Rákospalotai EAC

Football club infobox
clubname = REAC


fullname = Rákospalotai Egyetértés Atlétikai Club
nickname = Palotaiak
founded = 1912
ground = Laszló Budai II Stadium,
Budapest
capacity = 10,000 | chairman = flagicon|Hungary József Forgács
manager = flagicon|Hungary Zoltán Aczél
league = Borsodi Liga (NB1)
season = 2007-08 | position = 12th
pattern_la1=_blueshoulders|pattern_b1=_thinbluesides|pattern_ra1=_blueshoulders
leftarm1=FFFF00|body1=FFFF00|rightarm1=FFFF00|shorts1=FFFF00|socks1=FFFF00

Rákospalotai EAC is a Hungarian football club based in the Rákospalota quarter in the north-east of Budapest. REAC has been promoted to the Nemzeti Bajnokság I., the first division in Hungarian football after the season 2005/06. The football team plays its home matches at Laszló Budai II Stadium.

History

1912 to 1991: Founding to the end of Volán

A team named REAC was originally founded in the Budapest neighborhood Rákospalota in 1912, but operations ended in the 1940s. Football continued, however, in the neighborhood with the best known teams being "Fősped Szállítók" and "Volán", the later of which entered the NB I. in 1979. Volán would enjoy six seasons in the top flight--though they never finished better than 11th and often finished at the very bottom of the table--until 1991, when the club came to an end. What remained of the club merged with "RAK" and on August 8th resurrected the name REAC. Since Volán officially ended prior to the merger the newly reformed REAC didn't take any of its records, nor was it allowed to continue in the NB I., but began play in the BLSZ I.

1992: The fight for the second division

By 1992 they had dropped to the NB III Mátra group, and though the goal was clearly to return to the second division they had a tough path to work through, including Monor and former NB I. team Szolnok MÁV. As winter came and the first half of the season came to a close, REAC was in third place, but only point separated them and Dunakeszi VSE for second. They would finish that spring not only with 41 points, exactly one point ahead of second place Gyöngyös, but with the right to play in the NB II. that coming fall.

1993: The first year in NB II

The team was placed in the Eastern division of NB II., which was clearly the more difficult at the time--former NB I. teams Diósgyőr and Nyíregyháza Spartacus were also in the division, as well as several other strong clubs. The team, however, knew it would be more important to defeat the weaker teams in the division--Eger, Szeged, for instance--if it was even going to think about competing with the better teams. Under the guidance of their coach and former Fradi player and József Dálnoki, they won their first match 1-0 against Gödöllő. The good start was short lived, however, and over the next five matches they would only gain one point in the standings. A 3-0 win over Eger brought hope, but over the next eight matches they didn't notch a single win and only three ties. The team fired Dálnoki, and hired former Hungarian national team player Imre Garaba, who would have to wait five matches before the team's next victory. They ended the season in last place, and prepared to return to NB III.

1994-1995: Back in NB III

Relegation hurt the team as many players left (several eventually ended up in NB I) as did Garaba, who left for Gödöllő. He was replaced by Péter Antal, a former Vasas player. They began the 1994-1995 season with two scoreless losses and by the halfway point of the season they were in sixth place. But the team didn't give up hope, winning ten and tieing twice in their next 12 matches and with three matches left the team was in second place. Though they won one against Eger, the team ultimately ended the season in 3rd place.

The team started the 1995-1996 optimistic and with a stronger team than most of the competition. Aside from a surprise home loss against Selypi Kinizsi the team did just that and they ended the first half of the season tied for first with Szolnok MÁV. In a decisive match in the second half of the season, REAC lost to Szolnok and ultimately lost the championship, though they led the league in goals with 66.

1996-1998: Return to the second division

REAC back their third season in NB III Mátra group with a new coach, the former "Volán" defender Béla Hegedűs. Though they began the season with four wins, two losses followed, and Hegedűs stepped down, being replaced by László Kiss. Though they played strong throughout the season, they ended in 2nd place.

In 1997 the league restructured, and though REAC only finished second, they began the 1997-1998 season in NB II Eastern Group. Their goal was clear from that point: remaining in the second division. Though the club struggled, they finished the year in 8th place and prepared for their second straight NB II season.

The team had high hopes coming into 1998, with Kiss returning to coach and most of the same key players returning. Though they started out strong, they completely fell apart and by the season's halfway point they found themselves in 10th place. Their woes continued in the second half, where they only gained four points in the standings over the next seven matches. They were able to end things on a winning note, though they still finished the season in tenth place.

2005-present: NB I

2005-2006, the team's first season in the top division was full of hardship, and the team finished in 14th place, just barely outside of being relegated. The story was similar in 2006-2007, with only one match left in the season they were among three teams statisically in danger of relegation. They finished the season with a 2-2 draw against Fehérvár, but since Pécs was unable to beat Vác REAC is safe from relegation once again and will compete in the NB I. for a third straight season. This was made official on May 24th, 2007, when the team was among five Hungarian clubs who had their professional licenses renewed by MLSZ.

NB I. Results

Current squad

"As of 25 July 2008, according to the club's [http://www.reacfoci.hu/csapat.html official website] ."

Honours

* Hungarian League
** NB II. Keleti Group champions (1): 2005
** NB III. Mátra Group champions (1): 1993

External links

*hu icon [http://reacfoci.hu Official site]