🇭🇺 Budapest VSC (Hungary)

Budapest VSC (Hungary)

Budapesti Vasutas Sport Club-Zuglo as it is known currently, was founded in 1911, under the name MAVOSZ Budapesti VSC. It was a sports club that had various sports teams within it’s organisation, including table tennis, wrestling and water polo. But football is where we will keep our main concentration. The early years were uneventful to say the least. The club played in the local leagues of Budapest, while playing in the lower leagues of Hungary when the opportunity arose. But they are not on record for winning any major silverware, nor where they even close or in contention. In fact, the most interesting aspect of the club, up until the 90’s was the many name changes they made. Here they are, in their entirety.

From 1911-1945 the club was known as MAVOSZ Budapesti VSC. This name was changed when the club merged with Budapesti MAV Elore in 1945. Then, sometime in between 1945 and 1948 the club changed it’s name again to MAV Konzum Vasutas Elore. I can only imagine, that during this time, there was a lot of upheaval with football clubs in that part of Europe due to the second World War, with Hungary, being controlled by Germany at the time. But by 1948, the war was over and the club reverted to the more Russian sounding Budapesti Lokomotiv SK, which would do, with a Soviet-allied government being put in place post war, making Hungary apart of what was known as the Eastern Bloc. In 1949, The People’s Republic of Hungary was declared. 1954 saw the fourth name change occur within the club, with the merger of Budapesti Lokomotiv SK, Budapesti Elore SK and Budapesti Postas Sk all coming together to create Budapesti Torekves SE.

(Keeping up? There are still a few more name changes to come)

This merger only lasted two years, with the demerger announced and all three clubs going their separate ways. Budapesti VSC was now the name of what the club, Budapesti Lokomotiv SK represented before the merger. There was somewhat of a settled club up until the 1990’s when the club changed name for the sixth time, now known as BVSC-Mavtransped. The 1992 season saw the seventh name change, BVSC-Novep now the choice of title. But, for the third year in a row, the club opted for another change, and BVSC-Dreher was the club’s new name. Throughout these three years, however, most football fans knew the club as simply BVSC, making the name changes a bit redundant.

The next few name changes seem like the clubs hierarchy just liked changing the name, as 1996-1997 the club were known as Budapesti VSC, 1997-98 it was BVSC-Zuglo FC, with the following season seeing the club just drop the FC part of the name. They reverted back to Budapesti VSC for two years, from 1999 to 2001, before landing on the name BVSC-Zuglo FC once again. This lasted for ten years, however, the sports organisation didn’t field a senior football team for the majority of this time, which would explain the lack of name changing in this period. When they did return to the football, the name BVSC-Zuglo was the preferred choice, and that’s the way it has remained since 2011.

Now that we have all that information out of the way, we can concentrate on the on-field antics, which as I said, only really started to come into the focus of other Hungarian football fans in the early 1990’s. Despite the many name changes, the club was known to most as BVSC, and that was the name many were starting to recognise as a permanent fixture in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag I, the Hungarian topflight. Although, through mmy research of the club, in the 1958-59 season, the club under the name BVSC Budapesti or reversed, played in the topflight. They finished 12^th out of fourteen clubs competing and managed to stay in the top division on virtue that there was no relagtion system in place that year. However, the following season, 1959-60, there was the threat of relegation, and BVSC finished bottom of the table, winning only three games all season, drawing ten and losing thirteen.

The club wouldn’t be seen in the top division again until the 1991-92 season, when they finished a respectable 10^th out of 16 clubs competing that year, winning seven, drawing twelve and losing eleven. The 1992-93 season was bit more tense, with the club finishing 12^th, one place and three points above the relegation zone. They actually won three games more than the previous season, winning ten, drawing six and losing fourteen, but the season was a wake-up call, and they knew they needed to improve. The following season, they didn’t see much improvement though, finishing 12^th once again, and this time only two points safe of the relegation zone.

After two close calls in the previous seasons, the club did make a big improvement on the pitch and finished a respectable 6^th in the 1994-95 season. Ghis was largely helped by the goalscoring exploits of Gyorgy Bognar and Zoltan Bukszegi, who between them scored twenty-goals, almost half the goals scored by BVSC that season (51 goals in total). It was a sign for the good times that were about to come, as the next season, 1995-96 was the best season the clubs best ever one in their history. It saw the club finish runners-up in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag I, finishing five points the eventual champions, Ferencvaros. That season saw BVSC striker and former Hungarian international, Ferenc Orosz notch up an impressive fifteen goals that season, finishing only behind Ferencvaros’s Ukrainian striker, Ihor Nichenko, who scored eighteen goals. The runners-up spot meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup qualifying round.

They also made it to the Hungarian cup final that season. Going through the various rounds, they beat Szazhalombatta FC 6-2 over two legs in the round of 32, then beat Vasas Sc Budapest 7-4 over two legs in the last sixteen. This set up a quarter-final meeting with Debrecen VC. The first leg ended 0-0 at home, with BVSC-Dreher Budapesti as they were known at this time, having to go away and get a result. A win or a score draw would be enough, as the away goals rule was active. And that is what BVSC went and did, drawing the game 2-2 and progressing to the semi-finals courtesy of the away goals rule. Their opponents in the semi-finals where city rivals, Ujpest TE Budapest. It was an easy win for the underdogs, BVSC, who won the first leg 2-0 and the second, away leg, 1-0. It set up a final with another Budapest club, Honved. The first leg was played at the Szonyl uti Stadion in front of 3,000 people. BVSC made home advantage count and won the game, 1-0, with the only goal of the game coming in the 35^th minute, scored by Csabi.

The second leg was played nearly two weeks later, on June 20^th, 1996, at the Bozsik Jozsef Stadion, with a much bigger attendance of 8,000 people. The game was a cagey affair, with both teams desperate not to concede. It wasn’t until the 84^th minute when the deadlock was eventually broken, and it was by Honved. Piroska’s goal brought the tie level and it looked like the final was heading to extra time. That was until the 86^th minute when BVSC hearts were shattered by Honved’s Argyelan. The home side held out to win the tie, 2-1 on aggregate, and lift the trophy. But it wouldn’t be the last time BVSC would get to the final of the cup.

For the 1996-1997 UEFA Cup campaign, the club faced Welsh opposition, Barry Town, in the first round. Both home and away legs ended 3-1 so it was decided on a penalty shoot-out. The Welsh side, prevailed, winning the shoot-out 4-2 and thus ending the Hungarians European adventure early. And so, their attention turned to domestic matters, with the club determined not to make the previous season a one-hit wonder. On the league front, the club finished 6^th, which wasn’t as good as the previous season, but it was a respectable finish. But it was in the cup that they made the headlines again that season. The club reached their second consecutive cup final and where desperate to overturn the previous seasons result.

The first round was decided by a group stage. Sixteen groups were formed, with four clubs in each group. The top two of each group would progress to the knockout stages of the tournament. BVSC were placed in Group 14, alongside Velence FC, Balaotonfured FC and Vecsesi FC. They topped the group with ease, winning two and drawing one game. The faced Zalaegerszegi TE in the round of 32, winning the tie 4-3 on aggregate, after losing the first leg at home, 3-2, they came back in the second leg and won 2-0, thanks to two goals from Bukszegi, to progress to the last sixteen.

They faced Videoton FC Fehervar, and the first leg took place at the Stadion Sostoi in Szekesfehervar in front of only 500 people on the 28^th November, 1996. BVSC won the game 1-0, thanks to a goal in the 54^th minute by Bukszegi. The second leg, which took place on December 5^th, 1996, at the Stadion Szonyi Uti in Budapest, was only attended by around 100 fans. Those few saw BVSC progress from the tie, thanks to a 1-1 draw. The home side took the lead in the 23^rd minute thanks to an own goal by Fehervar’s Toth. The away side came back and equalised on the night in the 60^th minute through Dveri, but with thirty minutes remaining, they couldn’t find another goal to push the game into extra time.

The quarter finals were much easier for BVSC, as they cruised past FC Sopron, 4-0 on aggregate. A 1-0 win in the first leg and a convincing 3-0 win in the second leg was more than enough to see BVSC progress to the semi-finals, were they faced Szombathelyi Haladas. The tie was over after the first leg, when BVSC won 3-0 at home. The second leg was more of a formality and it ended 0-0, meaning the Budapest side went through to their second final in so many seasons. This time they would face city rivals, MTK Budapest, who were overwhelming favourites.

The final took place on May 21^st, 1997. It was played at the Hidegkuti Nandor Stadion in front of 2000 fans, who were treated to what can only be described as an onslaught. MTK were in no mood to provide the nation with a cup upset and started off quickly. It took them 12 minutes to break the deadlock, when Halmai made it 1-0. Just before the half hour mark, it was 2-0, thanks to an own goal by BVSC’s Eros. Illes added a third in the 33^th minute while Orosz finished the game before half time, making it 4-0 on the 36^th minute. Two more goals were added in the second half when Kenesei scored the fifth goal in the 66^th minute with the rout completed in the 80^th minutes when Lorincz slotted home a penalty. It was tough dau for BVSC, but they would see tougher in the next few years.

The cup defeat did come with one bit of silver lining, with the club qualifying for the UEFA Cup winners Cup. They entered the qualifying rounf in the hope they would go one better than last year. They were drawn against Liechtensteiner football club, FC Balzer, a club who compete in the Swiss leagues, but had qualified for European competition by winning the Liechtenstein Football Cup. The Hungarians were favourites to progress, and they didn’t disappoint. The tie took place on August 14^th, 1997 at the Sportplatz Rheinau, in front of over 600 fans. Despite going behind in the 38^th minute due to a Wornhard goal, the Hungarian side bounced back and scored three, the first coming in the 50^th minute from an goal scored by Telsers. Fuzi (76^th) and Csordas (84^th) gave the away side a 3-1 win to bring into the second leg. With a much bigger crowd in attendance, just under 2000, at the Szonyi Uti Stadion in Budapest, the home side built on their advantage. Komlosi settled the nervs early with a goal in the 12^th minute while Bukszegi finished off the job in the 90^th minute to win the tie 5-1. It was their first victory on aggregate in Europe and they had progressed to the first round to face Spanish side, Real Betis.

The first leg was played in Spain at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Seville, on the 18^{th of} September 1997. The hosts won the first game 2-0 thanks to a brace scored by Alfonso Perez, a man who played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid in his career, while also making 38 appearances for the Spanish national team between 1992-2000. It was a huge step up in class for BVSC, but they knew they still had the smallest chance in the second leg back in Budapest. If they could get an early goal, they may make their bigger, more experienced counter-parts nervous. On October 2^nd, they played the second leg and it took only seven minutes for the Spanish side to take the lead and effectively put the tie to bed. Alexis Trujillo scored the goal, a man who made 222 appearances for Betis and is regarded as a hero amongst the Seville clubs fan base, captaining the side, as well as his hometown club, Las Palmas. If anybody was in doubt that the tie was over at this point, they were in no doubt in the 49^th minute when that man again, Alfonso Perez popped up to make it 4-0 on aggregate and send the Spanish side through.

Back to domestic matters, and the 1997-98 season was somewhat a forgettable one. The club managed to finish 10^th place, winning twelve, drawing ten and losing twelve, while they were knocked out in the early rounds of the cup. Their decline continued into the 1998-99 season when they were relegated after finishing 17^th out of the 18 clubs, winning only seven games all season. But the club did not compete in the second tier, and didn’t appear in the Hungarian football league system until the 2002-03 season when they competed in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag III. That season, the finished 7^th but found themselves getting promoted to the Nemzeti Bajnoksag II for the 2003-04 season. They finished 15^th that season, avoiding any relegation. However, football within the sports club ceased it’s operations and BVSC were no longer present in Hungarian football. A club that had only a few years before, competed in European competition, playing against Spanish giants, Real Betis, were no more. Well, for at least a decade.

Fast forward ten years later, to the year 2012, and on July 18^th BVSC started a men’s senior team once again, competing in the Budapest Labdarugo Szovetseg league, winning it in their first season and scoring an amazing 123 goals in twenty-six games. They went up to the MBIII in 2013-14 and won that league too, gaining back-to-back promotions to the MBII league. It was here where the progress stopped for a few seasons, with the club finishing 6^th in consecutive seasons, then in the 2016-17 they finished 4^th, while going one better in the 2017-18 season by finishing 3^rd. It was only a matter of time before they would gain promotion to the MBI and in the 2018-19 season, that is what they did, scoring 112 goals and only conceding 12 in the process. They were now one league away from the Hungarian professional leagues, the NBIII and in May 2020, the club achieved the feat and were back playing in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag III. That season was unfortunately interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and was brought to a premature end. However, it didn’t disrupt the clubs ambition to try climb the Hungarian football ladder and they just narrowly missed out on promotion to the NBII in the 2021 season when the finished 2^nd in the Keleti (Eastern section). Unfortunately, only one club gets promoted from each section and Budapesti VSC (As they are known as now) were beaten to that spot, comprehensively, by Tiszakecske. The club’s aim is still to get promoted to the NBII for the following season.

Well, that was an interesting club to write about. So many name changes, near misses, promotions, relegations and to top it all off a little European adventure. A club, that I have no doubt, will be back playing in the top tier of Hungarian football in the next decade. The only question is, will they stay there and learn from past mistakes? Or were there any mistakes made? It seems the break they took for that decade has helped the club. Maybe it is what they needed. To come up with fresh ideas, to try competing in a football landscape that is so different today than it was only a few decades ago. With money being master these days, BVSC will have to plan more carefully as to how to plot their way back up to the dizzy heights of Premier football, and if they do, maybe they may get another taste of European football. Of course, there is a long way to go, and by the time they get there, they may be named something else. We are just going to stick with the name BVSC. It’s easier to remember, not that this club is ever going to be forgotten. Defiantly not by myself. And breathe…