Europe’s Oldest Football Firm ‘Torcida’ Celebrates 65th Birthday Today

(photo credit / hajduk.hr)

The oldest football firm in Europe celebrates its 65th birthday today…

Torcida Split, who are the supporters’ group of legendary Croatian football club Hajduk Split, was founded on 28 October 1950 by a group of students who were studying in Zagreb. The group decided before a match against Red Star Belgrade that they wanted to stage an unprecedented spectacle in order to help their club, and took the name Torcida from the Brazilian Portuguese word for “supporters”, after fans at the 1950 World Cup at the time in Brazil had impressed them so much.

Torcida, which was started by just over 100 students, and has grown to thousands today, have built a fierce reputation around the world for gathering in the north stand behind the goal at Poljud stadium and creating a special atmosphere via their imaginative choreography, chants and pyrotechnics.

Celebrations started on Wednesday morning with laying of wreaths at Poljud stadium in memory of Torcida members who gave their lives in the 1990s Homeland War.

Schedule of the rest of fans’ festivities.
Wednesday, October 28
– 2 pm: Croatian Cup game Lekenik – Hajduk
– 6.30 pm: Wreath laying at the plaque in Pujanke
– 8 pm: Dinner at Fans’ Club
Friday, October 30
– 9 pm: Fans’ Club party, with surprise guests. All are invited!
Sunday, November 1
– from 1 pm: gathering at the Fans’ Club
– 4 pm: going as a group from Pjaca (Narodni trg) to Poljud
– 5 pm: Hajduk vs. Rijeka, birthday celebration with Torcida choreography