PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv

Football club infobox
clubname = Lokomotiv 1936


fullname = PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936
nickname = Loko , "The Smurfs"
founded = 8 May 1936
ground = Lokomotiv Stadium, Plovdiv
capacity = 13,500
chairman = Galina Topalova
manager = Dragan Kanatlarovski
league = TBI A Football Group
season = 2006/07
position = First Division, 7th
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PFC Lokomotiv 1936 Plovdiv ( _bg. ПФК Локомотив 1936 Пловдив) is a Bulgarian football club, from the city of Plovdiv. The club was founded by railway workers in May, 1936.

History

The most successful season in the club's history was the 2003/2004 campaign. Lokomotiv won the Bulgarian championship and also played for the first time in the UEFA Champions League where they were beaten by Club Brugge of Belgium, Lokomotiv also won the Bulgarian Supercup, after beating Litex Lovech in the final by scoring a brilliant header in the last seconds of the game (1:0). The club has a large fanbase, who are considered to be some of the most fanatic fans in all of Bulgaria. Lokomotiv is one of the most popular football clubs in southern Bulgaria and are seen to be one of the major clubs in the country. The club is supported mainly by the working classes and therefore has some political connections with the left wing. Lokomotiv Plovdiv was founded by railway workers whereas their city rivals, Botev Plovdiv was established by students of a French college.Such a big difference distinguishes each club's own political affiliations. Lokomotiv inspires strong anti-establishment and anti-capital feelings whereas Botev Plovdiv are considered the opposite. Lokomotiv Plovdiv has the oldest fanclub organization in Bulgaria, established in 1988.

Youth Academy

The club is attributed as being one of the best developers of young and unknown players in Bulgaria. Among the club's legendary players are Hristo Bonev - considered by most Lokomotiv fans as being the greatest player ever for Lokomotiv, and one of the greatest Bulgarian players also being the countries leading goalscorer with 47 goals to his name. The list of other famous players to have come from the clubs youth system consist of Hristo Kolev "Бащата" ("The Father"), Eduard Eranosyan (Also manager of the 2004 team that won the Bulgarian championship and SuperCup), Georgi "Gocho" Vasilev, Georgi "Gonzo" Ivanov, and Vasil Kamburov.

Previous names

* 1936 ZSK Plovdiv
* 1940 ZSK Levski Plovdiv
* 1945 Slavia Tschengelov Plovdiv
* 1950 Energia Plovdiv
* 1951 Torpedo Plovdiv
* 1953 DFS Lokomotiv Plovdiv
* 1989 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv

Fan support

Rivalry

Lokomotiv Plovdiv's major opponent is the other local team, playing in the First division - Botev Plovdiv. Hooligans of the two teams often organise mass fights, usually on the derby days, at some secluded location in the city. Botev fans usually have their asses kicked by the Lokomotiv's supporters. Most people in Plovdiv, especially the educated ones, people of knowledge, support Lokomotiv. The team is the most popular one outside the capital. It is well-known that Botev was a communist party-favoured team during the communist era in Bulgaria. As such, the team was linked to the army, which was somewhat a common sructure with the communist party. Thus, plenty of army officials supported Botev. It is well-known that people in the army during the communist era were in the lower strata of the society in terms of knowledge and intellectual capacity. That is why well-educated people supported the other clubs in Plovdiv, most part of them being Lokomotiv fans. Obvisously intellectual capacity may be genetically inherited as nowadays, years after the fall of the Iron curtain and the communist regime, Lokomotiv Plovdiv is still supported by the intellectual elite in Plovdiv, while on the contrary, undereducated people claim their allegiance to Botev. Rivalry exists both on and off the pitch, inside and outside the ground. As time goes on the glory Botev achieved during the "golden" commo era of the club" fades away. This being so, some Botev supporters occupying some influential or representative positions take all and any actions, even not reasonalbe ones, to bring their team back to life but alas. History has turned to the right direction.

Current squad

"As of August'2008"

Squad changes 2008

In:
* Iskren Pisarov - from Vidima-Rakovski
* Georgi Danov - from Maritsa Plovdiv
* Metodija Stepanovski - from FK Pelister
* Lyudmil Nikolov - from Spartak Plovdiv
* Milan Milutinović - from FK Vojvodina
* Pavle Delibašić
* Petar Lazarov - from Sportist Svoge
* Lyubomir Chernev - from Sportist Svoge

Out:
* Karim Izrailov - to ???
* Vasil Kamburov - to retired
* Krasimir Dimitrov - to Rodopa Smolyan
* Yavor Vandev - to OFC Sliven 2000

The champions team'2004

External links

* [http://www.lokomotivpd.com/ Official website] bg icon
* [http://www.lokopd.com/ Another website] bg icon
* [http://www.lportala.net/ Official fan-website] bg icon
* [http://www.geocities.com/l_p_f_c_1936 Unofficial fansite] bg icon
* [http://clubs.bul-foot.org/html/a/a/Lokomotiv(Plovdiv).htm Bulgarian clubs - Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)]