Diósgyőri VTK (men's Handball)

Diósgyőri Vasgyárak Testgyakorló Köre, more commonly Diósgyőri VTK () is a professional football club, part of the Hungarian sports club from Diósgyőr district of Miskolc. Founded in 1910 by the local working class youth, the club plays in the second division of the Hungarian League and has spent most of its history in the top tier of Hungarian football. Diósgyőr is best known for its passionate supporters – in the past years, Diósgyőr had one of the highest average attendances in the Hungarian top division. The football club enjoyed its first golden age in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including a third-place finish in the 1978–79 season of the Hungarian League and two Hungarian Cup triumphs in 1977 and 1980.

History

Crest and colours

Naming history

*1910–38: ''Diósgyőri VTK''
*1938–45: ''Diósgyőri MÁVAG SC''
*1945–51: ''Diósgyőri VTK''
*1951–56: ''Diósgyőri Vasas''
*1956–92: ''Diósgyőri VTK Miskolc''
*1992–00: ''Diósgyőr FC''
*2000–03: ''Diósgyőri VTK''
*2003–04: ''DVTK 1910''
*2004–05: ''Diósgyőri Balaton FC (later Diósgyőri VTK-BFC)''
*2005–07: ''Diósgyőri VTK''
*2007–08: ''Diósgyőri VTK-BORSODI''
*2008–present: ''Diósgyőri VTK''

Manufacturers and shirt sponsors

The following table shows in detail Diósgyőri VTK kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year:

Stadia and facilities

The home of the club is the multi-purpose Diósgyőri Stadion located in Miskolc, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Hungary. The maximum capacity of the stadium is approximately 17,000 spectators.

They played their matches from 1911 to 1939 near the canteen of the Diósgyőr Ironworks. The stadium was first opened on 25 June 1939.

In 1968, the stadium has undergone major expansions and the capacity has increased to 22,000. The stadium was then reopened after renovations on 26 May 1968. At that time, it was the biggest stadium in Hungary outside of Budapest. The highest attendance record for the stadium was set on 27 November 1968, when approximately 35,000 people saw a match between the DVTK and the Ferencvárosi TC. In the 2000s, its capacity was dropped to 15,000 due to security reasons sections of the stadium was closed from the public.

Prior to demolition in 2016, the stadium had the following areas: the western Main Stand that was built in 1939. Three other wings were built in 1968, with a grass surface and a tartan covered running track, where football matches and athletic championships are held. The Complex contains one grass surfaced training field built in 1977, one with artificial turf built in 2006, and two others with cinder covering that opened in the 1960s. The artificial grass field has lighting. Near the stadium, there is a covered training field and a former boxing arena re-opened for soccer in 2009. Although the stadium does not meet the standards of many other European stadiums, it is the most modern arena in Eastern Hungary. Floodlighting was installed and began operating on 15 November 2003.

The Main Stand had its first renovation in 2005–06 and after a significant modernization project, it was opened on 23 April 2006 with a roof over 1,504 seats. In 2009–2010, the eastern-wing of the 40-year-old stands was demolished. For the 100th birthday of the club, new covered stands were built with a buffet, restrooms, and 3,137 seats on the so-called "Sunny wing" or "Napos oldal". This wing was so-named because the sun would make it difficult for fans to watch matches during afternoon competition. Construction began on 10 August 2009 and an opening ceremony was held on 6 March 2010. The 2009–10 renovation cost 400 million HUF. In 2011–2012, the training fields were modernized, and two additional fields were built. Currently, there are four training fields with floodlights, two with natural grass and 2 with artificial grass.

From 1992 to 2000, the field was named DFC Stadium due to the club changed its name from DVTK to Diósgyőri Football club. During the 2007–2008 season, the name of the stadium was DVTK- Borsodi Stadium, because of a sponsorship arrangement.

A famous section of the stadium called the Csáki-stand is named after the fan, József Csáki.

In 2016, the construction of a new stadium has been started.

On 20 June 2017, it was announced that Diósgyőr is not able to play their home matches at the Mezőkövesdi Városi Stadion due to the turf cannot endure it. As a consequence, Diósgyőr will play the home matches of the 2017–18 Nemzeti Bajnokság I matches at stadium of Debreceni VSC', Nagyerdei Stadion, in Debrecen.

On 5 May 2018, the new stadium was opened officially. The first official match was played between Diósgyőr and Mezkőkövesd in the 2017–18 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season. The match ended with a 1–0 win for the Borsod-rival Mezőkövesd. The first goal was scored by Dražić in the 88th minute of the game.

Highest attended games at the DVTK-Stadium

Supporters

Despite not having won any top-flight (Nemzeti Bajnokság I) titles throughout their entire existence, and never having spent more than 10 consecutive seasons in the 1st Division, DVTK has a rabid and passionate fanbase, their number being estimated to be 100,000-150,000 people. Naturally, most DVTK fans live or have lived at one point in their lives in Miskolc, and the neighbouring towns which make up Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén County, such as Kazinczbarcika, Szerencs, Putnok, Méra, Sajóvámos and Sátoraljaújhely. A significant number of the DVTK faithful also live in Budapest. A group of DVTK fans also live in the southern part of the country, in Szeged, and in former Hungarian territories, such as Árhely, Szabadka and Ruzs.

During the 1963 Nemzeti Bajnokság I (autumn) season, despite the team having a streak of bad results, and finishing 11th, DVTK fans turned up in droves to all home games, and the team had the highest attendance out of all the non-capital teams in the league, and 4th highest attendance overall behind Ferencváros, Vasas and Budapest Honvéd, with an average attendance of 15,000.

During the 1966 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, Diósgyőr fans repeated this feat again, being the provincial team with the highest attendance, and only being bested in terms of numbers by Ferencváros, Budapest Honvéd, and Újpest, with an average attendance of 15,000, again.

In the 1968 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, DVTK had the second highest attendance in the league, behind Ferencváros, with an average attendance of over 17,000. It was in that season, that DVTK took on Ferencváros at the DVTK-stadium in front of 35,000 people, in November 1968. In the span of just a few years, attendance numbers in Diósgyőr experienced a sharp decline, with only an average of 5,000 fans attending the DVTK stadium during the 1972/73 season, and the following season, an average of only 3,000 people showing up to watch DVTK in the 2nd Division. During this time, DVTK also lost the distinction of being the highest attended provincial team, with Fehérvár, Zalaegerszeg and even Salgótarján having a higher attendance.

In the second half of the decade, attendance numbers started rising again, to about 7,000. DVTK had the highest attendance during the 1989/90, 1990/91 1994/95, 1995/96, and 1996/97 seasons of the Eastern Conference of the Nemzeti Bajnokág II (2nd division). The team also had the second highest attendance during the 1992/93 1st Division season, with 9,000, with only fans of Ferencváros turning up in bigger numbers to home games that season.

During the 1997-98 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, DVTK had the highest attendance in the 1st Division, with over 12,000 people regularly cheering on the red and whites. That season, four out of the five most attended Nemzeti Bajnokság I games were played at the DVTK stadium, against Újpest, Ferencváros, Győr and MTK.

In the 1998-99 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, the two teams with the highest attendance were both from the North-Eastern part of the country, with DVTK and their arch rivals, Nyíregyháza Spartacus both having average attendances of over 9,000. DVTK had a higher attendance by an incredibly small margin (about 300 people), which meant the team boasted the highest attendance in the league for the second season in a row.

DVTK also had the highest attendance of the Nemzeti Bajnokság II during the 2001/02, 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons with 3,000. During the team's first season back in the top-flight in 2004/05, after a 4-year hiatus, the team had the highest attendance in the entire country, for the third time, with 6,700 people.

During the 2010/11 season of the Eastern conference of the 2nd Division, DVTK had the highest attendance, with 2,600. In the 2011–12 season, the average number of fans was 7,793, which meant that DVTK, once again, was the team with the highest attendance in the league. The relationship with the Nyíregyháza, Ferencváros, and Újpest supporters is particularly bad. DVTK fans have previously sympathized with the other red and white team in East Hungary, Debrecen supporters. In recent years, a friendly relationship with the supporters of Szeged has evolved and they have a friendship with the Polish fans of GKS Bełchatów.

On 19 July 2014, UEFA issued sanctions against Ferencváros and Diósgyőr and Slovakia's Spartak Trnava, following racist behaviour by their fans during 2014–15 UEFA Europa League qualifying matches against Maltese sides Sliema Wanderers, Birkirkara and Hibernians respectively. Ferencvaros were the hardest hit by the UEFA measures as club were fined by €20,000 and the partial closure of their stadium following monkey chants and racist banners displayed in both legs in Malta and Hungary.

Supporter Groups

Throughout the 1980s and onwards, a new subculture was emerging in Eastern Europe, the ultras culture. The culture was gaining popularity rapidly, and Hungarian football fans began imitating the fanatics of Western Europe, where ultras and hooliganism were deeply engrained in their football culture. The first supporter group of DVTK was founded in 1993, and the name, ''Sturm Und Drang'' was chosen, to pay tribute to the German literature movement of the same name. Soon, they would be joined in the Y sector of the DVTK stadium by other Ultra groups, such as ''Fighters, Red Gladiators, Rude Boys, Redskins, Emigrantes Rojos'' and ''Korzó Boys.''

In 1998, the separate groups would be united under one banner, called Harcosok. This union between a number of different groups would exist until 2003. In the 2000s, other supporter groups, such as ''Commandos, Bajtársak'' (Brothers In Arms) and ''Hazádnak Rendületlenül (''Steadfastly For Your Nation) would come to exist, further solidifying the Ultras' impact on the football scene in Diósgyőr.
In the 2010s decade, groups such as ''Beagle Boys, Egység, Trógerek and Red Company, Pacin Ultras'' and ''Barczikai Brigád'' were founded.

In November 2013, prior to a home game against Videoton, members of the security personnel were unwilling to let in the flags of Sturm Und Drang, Commandos and Hazádnak Rendületlenül. Their reasoning was that the flags had political messages, (namely, a map of Greater Hungary, and a drawn depiction of a soldier wearing a military hat reminiscent of those worn by Hungarian soldiers during the Second World War) which are not allowed to be displayed in Hungarian Stadiums. In response to the flags being taken down, Ultras Diósgyőr announced that they would boyscott the ensuing games, and asked the respective supporter groups of other Hungarian clubs to follow suit.

There have been numerous occasions in the 21st century, where Ultras Diósgyőr decided to boycott games for a brief period of time, such as in July 2012. This was in protest to MLSZ planning to introduce a compulsory fan card, in order to be eligible to attend matches in the 1st Division. The fan card would contain all of one's personal details, and thus would prevent ultras from retaining anonymity.

There was another boycott in August 2019, due to the team's incredibly poor run of results, including a 5–1 defeat at the hands of Fehérvár. The boycott ended in November 2019, and Ultras Diósgyőr officially returned at the 2–0 defeat of Kisvárda.

Rivalries

Nyíregyháza

The club's main rival is Nyíregyháza Spartacus, with whom they share a long-lasting rivalry, colloquially known as the "eastern derby" (Keleti Rangadó) due to both clubs hailing from the eastern part of Hungary. The roots of the rivalry can be traced all the way back to the 1980s. The location of the two clubs also adds to the ferocity of the rivalry, with their respective cities being a mere hour drive away from each other. Since DVTK established themselves as a solid first division club in the mid-2000s, and due to the fact, that Nyíregyháza spent all but 4 seasons in the otp bank liga in the same timeframe, the two teams have rarely met in the 21st century, with the last time being in March 2023. Nevertheless, the matches contested between them remains one of the most highly attended fixtures in eastern Hungary, with fights, animosity and violence often leaving their mark on these games.

The first time the two teams met was in 1939, in the 2nd division. DVTK defeated Nyíregyháza 2–7 at Vasutas Sportpálya. In April 1947 DVTK recorded their highest-scoring victory in the Eastern Derby, demolishing Nyíregyháza 6–1. In 1967, DVTK eliminated Nyíregyháza from the Magyar Kupa, defeating the team from Szabolcs-County 0–4. During the following edition of the Cup in 1968, Nyíregyháza managed to seek revenge, eliminating DVTK after a 3–3 draw, due to the MLSZ's system of the team in the lower-league advancing in the cup in case of a draw.

The two teams have met 24 times in the Hungarian 1st Division, with DVTK being victorious 7 times, Nyíregyháza have 8 wins under their belt, while 9 games ended in a draw.
The first time the two clubs played each other in the top-flight was in August 1980, which happened to be Nyíregyháza's first ever top-division game. ''The blue and red''s emerged victorious 2–0. The game was attended by over 20,000 people at the Városi Stadion.
The first DVTK player to score against Nyíregyháza in the top-flight was Miklós Szlifka, in December 1980. His goal was enough to give Diósgyőr their first ever top division victory over NYSFC. This game also marked Géza Szabó's second to last game on DVTK's bench, who had been in charge since 1973, and led the club to two national cups, in 1977, and 1980.

In April 1982, Diósgyőr suffered their biggest eastern derby defeat in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I after losing 3−0 to Nyíregyháza. In March 1983, DVTK defeated Nyóregyháza 2–0 after a brace from László Fekete. Both sides spent the 1983−84 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season fighting against relegation. Going into the last game of the season, DVTK were already relegated, but Nyíregyháza still had a minor chance of staying up, if they manage to beat DVTK. The game's result was a dubious 2–7 defeat against Nyíregyháza, who just so happened to need to win their last game by five goals in order to stay up. After having been convinced that the match was fixed, MLSZ ruled that both clubs would start their next season in the Nemzeti Bajnokság II with a -4 point deficit, and the game's result was declared null and void, with the official scoreline, ruled by MLSZ, was to be 0-0.

Both clubs would spend the next seven seasons in the 2nd Division, regularly finishing near each other in the table. In September 1985, József Dzurják

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