FK Plavi Dunav

Did You Know?

• The club's original green uniforms with white collars were made by village shoemakers, and the genuine sportswear went missing in 1946 after being lent to a neighboring club, causing the team to miss the 1946 Championship Season.
• High-quality grass from Skorenovac's meadows was sold to Belgrade and Split, and people boasted that Yugoslavia's first division football was played on Skorenovac's grass.
• Former Yugoslavia and Red Star Belgrade goalkeeper Srdjan Mrkušić designed and built Plavi Dunav's new pitch free of charge in exchange for grass used at Red Star's Marakana and later at Split's Poljud.
• Notable visiting teams included Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Pančevo, Radnički Kovin, Alpar from Hungary, Goce Delčev from Bulgaria, and Forverc from Vienna.

Club history

FK Plavi Dunav was founded on June 14, 1932, as Székelykevei Sport Club by former Skorenovac high school students, including Thomas and József Jung, János Hubert, and Borsós József. They secured land for a soccer field through the help of village judge Janoš Selić, and soon played friendly matches against teams from Ivanovo, Pločica, Mramorak, and Banatski Brestovac. The club's first president was Milivoj Đurkin, with Imre Dr. László as vice president. A cheerleading support group was formed, led by Katalin Gerhardt and others. The initial 1930s squad included Antal Fazekas, János Szirák, and Stanko Erdeljan, among others.

Financing

During the 1930s, the club relied on voluntary contributions, theatrical performances by the support group, and dance parties at Rozsa Wintergerst's restaurant. In 1946, village authorities granted the club three acres of agricultural land, whose profits helped fund promotion to the South Banat League.

Football playground

The original grounds, used from 1932 to 1970, fell below association standards. The club sold that land and bought a new site nearby, funding the purchase by selling lumber from a southern forest and high-quality grass from Skorenovac's meadows to Belgrade and Split. Former Yugoslavia and Red Star Belgrade goalkeeper Srdjan Mrkušić designed and built the new pitch free of charge in exchange for grass used at Red Star's stadium and later at Split's Poljud. Construction lasted from 1974 to the official opening on October 2, 1976, resulting in a field with irrigation, drainage, locker rooms, and a club restaurant.

Achievements

The club's greatest success came in 1977 with promotion to the First South Banat League after two years in a bottom-ranked local league. Similar promotion to the South Banat League occurred in 1947. During the 1980s and 1990s, Plavi Dunav moved between the First and Second South Banat League. Notable visiting teams included Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Pančevo, and clubs from Hungary, Bulgaria, and Austria.