Horde Zla

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Horde Zla (Hordes of Evil) are supporters of football club Sarajevo. The club's supporters were historically called Pitari (translating as pie makers) while an individual was, and is still, known as a Pitar. Their rowdiness during the matches of the time provoked accusations of being dangerous. During a big season game in 1986 a maroon painted snake was thrown off the east stand onto the visitors bench. This is considered the reason club officials opened the North stand of the AFH Stadium to the most enthusiastic of fans. Soon after the name, The Horde Zla, was born when several members of the Pitars created a new identity based on a Zagor comic book of the same name. Today, Pitari and Horde Zla are interchangeable. The Horde Zla became the fastest growing youth organisation in the city of Sarajevo, financing itself through a very well organised and interlocked marketing system, as well as a very rigid members policy. During the late 1980s and early 1990s The Horde Zla became infamous for a few of the largest interfan riots and stadium troubles in former Yugoslavia, including the 1991 stabbing of two FK Partizan supporters in front of the FK Partizan stadium in Belgrade and the 1988 riots in the city of Mostar before a league game, resulting in the stabbing of a Mostar resident and the destruction of huge amounts of property. Unlike most other ultra firms in the former Yugoslavia, The Horde Zla considered themselves Yugoslavs and no nationalist acts could ever be linked to them. The other firm's nationalist orientation was often a cause for the troubles created by The Horde Zla, as was in a 1989 basketball game when KK Bosna played KK Crvena Zvezda. When the Bosnian civil war began, most members of The Horde Zla joined the newly formed Bosnian Army in an effort to defend their city and newly independent country. Many did not survive. Today a plaque exists, to honor The Horde Zla who died defending their city and their country. After the war The Horde Zla again took their place on the North stand of the AFH stadium but in much greater numbers, recruiting young blood from all over the city and country, having subgroups in most other Bosnian cities as well as abroad, the largest being in Stuttgart, known as Horde Zla Stuttgart. The Horde Zla again were on the front pages when , during the 1998 Sarajevo city derby against FK Željezničar, they invaded the pitch after some members of the FK Željezničar firm, The Maniacs attacked the FK Sarajevo goalkeeper, resulting in a huge onpitch fight resulting in over 30 serious injuries and the setting alight of the stadium's rubber athletics track.