about 200 fans from Serbia, and few thousands Serbs who worked in Western Europe, supported Red Star in German town Kaiserslautern. Good coopearation between Red Star management and the fans, showed very good results in Barcelona, when 1500 fans followed their club - amongst them 100 of them to whom the club had payed the trip to Catalonia. On games in Kaiserslautern and Barcelona ULTRAS have showed that they are a group who has no problem about travelling with their beloved club, even on most distant relations, despite of crisis in Yugoslavia. Clashes with German and Spanish policemen proved that 'gipsies' are very keen on incidents, of course only in situations when it isn ecessary. The coreografies on 'Marakana' on match against Germans, and especially against Barcelona, proved once again our great organization. No supporting group in Europe can say for themselves that they have made 4 different coreographies on 4 sides of stadium - like 'gipsies' did against Barcelona. Great number of emminent European fan magazines give a lot of space to DELIJE, because they also realise that we are in the very top of Euro Ultra scene

Four years of non-presence in Europe were not enough to weaken DELIJE. On the contrary in season 1996/97 organisation on the North got even better - speaking of away games, production of new fan - requisits, moe often coreografies, and the crown of it presents our new fanzine - "STADIUM-FULL OF CRAZY SUPPORTERS". Under slogan RED STAR IS THE ONLY THING IN LIFE THAT MATTERS, THE REST ARE TRIFFLES, DELIJE come back even stronger, ready to show anyone who dares to stand in their way.

Great help for their work DELIJE get from the club magazine "Red Star Review', who gave them an office and a phoen - so supporters can always have right information.


telefon : (+381) 661-078