The most effective match in football history
What is the score in fixed matches? 0:0? Old. 2:1? Boring. Would you like 134:1?
... The matches were going to be the most important ones. The world football community was watching the events with bated breath. The two strongest teams of the Ohrid League, like titans, were fighting for the right to get into the Pelagonian League.
Where is that, you ask? In Macedonia. Well, the one where Vardar and Rabotnicki are from. Only in 1979 it was still part of the federal Yugoslavia. Ohrid is the name of the opshtina (an administrative-territorial unit, of which there are 84 in Macedonia), where it all happened.
Allow me to introduce the participants of the first battle. Club Ilinden 1903 (don't think that it was founded at the beginning of the century. It was founded after the Second World War, and registered in 1971, but that's more reputable) from the village of Velgoshti (currently - 2243 residents). Its opponent is Mladost from the village of Vapila (also not New York). Ilinden needs to win with the biggest possible score, Mladost would like not to be relegated, but even more they want money. In another match at the same time, Gradinar from the village of Dolno Lakocherei (they don't need anything at all) hosts the team Debarca (the village of Belchista, as many as five thousand residents), which needs to get ahead of Ilinden at all costs, at least by goal difference (before the last round, Debarca was ahead by one goal). By the way, the previous match between these clubs was interrupted with the score 2:1 in favor of Debarca because the "gardeners" (that's how the word "gradinar" is translated) thought that the second goal against them was scored with a violation of the rules. And the Belchisti team was awarded a technical victory 3:0.
Do you get what's what? The leaders of Debarca got it. And they sent messengers to Vapila with this idea. Let Mladost somehow disrupt the match with Ilinden. For example, leave the field seething with noble anger about the referee's wrong decision somewhere in the center of the field. And let Ilinden choke on the fixed result of 3:0. They won't count more. And Debarca, meanwhile...
Ilinden wasn't stupid either. They simply outbid their competitors. Mladost coach Ristevski, putting the keys to a brand new car in his pocket, addressed his charges with a heartfelt speech about the fact that circumstances had changed. They had to go out and sit through as many as they were told. At the same time, the Gradinar players were listening to their (no different) instructions for the game...
There were no mobile phones in those days. Impressive teams of spies were sent into enemy villages, transmitting "news from the fields" via radio. The information was delivered to the radio station and back in a relay race.
At 9:30 the Velgošti players kicked off the game from the center of the field. And they did a very stupid thing. Their smart competitors started the game 22 minutes later. First they submitted the wrong documents to the inspector, then they spent a long time looking for the right ones, then they carefully checked them... As a result, after the first half: Ilinden leads with a modest result of 11:0, the cunning Debarca – 14:0. But he who laughs last laughs best. The radio amateurs from Velgošti reported to their headquarters about the tricks of Debarca. And they, like the last suckers, came out for the second half 15 minutes after the first. Well, how could they have exposed themselves like that! Ilinden, who had long ago explained everything that was necessary to the referee, without a twinge of conscience extended their rest to 40 minutes. In the village of Dolno Lakočerei they began to bustle about, realizing that they could lose everything. And when Ilinden was calmly kicking the twentieth goal, Debarca was rolling in the fortieth. With new news from the enemy camp, both teams, together with their accomplices, finally got into a frenzy. Two Mladost field players and the goalkeeper were constantly on duty at their goal line, so that, God forbid, the Ilinden forwards would not accidentally get into an offside position. If they suddenly shot wide, they would kick it away from the goal as quickly as possible - a few meters, so that they would not have to run far after it. And if the Velgoština players' shots were not strong enough, the defenders would finish them off and finish them off in their own goal. The rest of the Mladost players crowded in the center of the field to quickly play from the center and not interfere with the further attack. However, some local Maradona named Krste Nikoloski managed to kick the ball so unsuccessfully that he scored a goal in return. He was not lynched, they simply asked him not to touch the ball anymore. It is not known at what score this happened.
By the 89th minute, Debarca was leading 57:0. And then bad news came from Velgošti – the guys there were having a much better time. The subsequent events resembled a film reel that was played several times faster. Referee Andrej Ristevski stretched the last minute to 20. The match report states: 31 goals were scored in the last minute!!! Debarca won 88:0. It did not help. Ilinden won 134:1.
The report of the second half of the Velgošti match has been lost. Therefore, we know the breakdown of goals only approximately. The best scorer (of all times and nations, let alone) is Naum Shapkaroski. He scored 58 goals. However, Naum complained later that he was short 18 more. Let's trust this crystal-clear man, let's say it's 76. The closest pursuer, Ljuba Crkovski, has 29.
The most surreal moment of all the madness was the wild explosion of joy among the players from Vapila. They learned that their competitor "Ribar" (meaning "fisherman") lost their match, which means the team remains in the Ohrid League.
Of course, these mind-blowing matches aroused keen interest in the country's football federation. All four clubs were disbanded, the players were disqualified for a year. The referees were not spared either. Now a new team, Borec, plays in Velgošti. In Belčište they switched to mini-football. Only a few lines in the Guinness Book of Records remind us of the former glory.
All fans are required to memorize the lineup of the best team in the history of football, Ilinden-1903 from the village of Velgošti. It is unknown why the Macedonians changed their goalkeeper during the match. Here are their names: Pande Janoski (Ilce Djoreski), Ilija Murgoski, Ilija Kevereski, Kosta Cingoski, Ilija Bandeski, Slobodan Corvesoski (Ilija Maleski), Stojan Jakovleski, Boro Baloski (captain), Žiwe Stojkovski, Ljube Crkovski, Naum Šapkaroski. Referee (the twelfth player, so to speak) – Mitko Kuzmanovski.
For dessert, here are excerpts from the post-match protocols.
Ilija Ristevski, Mladost coach: “The organisation was excellent. The referees officiated well. Considering the weakness of the Mladost team, the result is realistic.”
Ljube Razmoski, Ilinden coach: “The game was correct and fair. The referees officiated well. Considering the importance of the match, the result is realistic.”
Milivoj Leveev, Debarca coach: "Yellow cards were distributed correctly. The referees judged well."
The coaches' words from the post-match protocol should be carved on golden tablets and installed in each of our stadiums. There are no strange matches. Our organization is excellent. The referees judge well. Any questions? No questions. Thank you, goodbye
