Carl Curtis : A journey into the unknown

Our first evening was spent at a small but quaint Serbian restaurant that was attached to a small football club who played in the lower division, upon arrival we were told that every football club has a restaurant or café attached to it in Serbia, we were joined by another five Partizan fans and through the hours of chat, it was quickly apparent the high regard that these fans held of British football, our culture, the casual dress scene, the music of sham 69, cockney rejects et al that accompanied the seventies and television channel, Dave, their knowledge of British entertainment was not from a book but from years of watching characters such as Alf Garnett and Reginald Perrin.We were treated to a feast of traditional Serbian cuisine that filled a table that sat twelve but could have fed double the amount of people and I am not exaggerating when I say I was absolutely gobsmacked and busting at the waistline when the waiter cleared the table after two hours of chatting and feasting to prepare for the main course, we had just sampled the biggest starter any man could have ever have witnessed.

Upon leaving the restaurant, we waved goodbyes to the Grobari (a group of Patizan fans) and the sense of reality about our safety became apparent, we were asked about the hotel we staying at and our host told his friends that it would remain secret just in case word got out that Cardiff City fans were in the area, he was concerned that there would be repercussions for us if Red Star knew of us being there.

The following morning and two cars were on hand to drive us to the Partizan Stadium where upon arrival we were welcomed by the marketing manager and captain Sasa Ilic, the trophy room which was an impressive sight was opened up for us to view before going out onto the pitch where just a few days earlier chaos reigned because of the drone.

There are twenty eight sports affiliated to both Belgrade clubs, Rugby League, many athletic sports, handball and Basketball to name just a few, their basketball crowds have attendances of 22,000 and the rivalry is as intense in those sports as it is in the football.

We walked around the stadium and we came alongside the café attached to the stadium, it was alive with people, actually fans, money exchanging hands and if I am being honest I don’t think our attendance was particularly welcomed, I could sense the atmosphere was cautious of strangers being around. The club is not owned by a benefactor or chairman like in the UK but it was explained in broken English that the club is country owned and the people taking money were fans that supplied the supporters with the flags and other pieces that helped create the atmosphere.

We weren’t just in Belgrade on a visit to take in the football, we were actually in the heart of their community and seeing things that visiting fans just simply they normally wouldn’t see.

Throughout the day of sightseeing, we were met by more Partizan fans in the City, who wanted to meet Cardiff City fans, the best way I can describe it was akin to being VIP. Word had got around that we were in the vicinity, whether or not Red Star fans were aware I simply don’t know but our safety was never compromised thanks to the planning of our stay. After visiting the club shop we were advised to hide the Partizan bags that we carried and any visit made to a shop we were accompanied by a couple of Serbians watching out for us.

Matchday arrived and we were welcomed into what can only be described as somebody’s back garden which had the kitchen of the house turned into a bar, a very private and secluded fenced off back garden out of the way of prying eyes. There is a two mile ban on alcohol around the stadium on derby day. Hours of chatting, chanting, photo opportunities and listening to tales of past derby days, among the group twenty people included fans who travelled from CSKA Moskow and Greece to be at the game.

We made our way in a small convoy of cars and on the approach to the stadium, perhaps even a mile away, there were armed police on roundabouts, street corners and bridges, the sense of hatred between these two sides was evident to see. Outside the stadium no less than two hours before kick-off and there were thousands of Partizan fans milling the street adjacent to the ground. There was absolutely no sign of one Red Star fan, not even on the journey in the car had I seen one away supporter.

I figured they must be escorted to the ground once the streets had been cleared of home supporters, to my surprise we made our way into the stadium and there must have been at least an hour and a quarter before kick-off and behind both goals the areas were absolutely packed with supporters, to my left the ‘gravediggers’ a nickname for the Partizan fans and over to the right 6,000 Red Star fans.

Despite the obvious hatred that there is between the clubs, there was absolutely no trouble prior to the game and not even a sense of feeling that there was to be any beforehand either thankfully.

The running track around the pitch was full all the way around the stadium of police in full riot gear with shields, fire marshalls behind both goals and an atmosphere building that was befitting of a derby match that I had seen only online up to this point. The players came out to warm up and we were positioned directly above the players tunnel, the away team ran out and missiles of coins, lighters and other small hard objects were aimed with accurate precision, players were hit and their only protection was a few riot shields held aloft at the tunnel entrance.

The match got underway and what we came to witness got quickly into full swing immediately on the referees whistle, it was the signal to start the war.

The Partizan fans on the south side of the stadium created a visual of black and white through the use of flags, which were bought for by the fans collecting the money yesterday morning, the black and white suddenly changed to all black in complete unison, thousands of fans knew exactly at which point they were supposed to change the theme, it was an unbelievable sight. Off to the right and a sea of flares were lit by the away fans, I don’t think I could possibly describe the visual scenes we were viewing, it was a show of who can do it better.

Partizan raised the bar when they let off an array of smoke bombs, the stadium was covered in thick dense smoke that engulfed the whole bowl, ten minutes in and the match was halted for the first time. It was difficult to see further than 20 yards in front of you, so much so that even the bright illumination of the floodlights disappeared into the smoke. Whilst the game was paused the fans of both teams on all sides of the stadium rejoiced in the pandemonium, the noise was deafening and this was a stadium that had no roof.

Several minutes later and the game was underway again but the chanting was relentless, these supporters simply do not stop singing, the visuals didn’t stop either, to our left and hundreds of flares lit up the south stand and when the fans had held them long enough then they were launched towards the pitch, with several hitting the riot police in the process.

For a British fan watching these scenes, I couldn’t believe that there was no action taken to try to stop it, the police didn’t leave their positions, I guess the only time they would have moved was if the fans tried to invade the pitch because no matter how many missiles hit them, they stood there like statues seemingly accepting that it was the norm.

The flag poles, burning shirts were all hurled pitchside and the only people making any attempt of movement was the fire marshalls who were signalling to the crowd that they were going to collect the red hot flares that lay burning on the pitchside and politely motioning the crowd not to throw any more until they had at least got back to some distance of safety before the process started again.

Fans were sitting perched on top of the perimeter fencing setting alight Red Star shirts and the press photographers would get as close as possible to get the best action shot, the press were facing the crowd more than the game itself but there again so were we. Even the police stood immediately in front of us were smiling and enjoying what was going on around them, it was surreal.

The second half was very much a repeat of the first, flares, and fire crackers, burning shirts, non-stop chanting and a match halted by a stadium filled with smoke. Partizan scored the only goal of the game which ignited an already intense atmosphere into sheer delirium, we were tossed around in the stand like cardboard cut outs such was the intensity of the celebrations and I may be vertically challenged but the same can’t be said of my friends and they too ended up in a few rows further down the stand than were they were stood prior to the goal.

We were happy for the group of fans that made our visit such a memorable few days that their team had won the derby match. A whole ten minutes after the game and the players went and celebrated with the fans to our left, there was a feeling of togetherness between both.

The depth of feeling between the fans is not about the fact they are rivals in the same City, nor is it about religion but it is all to do with the politics of the country that breeds the hatred between these sets of supporters, hatred is such a strong word but that is what comes across when you listen to the fans talk.

Even a visitor, simply taking a photo of their fans or passing their stadium is shunned upon, Partizan fans would rather their opponents receive no recognition even though without them the rivalry, which they thrive on, would never exist.

What I learned from the trip is that like our club there is a hardcore of supporters who live and breathe football in every part of their day, but the difference between our fans and theirs is that where we have a ‘minority’ of such a fan it is virtually every one of theirs who are of that mindset, the football club is not a weekly hobby it is their day, the fans run the clubs in Belgrade, they are the fabric of their club, the fans make the rules and apply the rules.

It is the fans in Belgrade who set up the stadium for matchday, they prepare the stands with the banners and flags. There are divisions in the Partizan fan base also, the politics make sure of that but on matchday they are as one and that is how they achieve the atmosphere they do. The official website is run and controlled by its supporters also.

Is it a perfect atmosphere? They go a long way to create the atmosphere that they want to achieve, it can be argued that it was manufactured and pre-empted whereas the British fan is impulsive but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience with the atmosphere at the game being the highlight and I look forward to going again.

A country that was bombed, with its people at the time not even knowing the reason why, just fifteen years ago by Nato and the scars of bomb destroyed buildings are there to view but it seems that through their sport and in particular football, these welcoming and friendly people come together like an army to protect the thing that they all love so much, their club.

I have never met such humble people who go out their way to make others feel so welcome, the hospitality was second to none and I have every intention of returning to the country and hopefully one day the Partizan fans will accept our welcome to visit Cardiff City and we can go some way to welcoming them in the same manner as we were accepted.