The Last Crusade: FK Vojvodina v FK Proleter Novi Sad, Stadion Karadore, Novi Sad, Serbia

Friday 15 April 2022

FK Vojvodina v FK Proleter Novi Sad, Stadion Karadore, Novi Sad, Serbia

11 Apr 2022

Super Lige Srbije

FK Vojvodina v FK Proleter Novi Sad

Stadion Karadorde

Novi Sad, Serbia

Day 4 and the third match of the inaugural 'Team Hesketh Serbian Ground Hop'. As with the majority of Serbian Premier league matches tickets were readily available on the day. The ticket booth is located at the SW curve of the stadium.

Since 1924 the 15,000 capacity Stadion Karadorde has been home to FK Vojvodina. It was originally named in honour of the leader of the first Serbian uprising but when Tito came to power at the end of WW2 it was renamed as the City Stadium. In 2007 the fans voted to revert it back to its original name

The fast train from Belgrade to Novi Sad only opened 3 weeks ago and takes a meagre 35-40 minutes. It is part of the Belgrade-Budapest international railway. The journey time between Belgrade and Budapest will be less than 2.5 hours.

Arriving in Novi Sad and everything is new and shiny

St Mary's catholic church on Liberty Square

Monument to Svetozar Miletic a former mayor of

Novi Sad in front of the City Hall

Hotel Fontana proved a great budget hotel and I would highly recommend it for a poultry €50 a night

The good life

The view up Nikole Pasica St towards the Orthodox church

We made friends with Melina who is the owner of this craft and souvenir shop. A daughter of a diplomat, she spoke Chinese, Japanese, Russian, English and her native Serbian.

Me and Melina

When in Novi Sad the most important attraction is the Petrovaradin fortress on the other side of the Danube

Two stags fighting on the grounds of the fortress

Souvieners on Ludwig's Bastion

The Clock Towers odd because the minute hand shows the hour and vice versa, so it's ten to one.

View across the Danube in the area of FK Vojvodina

Time for a pre-match beer

Zajercarsko beer - a really nice Serbian beer

The FK Vojvodina ultras (Firma) on their way to the game

Outside the west stand on the way to acquire some tickets

Interesting posters outside the club shop, I think the translation is "March from Vojvodina Tsykelo Matopa" - whoever he is

Novi Sad💥

On the outside of the Eastern Tribune

there is some fabulous grafiti.

The team of 1966 won the Yugoslavian

championship for the first of two times.

In 1989 they won their second title

In 2014 they won the Serbian Cup

The NE curve towards the West Tribune

The West Tribune

Walking on the outside of the North Tribune

The 'Over Thirty's' are a sub group of 'Firma' (the Firm)

Dejan Dimitrijevic Lonac was a prominent member of the Firma who was killed in April 2008, 3 days before Vojvodina played Partizan Belgrade. A fight erupted between the two ultra groups (Firma and Grobari) then one of the Grobari pulled out a pistol and shot Dejan who then died of his wounds.

Refreshments are now required

The Sting provides sanctuary for a well earned beer

Our view from the West Stand to the Firma in the North. The home side storm into a 2:0 lead within 10 minutes and it looks like Proleter are in for a hiding

This was billed as a Novi Sad derby but TBH I didn't see any fans from FK Proleter apart from this guy in the away end

This is the same ground where the Serbian U21 team play their home games. I recall the game when Danny Rose was sent off when they played England U21 amidst racism allegations

Pano

Serbian footy fans love popcorn - fact

Firma

FK Vojvodina take a deserved 2:0 lead into HT

View along the West Tribune

View from the SW corner

Away end

Dug outs on the SW curve

The carpark above the East Tribune could be

worth a visit for some good shots of the stadium

The 1989 championship side decorate the concourse

The first Serbian Ground hop completed with games attended at OFK Beograd, Cvrena Zvezda, FK Vojvodina and stadium tours of Cvrena Zvezda and Partizan.