Three years ago, 10.000 people on ‘Pod Tumbe Kafe’. Pelister in UEFA Cup. Today, 200 people. Pelister heading towards Second League.
Bitola beloved football club is sinking and no one seems to care. Pelister is falling apart and it seems nothing can save the club from relegating to second league.
After Pelister returned from the second league, several seasons ago, fans returned on the stadium in amazing numbers. On 16th of March, 2008, when Pelister hosted Vardar 10.000 people were on the stadium. Last round, against Shkendija, there were no more then 200 people.
Squad consisted of Brazilians Junior and Miranda, Nikov, Blazevski, Todorovski, Elmazovski… supported by youngsters Brdarovski, Altiparmakovski, Spirovski… No one is anymore in the team and future is far from bright.
While every team strengthened in the last winter transfer period, Pelister did not made anything particular in order to improve. And, that is not everything. Many people witnessed the recent matches: shameful defeat against Vardar, the weird win over Skopje and the match against Shkendija. What do these three matches have in common? Well, it seems everyone knows, but nobody is responsible.
The supporters group ‘Ckembari’ have decided to boycott Pelister’s matches. Ordinary fans also do not wish to watch their team losing matches without putting a fight. The city is covered with graffiti saying ‘We want sport in Bitola’. And, someone needs to explain to the young players like Veljanovski, Ljamcevski, Maglovski, Kitanovski, Dragarski, Bujcevski that some matches are simply not to be won.
What happened to Pelister? Many players have left the squad in the last 3 years, but the club seems to be broke. While Krume Volnarov and Vanco Atanasov were fighting over their right to manage the club, the club suffered. And, suffered big time – at the moment Pelister has lowest number of points, least goals scored and most goals conceded.
Is there a way back for Pelister? Bitola is one of the largest municipalities in Macedonia and Pelister is the only professional football club located here. So, how come nobody is interested in sponsoring the club? Is it so deep in debts? What is the solution? Should the real fans allow the club to vanish? Which players will want to remain playing for the club in the second league, for no money? Is Pelister slowly heading into history? We hope not and we would like to be proven otherwise, but time is not on Pelister’s side. Every fan agrees in one thing – if Pelister relegates now, it will be one amazingly hard job to return them to the first league. And, if no money are to be invested, Pelister is looking doomed.