Horde Zla - History

History

The club's supporters were historically called Pitari while an individual was, and is still, known as a pitar. Their rowdiness during the matches of the time provoked accusations of being dangerous. During a big season game in 1986 a maroon painted snake was thrown off the east stand onto the visitors bench. This is considered the reason club officials opened the North stand of the AFH Stadium to the most enthusiastic of fans. Soon after, the name The Horde Zla was born, when several members of the Pitars created a new identity based on a Zagor comic book of the same name. Today, Pitari and Horde Zla are interchangeable. The Horde Zla became the fastest growing youth organisation in the city of Sarajevo, financing itself through a very well organised, vertically integrated marketing system, as well as a very rigid members policy. During the late 1980s and early 1990s The Horde Zla became infamous for a few of the largest interfan riots and stadium troubles in former Yugoslavia, including the 1991 stabbing of two FK Partizan supporters in front of the FK Partizan stadium in Belgrade and the 1988 riots in the city of Mostar before a league game, resulting in the stabbing of a Mostar resident and the destruction of huge amounts of property. Unlike most other ultra firms in the former Yugoslavia, The Horde Zla considered themselves as Bosniaks and the other firm's national orientation was often a cause for the troubles created by The Horde Zla, as was in a 1989 basketball game when KK Bosna played KK Crvena Zvezda. When the Bosnian war began, most members of The Horde Zla joined the newly formed Bosnian Army in an effort to defend their city and newly independent state, and many did not survive. Today a plaque exists, to honor The Horde Zla who died defending their city and country. After the war The Horde Zla again took their place on the North stand of the AFH stadium on the 10th anniversary of the firm's founding. The Horde Zla again were on the front pages when, during the 1998 Sarajevo derby against Željezničar, they invaded the pitch after some members of the Željezničars firm, The Maniacs attacked the FK Sarajevo goalkeeper, resulting in a huge on-pitch-fight resulting in over 30 serious injuries and setting on fire the stadium's rubber athletics track.

The Horde Zla again made headlines in October 2009, during the infamous Široki brijeg football riots. The riots resulted in the death of Vedran Puljić, a member of Horde zla and over thirty serious injuries, including four gunshot wounds. In July 2012, they clashed with Levski Sofia supporters in the first leg of a UEFA Europa League match that was held in Sofia, Bulgaria.