Bad Blue Boys
| Bad Blue Boys | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | BBB |
| Founded | 17 March 1986 |
| Type | Supporters' group, Ultras group |
| Club | GNK Dinamo Zagreb |
| Location | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Arenas | Stadion Maksimir |
| Stand | North (at home) |
| Colours | |
| Website | badblueboys.hr |
Bad Blue Boys are an ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb and Futsal Dinamo.
History
Bad Blue Boys (BBB) were founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb, with members from different areas of the city. The name of the group is said to have been inspired by the 1983 film starring Sean Penn, Bad Boys.[1] Their mascot is a bulldog and their official anthem is "Ja volim dinamo" ("I love dinamo"), by the Croatian rock band Pips, Chips & Videoclips. At home matches in Dinamo Zagreb's Maksimir Stadium, the Bad Blue Boys are located behind one goal in the North Stand.[2]
Zagreb journalist Andrej Krickovič argued that Bad Blue Boys were at the forefront of the nationalist movement in the country in 1990 and that they had offered their support to Franjo Tuđman (who became the first president of Croatia in the 1990s) in Croatia's first elections. And Saša Podgorelec, a Zagreb film director who made a documentary about the Bad Blue Boys, stated that they were, "conscious enough of their own identity and brave enough to express their wishes for Croatian independence... when others were too frightened to say so."[3] Later on, BBB turned against Franjo Tuđman who pushed for club's name to be changed to NK "Croatia". Tuđman was a frequent visitor of home games and would usually be greeted by stadium officials before the match started. This would always trigger loud whistling and chanting from Bad Blue Boys often forcing Live TV coverage to mute the audio.[citation needed]
In 2008 the group were involved in a controversy over graffiti daubed on the walls of the Zagrebački električni tramvaj building at Remiza, saying, "Death to Journalists, BBB ZG", which appeared on 21 March 2008. The graffiti appeared following the death of a BBB member after a brawl in Ribnjak park. BBB denied any involvement in either the graffiti or other incidents which had occurred, criticising reporters for "agitation and prejudgement" for stating that Dinamo fans were behind the entire matter. Zagreb's mayor Milan Bandić also offered his support to the Bad Blue Boys, claiming they were wrongly accused and that the entire story was false.[citation needed]
In November 2008, BBB fans were praised by the English media for their support at White Hart Lane in London at a UEFA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur for continuing to loudly support their team, even when they were losing 4-0. [citation needed] From 11 August 2010 the Bad Blue Boys were boycotting the club's matches due to their dissent with the club's leadership. The boycott ended on 30 August 2011, but remained active for the European matches in the Champions League that season. In 2011, Bad Blue Boys were mentioned in the list of 16 "hardcore hooligan firms, ultras groups we wouldn't want to mess with", compiled by the American sports website Bleacher Report.[4]
Since the beginning of the 10s, they share close relations with Panathinaikos FC , Gate 13.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "The history of Bad Blue Boys". NK Dinamo Zagreb. 2007. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
- ^ "DINAMO ZAGREB - NK ZAGREB". footballderbies.com. 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
- ^ Bellamy, Alex (4 December 2003). The Formation of Croatian National Identity: A Centuries-old Dream? (New Approaches to Conflict Analysis). Manchester University Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-7190-6502-6. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
- ^ "16 Hardcore Hooligan Firms, Ultras Groups We Wouldn't Want to Mess with". Bleacher Report. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
External links
- Udruga navijača Dinama website (in Croatian)