KK FMP

Infobox Basketball club
color1 =#FFFFFF
color2 =#CC0000
name =KK Železnik
nickname=
logo =FMP logo.gif
imagesize =170px
leagues=Adriatic League
Sinalco Superleague
founded =March 26, 1975
history =1975 - 1986
1991 - present
arena =Železnik Hall
(capacity: 3,000)
location =Belgrade, Serbia
colors =Red and white
president =Ratko Radovanović
coach =Vlada Vukoičić
championships =2 Adriatic Leagues
4 National Cups | website = [http://www.kk-fmp.net/ www.kk-fmp.net]
h_body=ffffff|h_pattern_b=|h_shorts=ffffff|h_pattern_s=
a_body=CC0000|a_pattern_b=|a_shorts=CC0000|a_pattern_s=

KK FMP is a Serbian professional basketball club.

Based in the Serbian capital's neighbourhood of Železnik, the club contuinually posts notable results every competition it competes in. Since being taken over by businessman and politician Nebojša Čović in 1994, FMP developed an impeccable reputation for talent development with players like Nikola Bulatović, Ognjen Aškrabić, Goran Nikolić, Dejan Milojević, Bojan Popović, Mladen Šekularac, Mile Ilić, Nemanja Aleksandrov, Branko Jorović, Miloš Teodosić, Aleksandar Rašić, Marko Marinović, Zoran Erceg and others leaving their mark both in the club and elsewhere.

History

1970s

The club was established under the name KK ILR Železnik in 1975 on the joint initiative of Ivo Lola Ribar machine factory and Železnik community local administrative board. Initially, the club was part of the Ivo Lola Ribar Sports Society, which, in addition to basketball, also fielded teams in football, handball, volleyball, boxing, bowling, archery, and chess.

In its modest beginnings, the club competed in Belgrade municipal league (Belgrade zone), playing its home games on the outdoor concrete court belonging to Braća Jerković primary school. Since the municipal league ran during the spring-summer period, ILR Železnik also entered the Belgrade municipal winter league in order to maintain the fitness level until the start of the next season.

The new club was well received by the residents of Železnik who often packed the small home court, and even made trips for many away games. Over time, as interest in basketball grew throughout the community, the club started adding youth categories.

1980s

With more experience under their belt, Železnik's senior squad starting posting notable results as the club progressed from lower leagues to higher ones.

By the mid-1980s, they made it to Serbian provincial league. However, with promotion to the higher level of competition, the operating costs also started rising. Unable to cover the costs of renting a basketball hall in which to compete, ILR Železnik effectively folded in 1986 as basketball activities ceased.

1990s

The club was essentially dormant until 1991 when it got reactivated under the name FMP Železnik on the initiative by Fabrika metalnih proizvoda AD metal products factory, which became the club's de facto owner.

Almost immediately, the reactivated club continued where they left off. Following a season in Second Serbian Provincial League they gained promotion to the First Provincial League.

For the 1994/95 season, FMP made it to the Second Federal League in FR Yugoslavia, second highest level of competition in the country. In a memorable season they won top spot with only 4 league losses, winning promotion to the top Yugoslav league.

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, Železnik began the 1995/96 season competing against the likes of Red Star Belgrade, KK Vojvodina, Beobanka, Bobanik, KK Lovćen, Mladost, and Gorstak in the country's highest level of basketball competition. Showing maturity beyond their years, the club finished the regular season in third place thus gaining entry into YUBA Super Liga where they managed to avoid relegation, finishing in ninth place.

Season 1996/97 was even more successful with the overall third place finish and the very first playoff appearance in club history. Surprising many, Železnik made it to the playoff final where they came up against powerhouse KK Partizan. In a best-of-5 series, Železnik players managed to cause an upset in game two, winning 82-76 on the away court, but were unable keep it up despite having the next two games at home. Partizan won the series 3 games to 1.

quad

External links

* [http://www.kk-fmp.net/ Official site]