2020/01/20

Still Standing

Botev Plovdiv has maintained a strong fan base over the years and in terms of the popularity is staged as the third most supported club in Bulgaria. There is no unique umbrella organization embracing all fans of the Plovdiv Canaries.

Obviously the ‘bultra’ derives from Botev Ultras and it is a common alias for all extreme botevists. Presently under the banner Bultras on stands are gathering several groups but anyway it is not a consolidated orchestra. Since the end of 90s this name has gained popularity not only among botevists' society but nationwide. Simultaneously the all-botevists’ representation is considered as the Club of Supporters of Botev Plovdiv (KPBP), established in 2013 as an heir of previously existed centralized fan clubs.

Generally, every bultra is a botevist, but not all botevists are bultras. The symbolic foundation traces back more than 50 years ago when the vibrant support has commenced to place itself at Tribuna Iztok (East stand) of home stadium. However, it was sporadic and chaotic by the beginning of 1990’s when first organized groups emerged.

In 1993 a gang from the Izgrev neighborhood of Plovdiv appeared, called Izgrev Boys. Shortly afterwards two other residential districts, Kichuk Paris and Karshyaka, delivered own mobs (BrigadesBrannik, lately Banda Kichuka and Bunta Sever respectfully) on the stands. The public coined the term bultras as to nominate them all in general.

Through last decades a sheer number of ultra groups have arisen and faded away whilst others still standing - Bandits, Barabas, Ludata Banda Kichuka, Brigades Trakia, Centrum Crew, Proslav, Titans, SCB, CSC, Youth Group, Bultras Assenovgrad, Bultras Haskovo. Thus the lack of homogeneity gives a multifaceted look of Botev's support which allegedly preserve it natural, away from any political interference or fashionable ephemera.     

The blog Bultras Story is dedicated to the history of Plovdiv's botevism and its presence in the Bulgarian stadium culture. Unfortunately it is still without English translation, so a foreigner may enjoy only the photo chronicles there - The Beginners, The 1970s and 80s, Ultra' Botev [1] [2] [3] [4]

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