Jožef Velker
Encyclopedia
Jožef Velker was a Serbia
n footballer. He was one of the most important players in the history of FK Vojvodina
.
) in Vojvodina
, then still part of Austro-Hungary in a wealthy latifundial family. He made his college studies in Novi Vrbas
and has soon begin to show his passion towards football. While visiting an agricultural fair in Budapest
in 1929 he had the chance to assist to his first football match played between Hungary and his country, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
.
. That goal was in the view of the club direction unreachable without Velker, so an enormous effort was made to bring him into the club, and after long and difficult negotiations, to enormous disappointment of NAK, Velker finally signed. From 1937, all the way until 1951, he would become a crucial player of the club. This is how a newspaper "Sportska revija" from 15 May 1940 described him:
The national team was a wound for the players of Vojvodina because there was no place for them in it. All places were reserved for players from Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo so all nationalities in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia would be satisfied. Velker had offers from clubs from Zagreb and Belgrade that would eventually open a way for him into the national team, but he stayed loyal to Novi Sad
and FK Vojvodina.
The "Millioners team" failed to immediately make an impact, but in the season 1940/41 was fighting for the top. The final stage of the championship was interrupted by the beginning of the Second World War, and the Axis bombing, mobilization and country's capitulation made the competition to continue to be impossible. During German occupation, the new authorities closed the club and confiscated its property. Velker returned to Ravno Selo. German Wermacht begin recruiting Germans from Vojvodina into the SS units, and Velker was recruited into Vrbas
. He soon escaped and was for some time on the run. Because of that, his family's house was vandalised by local German youth. But the information about his desertion also came to Novi Sad, to his former club NAK, and the club president; simultaneously the local police chief, agreed to give him an amnesty in exchange of him becoming a NAK player. In order to avoid going into concentration camps, other former Vojvodina players such as Marjanović, Plac, Avramović, Jovanović, Medarić and Živković also joined the club.
After liberation by Allies began, in Autumn 1944, the renewal of FK Vojvodina began. In 1945 the Championship was not played by clubs but by country's regions, and Velker played in the team of Vojvodina, made of players of FK Vojvodina and FK Spartak Subotica, finishing fourth. The club for a short period was named Sloga and initially played in the Second Yugoslav League. Many critics in Novi Sad believe that the club was dropped out from the top league because of the national representation and some animosity that the new communist authorities had towards the former burguoise club. Velker was known in this period for his heroic performances even in a fixed-match games. The club suffered some difficulties in this period, and it is known that Velker financially supported, on several occasions, the travels that the club needed to make to play against opponents. However Vojvodina soon recovered, and in 1948 it returned to the First League.
.
After retiring he moved to Cleveland, Ohio
, US, where his wife's family lived. It was there that he died on 29 November 1995.
He is still today considered by FK Vojvodina fans as part of the best club team ever.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n footballer. He was one of the most important players in the history of FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina is a football club from Novi Sad, Serbia. The club currently competes in the Serbian SuperLiga. FK Vojvodina is the third oldest football club in Serbia's SuperLiga, after OFK Beograd which was founded in 1911 and FK Javor which was founded in 1912.-History:FK Vojvodina was founded...
.
Early life
He was born in 1913 in a town mostly populated by German minority named Šove (currently known as Ravno SeloRavno Selo
Ravno Selo is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the municipality of Vrbas, in the South Bačka District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 3,478 people .-Name:...
) in Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, then still part of Austro-Hungary in a wealthy latifundial family. He made his college studies in Novi Vrbas
Vrbas (town)
Vrbas is a city and municipality located in Serbia at , in the South Bačka District in the province of Vojvodina. In 2002 the city had a total population of 25,887, while the municipality had 45,839.-Name:...
and has soon begin to show his passion towards football. While visiting an agricultural fair in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in 1929 he had the chance to assist to his first football match played between Hungary and his country, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
.
NAK Novi Sad
In 1931 he met an American named Cathy that was visiting her family in Šove and married her. In same year his football skills are spotted by scouts of NAK Novi Sad and he began playing for them. FK Vojvodina, the city rivals, immediately start following the new star of NAK in what will become in one of the longest chases ever, and will last for long six years. Curiously, Velker would have always great performances against Vojvodina and in consequence, instead of hating him, and specially because of his fairness and gentleman character, Vojvodina fans started appreciating him more and more. In Autumn 1937 the growing forces of Nazism and fascism were bringing fear and anxiety to people in Europe, but Novi Sad was in a state of agitation not because of the economical speculation, or the international politics, but because of the long-expected sensational transfer of Velker to FK Vojvodina.FK Vojvodina
The club was by then bringing many good players into the team in what would be known as the "Millioners team". Since then, Vojvodina begin having serious pretensions to win the Yugoslav First LeagueYugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
. That goal was in the view of the club direction unreachable without Velker, so an enormous effort was made to bring him into the club, and after long and difficult negotiations, to enormous disappointment of NAK, Velker finally signed. From 1937, all the way until 1951, he would become a crucial player of the club. This is how a newspaper "Sportska revija" from 15 May 1940 described him:
"Velker, the attacking player of Vojvodina, is always one of the best players. All other players, even the best ones, can disappoint, even be unnoticed, but that rarely happens to him. He is the engine of the team. Technician "per excellence". In the matches of Vojvodina he stands out by his devoted, skillful and fair style of play. That is Velker. He represents what a footballer should be, the way a true footballer is, a real sportsman. He doesn´t protest referees' decisions, he doesn´t reply opponents hard play and he doesn´t quarrel with other players. During the match, you won´t even hear him, but you will see him a lot. Despite his skills allowing him to play in any club in the league, he stays unpretentious. And that is what you rarely find in a star. Velker is the best, more disciplined and more humble player in Novi Sad. And he has definitely deserved to play for long time now in the national team squad."
The national team was a wound for the players of Vojvodina because there was no place for them in it. All places were reserved for players from Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo so all nationalities in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia would be satisfied. Velker had offers from clubs from Zagreb and Belgrade that would eventually open a way for him into the national team, but he stayed loyal to Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
and FK Vojvodina.
The "Millioners team" failed to immediately make an impact, but in the season 1940/41 was fighting for the top. The final stage of the championship was interrupted by the beginning of the Second World War, and the Axis bombing, mobilization and country's capitulation made the competition to continue to be impossible. During German occupation, the new authorities closed the club and confiscated its property. Velker returned to Ravno Selo. German Wermacht begin recruiting Germans from Vojvodina into the SS units, and Velker was recruited into Vrbas
Vrbas
Vrbas may refer to:* Vrbas , river in Bosnia and Herzegovina* Vrbas , town and municipality in Vojvodina, Serbia* Vrbas , village in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. He soon escaped and was for some time on the run. Because of that, his family's house was vandalised by local German youth. But the information about his desertion also came to Novi Sad, to his former club NAK, and the club president; simultaneously the local police chief, agreed to give him an amnesty in exchange of him becoming a NAK player. In order to avoid going into concentration camps, other former Vojvodina players such as Marjanović, Plac, Avramović, Jovanović, Medarić and Živković also joined the club.
After liberation by Allies began, in Autumn 1944, the renewal of FK Vojvodina began. In 1945 the Championship was not played by clubs but by country's regions, and Velker played in the team of Vojvodina, made of players of FK Vojvodina and FK Spartak Subotica, finishing fourth. The club for a short period was named Sloga and initially played in the Second Yugoslav League. Many critics in Novi Sad believe that the club was dropped out from the top league because of the national representation and some animosity that the new communist authorities had towards the former burguoise club. Velker was known in this period for his heroic performances even in a fixed-match games. The club suffered some difficulties in this period, and it is known that Velker financially supported, on several occasions, the travels that the club needed to make to play against opponents. However Vojvodina soon recovered, and in 1948 it returned to the First League.
Retirement
Velker played his last season in 1951, having played 30 league matches and scoring 15 goals. His fairway match was a friendly match against FK SarajevoFK Sarajevo
FK Sarajevo is a professional football club based in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina and is one of the most popular clubs in the country. Founded on October 24, 1946, the club was the most successful club from SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in former Yugoslavia, winning two First League...
.
After retiring he moved to Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, US, where his wife's family lived. It was there that he died on 29 November 1995.
He is still today considered by FK Vojvodina fans as part of the best club team ever.