Founded in 1912, Botev Plovdiv is the oldest Bulgarian football organisation currently active. The club’s constituent assembly was held on March 10, 1912, but the founders recorded it as of the 11th since superstitiously believed two 1's in a row would bring luck and successes. Actually the newly-formed body received a juridical registration on Monday, March 12. Presently fans celebrate the later date as the club`s birthday.
Named after a hero, Hristo Botyov Petkov, a freedom herald and personality beyond national limits, the club adopted golden yellow and black as distinguished colour scheme in 1917. The chosen pattern was elaborated as a symbol of unity between the club founders. These were boys from the Saint Augustine Catholic College and their schoolfellows from the Orthodox Gymnasium Prinz Alexander I von Battenberg. In addition was written on then protocol this color scheme to represent the sun and land of Thrace.
Actually the Saint Augustine College was a real cradle of Plovdiv football. From there were pioneered several prominent local teams circa 1910s, but only Botev has survived since then. Moreover, it remains one of the most popular clubs in Bulgaria even has earned just a humble score of trophies – twice champion (1929, 1967) and three times national cup winner (1962, 1981, 2017) and one international success in Balkan Cup tournament (1972).
The club officially acknowledge ‘The Canaries’ as a nickname though there are not clear evidences how it emerged. Allegedly it comes from the song "Blue Canary" by Marisa Fiordaliso and Carlo Buti which has been an opening theme of home matches since 1961. Earlier nicknames were ‘The Yellow-Blacks‘ and ‘The Plovdiv Army Boys‘ due to the fact the club came under patronage of the Army's local garrison in the 1950s.
During the 1960s Botev forged a reputation as one of the leading sides in Bulgaria winning fans with an attractive style of play. At that time team consisted of players as the club’s legends Dinko Dermendzhiev-Chico, Georgi Popov-Tumbi, Georgi Asparuhov-Gundi, Rayko Stoinov, Ivan Kichukov, Dimitar Kostadinov-Miki, Viden Apostolov etc.
Second prominent flash is the 1980s. In the period 1979-1991 Botev Plovdiv won less than deserved - Cup winners (1981), vice-champion (1986) and five bronze medals (1981, 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1988). Georgi Slavkov in the season 1980/81 scored 31 league goals in 23 league games to become Bulgarian top goalscorer and win the European Golden Boot’81 award. The Canaries have had played tremendously exciting, even shockingly frivolous, played beautifully, elegantly, with humble dignity and fair play what brought them sympathy all over Bulgaria. Those were the days of ‘The Beautiful 80‘ and 'That Team'.
Thus Botev Plovdiv has gained a popularity that appraised the club as the third most supported in Bulgaria (after Sofia’s Levski and CSKA). Widely known for its flamboyant behavior the club has never fulfilled its potential on the pitch and only earning the proverbial ‘a nearly team‘.The last big success was in 2017 when won the national cup again. Nevertheless Botev Plovdiv has always enjoyed the patronage of celebrity supporters because of its fashionable old glory. This helped to overcome the turbulences in the last two decades.
In the season 2009-2010 the club was rooted to the ground and faced the eviction from the professional football of Bulgaria. Lately fattened up by a notorious local tycoon the Canaries rised from ashes just to reach another lost final in 2014, their sixth in a row - after crashes in 1984, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1995. Then the club nearly avoided another plunge into obscurity as the "big boss with moustaches" Mr. Tsvetan Vassilev, a bank-owner and allegedly political broker, projected a total reconstruction of club's venue, Stadion Botev. The home stadium had been demolished to the ground when Vassilev bankrupted after losing scuffles with his former allies. As an aftermath Botev Plovdiv is still homeless, the biggest tragedy in the club's history. Presently the team is tucked away in a suburb of Plovdiv and dwarfed in size as playing at the club’s Komatevo Training Base, which hardly can accommodate 3500 spectators.
- Talking about fans, can you tell me the history of ultras group? Friendship, rivalries. And tell me something about nowdays ultras movement in Bulgaria (to help me to introduce the movement).
There is no unique umbrella organization embracing all fans of the Plovdiv Canaries. Presently under the banner Bultras are gathering several ultra-groups but not in a way of consolidated orchestra. Obviously, the ‘bultra’ derives from Botev Ultras and it is a common alias for the extreme botevists. In other words, every bultra is a botevist, but not all botevists are bultras.
Simultaneously the all-botevists formal representation is the Club of Supporters of Botev Plovdiv (KPBP). It was established in 2013 as an heir of previously existed centralized fan clubs.
Hardcore support of Botev Plovdiv traces roots back in the mid-60s when die-hard fans started to gather themselves with flags and banners on the east side of our home stadium. The boom of activities picked in 1966/67 season as our club won its second title and thousands of Plovdivers followed the champions’ team home and away.
In the 1970s, a time of club’s decline, the radical support from the East Stand (Tribuna Iztok in Bulgarian) became more distinctive – almost separate, independent part of the Botev’s audience. This would mark the next decade as in their best days the radicals numbered about a hundreds, showing behavior influenced by the ‘British way’ – bar scarves, song refrains from pop hits (mostly Boney M’s ‘River of Babylon’, ‘Brown Girl in the Ring’, ‘Hooray! Hooray!’, the Hungarians of Omega with ‘Gyöngyhajú lány’ and etc) and arrogance. However, the tradition has remained to stand on the East of “College”, entering through Gate 5 from the Varshava (Warsaw) Street.
Just to explain in brief, the nickname of our Stadion Botev is the College due to fact that the Catholic College of Saint Augustine owned the pitch before the nationalization by communists in late 1940s.
After the fall of the communist regime and opening borders, the scene in Bulgaria began to develop faster as information what is going around Europe flowed easily and more people became aware of Ultras mentality.
First ultra-style group of botevists was created in 1993. It was a bunch of friends from the neighborhood of Izgrev, East Plovdiv and that’s why it was named Izgrev Boys. The year of 1993 is prominent also with the biggest officially registered travel of fans in Bulgaria since then. Twelve thousand botevists flooded the streets of the town of Blagoevgrad for the Cup final versus CSKA, unfortunately we lost 0-1.
Shortly afterwards two other ultra mobs emerged – Banda Kichuka (aka Brannik Brigades) and Bunta Sever from the residential areas of Kichuk Parish and Karshyaka respectfully. In general, mid-90s coined the reputation of the bultras and we were at the very best in that time all over Bulgaria, dominant force on stands, which enlightened others from the Bulgarian scene.
Through last two decades a sheer number of bultra groups have arisen and faded away whilst others are 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 ideology of the Plovdiv botevism generally is called ‘Urban Order’. It corresponds with the mentality of the Plovdivers as citizens of a place with millennium history and heirs of empires and peoples. With a mindset delivered by the so-called Cultura Trimona (comes from Trimontium, the Roman name of Plovdiv) the botevists have forged an ideological claim of "urban order and entertainment". It stands for a common apprehension to distinguish themselves from non-Plovdivers and glory-hunters, predominantly fans of Sofia’s fat cats. Cultura Trimona is a narrative of mentality, a folklore with some of its plots barely believable as ‘Sofia is eager to diminish Plovdiv, always, while other Bulgarians are nerds and wannabees who are starving to live like Plovdivers’. So you may encounter such mentality almost everywhere you find a true Plovdivian, born and bred - a little flamboyant, a little vulgar, partially sceptic and enough perky. It is reinterpreted at their work, at their amusements, garment styles they prefer and even what weather they admire. Obviously it marks their football as well.
The biggest issue of our terrace support nowadays is that we don’t perform it at the College Stadium. The lack of home stands has affected the overall performance. Home stadium is a place where traditions are kept, generations merged smoothly, links tighten and the family forges itself. In 2014 a new vision for the stadium was presented by the club directors, due to the higher targets they wanted to meet. Unfortunately, the reconstruction works stopped - two stands partially erected while others been on ground zero level - when the main sponsor Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB) had collapsed. Ever since the College Cause has lived as a testament for our promised land. The re-start of the re-building was in 2020.
Presently Botev Plovdiv plays in the south suburb Komatevo at the club’s training ground with limited capacity of 3500 seats. In comparison, in the period 2014-2019 several times we had the so-called ‘bultras-on-tour’ days with over 5000 travelling supporters. Before lockdowns and restriction due to covid pandemic situation, the fans of Botev Plovdiv were famous for the fact that their away support is bigger than the home one.
In the period 2000-2010 botevists movement deteriorated due to a prolonged warfare with then club’s president. His idiotic policy put Botev Plovdiv almost to the brink of existence as an institution. That time mini civil war reflected significantly on our cohesion and scarred the environment on our stands. The deterioration is notable even today when divisions appear and skirmishes often erupt in concern of the anti/pro club policy.
As we talk about warfare and fights we have to mention that in 2016 was a meeting between leaders of all the biggest fan groups in Bulgaria. There has been accepted a kind of ‘code of honour’’, which includes some rules like fighting with no weapons, not to attack ordinary fans and not to attack couples, people with kids, etc. This code is not obeyed in all from time to time, but we are trying to remain fair play in these terms. We appreciate the old school football culture and insist for fights without weaponry, group against group, around or in the match day. Considering these, we have created The Bultras Fight Club, its purpose is to motivate bultras from all generations to sport and stay away from drugs.
In general, compared to other European countries, Bulgaria has a relatively short history of ultra` movement. Its contemporary form emerged in the beginning of the millennium when distinctions between ultras and hools were vague. Presently such division can be seen only in the clubs with large fan base as those two from Sofia, Levski and CSKA and Botev Plovdiv as well.
Domestically, in Bulgaria we have long friendship with Spartak Varna, who are friends of the Italian CFC Genoa. Besides we keep close relations with Neftohimik from Burgas and privately many bultras appreciate boys from Pernik, small but very decent mob, truly faithful to their football club Minyor.
Our biggest enmity is with Lokomotiv from Plovdiv and Levski and CSKA from Sofia. Historically Levski Sofia is our eternal enemy on the pitch, but indeed, we treat them respectfully as adversary because they are showing dignity in front of troubles and bad times for their club. Leading groups there are Sofia Zapad and Ultras Levski, often opposing each other in skirmishes. CSKA Sofia has several groups as the powerhouse is Offenders (former Ofanziva) while the other important group, Animals, is notorious for acts of drug smuggling. Lokomotiv Plovdiv has one mob called Lauta Army.
Abroad, we are friends with Aris from Thessaloniki. We share a lot of in common – same colors of our teams and our city rivals (PAOK and Lokomotiv Plovdiv are in white-black). Additionally, our home towns are twin cities, second biggest in their respectful countries, Bulgaria and Greece. As such, we both share same hatred towards capitals and big asses there.
In recent decade, it has become a tradition to pay a visit to the Thessalonian derbries. In Thessaloniki, the bultras are always warm welcomed by the famous Super 3 organisation. Unfortunately, our presence there in January 2020 was marked by a tragedy. Our beloved brother Tosko was killed by being run over by a hit-run driver, fan of local rival PAOK. The loss is unforgettable. He was a big brave heart, big motivator and organizer, strong personality. His lost welds our link with Aris by blood.
Years ago, we were invited and participated in the European Awake Tournament in Wroclaw, Poland. Since then we have established good relations with the lads from Slask Wroclaw and Dinamo Minsk.
Also we have some personal contacts with hardcore fans from Eindhoven and Inter Milano.
- At the end, help my readers to imagine the city, talking about it. Imagine to have to convince them to come 🙂
If you have never been to Bulgaria there is a chance you have never had the pleasure to learn about the city of Plovdiv and colourful life there. It is a much smaller city than the capital Sofia so it is less stressful and great for walking and leisure. Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second largest city, but in fact it is comparatively small with only 350,000 inhabitants (approximately a half a million in the Plovdiv metropolitan area).
Nevertheless, Plovdiv attracts with historical heritage, traditions and easy-going manners of its citizens. The city dates back to 4,000 BC, a fact the people of Plovdiv are extremely proud of. The old city was placed on three hills, and renowned as ‘Rome of Eastern Europe’.
Present Plovdiv is a multicultural city with its specific atmosphere. The first look you would get if you just walk by the downtown - bohemian cafés, pubs, beautiful old buildings and cobbled streets. But there is something more. All these are in a mixed disposition, even overlapping with ancient remains and so. Here you can find diverse cultural influence spanning from the empire of Philip II of Macedon to the Soviet times. A big chunk of this attraction comes from the Three hills (The Old town), filled with art galleries and aesthetic house museums. It is still alive – many distinguished artists still live and work in the old neighbourhood tranquillizing the poetic atmosphere. The entire area is filled with antiques as the two most astonishing are the Roman Amphitheatre and Roman Stadium.
Being a crossroads of different cultures Plovdiv preserves an easy-going attitude to life. So the daily mood is festive in a way to impress you. You may find it as a place where you can enjoy killing the time or call it `sin city` if you join its raging parties that often burst suddenly and without any advertise for. Probably the latter is inherited from the ancient great grandfathers if we entrust to the science –
Plovdiv was at the centre of the road-system of inland Thrace. Philip II founded it urban in 342 BC as a mixed settlement of Thracians and 2,000 Macedonian settlers, whom Theopompus said were rascals; hence its nickname ‘Poneropolis’, meaning ‘Crookham’. Sometimes Macedonian, sometimes Odrysian, it was reoccupied by Philip V in 183 BC, and Perseus was supported by the Odrysians in the final conflict with Rome in 168 BC. Renamed Trimontium under Roman rule, it was the centre of the provincial government of Thrace. Later it was a stronghold against Goths. (Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft)
The three rugged crests formed the Trimontium. This was the third of the three names of Philippopolis recorded by the elder Pliny: Poneropolis antea, mox a conditore Philippopolis, nunc a situ Trimontium dicta, (‘previously Poneropolis, then called Philippopolis after its founder, and now known as Trimontium from its location’) (Plin. NH 4.11.41). The name Poneropolis, ‘city of troubles’, which was presumably coined as a joke, is first attested in Theopompus (Fr.107) as early as the fourth century BC. By the time of the Еmperor Vespasian, the city was presumably being called ‘Triple Mountain’ by Roman troops and their officers. Roman soldiers had given the same name to the British military fort of Newstead in the Scottish border country near Melrose (Ptol. Geogr. 2.3.6). The application of a descriptive Latin name to an old city seems to be a unique phenomenon in the Greek East. The pervasive Roman influence at Philippopolis is also reflected by the fact that the city’s Greek epigraphy is supplemented by many Latin inscriptions, largely of military origin. In fact, the name Trimontium, applied to the settlement which spread around the outcrop of three hills south of the Hebros (Maritsa) river, was also a humorous soldiers’ exaggeration. (Professor Stephen Mitchell, Classics and Ancient History)
So, this is the home town of Botev Plovdiv!
