.
.

TORCIDA


I'll talk about the times when I first started going to games. It was exactly 1980, or in other words
when I was 10 years old. Back then as a kid, all that supporting fascinated me, as did the choreographies and flares. Stadium Poljud was packed back then even on the smaller games, so when you went to games it was something magical, you'd talk about it for the whole week until the next game. I remember all those older Torcida members that we all looked up to, like Kula (Vranjic), Vele (Kman), Skuda, Boka, Brale, Zamudio, they led the chant and made sure that we, younger generation follow in their footsteps. Back then you needed a special courage to light a flare, it wasn't as it is today, 
when every pussy and any kid can do it, because our dear policeman would gang up on you. In the first start of the 80's drug consumption was not that big, because alcohol was the main stimulants. I remember when there was some kind of conflict between those that didn't see things eye to eye and would start the fight, then the fists would fly from everywhere and the whole Torcida would get up and chant "Hit him! Him him!". There were a lot of fight between Torcida members, but I think it was healthier, just because the drugs wasn't consumed as much. Anyway, we were known for that, because I think that on the other stadiums it wasn't as fun. One time it was a ritual when our Sure on the half time ran into the pitch with Hajduk's flag and placed it on the centre of the field and would bow down to it and the whole northern section would yell out "We have Sura - our boss, Sura our boss...". Sure, Blesi and Prki would be commentators for the games. For example when the game would be boring or when Hajduk would lead with 3-4 goals, they would come and take over. Sura would have a stick in his hands like a microphone and would yell out for example "Red Star is going for an attack, Repi went passed one Hajduk's player, then the other, passes to Savia and scores! Then the whole Torcida sector would protest and whistle...and Sura would then say "and then Hajduk takes control of the game and wins with the result of 4:1 in Belgrade". Then everyone would celebrate as if we 
won the championship. Sura would yell out "It will be crazy!" Prki (Sandor Romano) had the details and names from the older games in his notes. That fascinated some people. When Sura would be the "commentator", he would really be into it, but it was funny when he would mix up players names from older generation, from 60's or 70's with those that played. We all were all looking at them, no one 
was watching the game itself. I remember just how many time I went home to watch the soccer show to check out replay's because I didn't see any goals when I was on the stadium. Then my dad would say "The devil's taken you with him, you were just at the game, and you want to see it again!?". It was simply how in my eyes the cult of Torcida was dying as a lot of guys from that generation had to 
go and serve the army, some of them got married, some went on the ship, and the exchange of the generation took place. That group was unique. When we reached 1984 / 85 new season, new kids and new leaders stepped in. The smaller games were frequented less, only the massive turnout would be on the derby games. Because of that things happened like Velez (especially), Zeljo..., which I will explain 
some other time, as the games of UEFA cups and away games. Hajduk then would be at the top one, and on the bottom next year. The feeling was lost on Poljud. What pissed me off the most, was when the scarves of English, Italian and other clubs started to appear. This story is from my perspective, through somone elses eyes it might looked differently, and I only mentioned thing in which I participated in. Torcida deserves to be talked about, so that some of the things will never be forgotten. Torcida was way of thinking and image in this beautiful Croatian city of Split.

By: Toso
.
.