Gragjanski Skopje

Gragjanski Skopje (Macedonian: Гpaѓaнcки Cкoпje, Serbian: Гpaђaнcки Cкoпљe or Građanski Skoplje) was a football club from Skopje. The club's major achievements were the two participations in the Yugoslav First League during the period of 1923 till 1940. Between 1941 and 1947 it was called Macedonia Skopje (Bulgarian: Македония Скопие, Macedonian: Македониja Cкoпje).

History

Gragjanski was the most successful and the only club to participate in the Yugoslav First League from the present day territory of Republic of Macedonia in the period between 1923 until the WWII. They competed in the local Vardar Royal League (Yugoslav regional tier) during the period of 1923 till 1940, winning all the championships. They were 17 time champions which is the all time record.

The club ceased to exist in 1941 at beginning of the World War II and the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia. Most of the region of the then Vardarska Banovina was occupied by the Bulgarian forces. Most of the players of Gragjanski just as their coach Illes Spitz joined the FC Makedonija, a newly formed club by the Bulgarian authorities by the merge of several previously existing clubs in Skopje: Gragjanski, SSK (Skopski sport klub), ŽSK, Pobeda and Jug.^[1] The club competed in the Bulgarian Championship between 1941 and 1944 having archived to finish second in 1942, by loosing the final against Levski.

After the end of the war, in 1947, the club was merged with Pobeda to become the newly formed FK Vardar^[2] which will be the most successful club from Macedonia within the Yugoslav First League.

Yugoslav First League participations

Gragjanski achieved to participate twice in the national top league.

• 1935-36 (Cup system):
  • 1/8 Finals: Gragjanski Skopje - Građanski Niš (home: 2-1 ;away: 4-0 )
  • 1/4 Finals: Gragjanski Skopje - Slavija Sarajevo (home: 1-10 ;away: 2-1 )

• 1938-39 (League system):
  • 10th place among 12 teams, 16 points from 22 matches; 7 wins; 2 draws; 13 losses; goal difference of 31-57.^[3]

In 1940, after the formation of a separate Croatian league, the club participated in the 1940–41 Serbian League where it finished at 8th place among 10 teams, with 14 points in 17 matches (the last match was not played), with 5 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses; goal difference of 24-37.^[4]

Vardar regional league titles

Gragjanski won all regional titles disputed between 1923 and 1940.^{[citation needed]}

• 1923
• 1924
• 1925
• 1926
• 1927
• 1928
• 1929
• 1930
• 1931
• 1932
• 1933
• 1935
• 1936
• 1937
• 1938
• 1939
• 1940

Notable former players

• Kiril Simonovski - played as a left defender for Gragjanski and FC Macedonia in the period 1938-1945 having afterwards played for Partizan Belgrade until 1950 where he won two national championships and one cup. After retiring, he became a notable coach having worked mostly with top league clubs in Yugoslavia and Greece. In 1942 he played 2 matches for Bulgaria, and between 1946 and 1947 he played 10 matches having scored once for Yugoslavia.

• During the period of the WWII, the Bulgarian national team was strenghtened with several players from the club, namely Kiril Simonovski (named Kiril Simeonov at that period), Todor Atanaskov, Stoyan Bogoev, Atanas Lukov, Blagoy Simeonov, Bogdan Vidov and Lyuben Yanev.^[5]

References

1. ^ Илеш Шпиц најнова филмска инспирација at Utrinski Vesnik (Macedonian)
2. ^ Го смени ли Вардар името? at Dnevnik.com.mk (Macedonian)
3. ^ Yugoslav First League tables at RSSSF.
4. ^ 1940-41 season at fkvojvodina.com
5. ^ FK Makedonija at EU-Football.info

External sources

• Građanski Skopje at fkvojvodina.com (Serbian)