25 Years of the Red White Angeles

Back in 1995 some enthusiast youngsters turned away from the official fan club of Dukla Banská Bystrica and estabilished something new on the terraces of the Stiavnicky stadium. These guys have a straightforward view on life and football, never afraid to defend the colours of their own city.

MM: How did it all start? How did you come up with the idea of a new goup? Who all participated in the creation of the group?

RWA: The idea for the name of the group arose spontaneously. It is related to the coat of arms of Banská Bystrica, where in its ceremonial version there is an angel holding the coat of arms of the city with red and white stripes and 2 hawks on the sides. Instead of the city's coat of arms, we placed the emblem of the FK DUKLA Banská Bystrica in the hands of this angel on our first flag. Subsequently, a red and white banner with the inscription of Red White Angels was created. Later on the emblem has changed and instead of the angel, the covered face of a football fan appeared in red and white colors.

MM: What did you want to prove by founding this group, what was your intention?

RWA: The intention was to create a group where the logo and the name of the club will not appear, which will support all sports in the city, especially football, hockey, women's handball and sometimes other sports.

MM: And how is it today? Are you still active at other sports or there is only football left now?

RWA: Only a handful of the founding members go to hockey, handball ended here with the departure of sponsors. More or less, our group remained active only at football.

MM: How many of those old faces are still active today, 25 years after the beginning?

RWA: Several dozen fans are still active, of course if their work, family and other responsibilities allow it. We pull bigger numbers mainly at important matches like this year the trip to Dubnica (more than 100 people) or the farewell to Saša Savič in Zvolen, where there were also about 100 active fans. Youngsters usually do not last long in our circles,still the older fans form the core of the group.

MM: That is remarkable. These numbers are also decent because RWA had to survive perhaps half of its existence with Dukla in the second league. How did you spend the quasi-demise of the club and the merger with Kremnicka, but especially the uncertainty at that time around the club?

RWA: Paradoxically, the drop of Dukla into the second and then into the third league caused a big wave of fanaticism and a renaissance in support among the fans. Many people recalled the old days when we visited with Dukla a number of towns and villages in the lower competitions before returning to the top league. Cheering in Kremnička also had its charm, a league with a rural atmosphere and direct contact with the players.

MM: Last season the advance among the elite slipped away in the last game. How did you fans digest it?

RWA: At first it was a big disappointment, but over time it is not such a tragedy, as the reconstruction of the stadium in Banská Bystrica is still not completed. Even if we advanced, we would no longer be able to play in Zvolen, but we would have to travel more than 40 km to Žiar for home matches ... So in the end it will be better if we advanced next year and started playing the league at home

MM: .In those 25 years, you have definitely made a lot of friends, but probably also enemies. In the second league it's probably a little different than in was in the first.

RWA: At the moment, our matches are sometimes visited by fans from Detva and a few people from Zvolen, but these are friendly visits rather than friendships. Therefore it can be said that we do not have any kindred group in the second or first league. The number one enemy is Žilina and is followed by basically all other Slovak clubs that have active fans - Nitra, Martin, Trnava, Slovan, Košice, Trenčín, Púchov, Petržalka, Zvolen, Ružomberok, D.Streda, Poprad...

MM: It's not easy because wherever you travel, your enemies are waiting for you. Or is it like at Millwall: NO ONE LIKES US, WE DON'T CARE?

RWA: Basically, wherever we move, we must be on alert. Even destinations where "nothing is expected" can be dangerous, as our enemies will be happy to "surprise" us if we appear somewhere. For example. in Dubnica, or on the way to Trenčín Žilina, on the way from Žabokrekoy Martin, in Zlaté Moravie Nitra, etc.

MM: Do you have any rolemodels, whether foreign or domestic? Which ultra groups inspired you?

RWA: We were initially inspired mainly by Italian or Latin American ultras, that is why we also have Spanish angeles in our name and not English angels. And, of course, we were also influenced by neighbors from the Czech Republic and groups from Poland. From Slovakia it was the performances of Kosice, Trnava and Nitra supporters.

MM: What is your relationship to the Slovak national team?

RWA: We have a positive attitude towards the national team, we are happy to support the boys at important matches at the stadium and outside of it. Of course, before the boycott was announced, we actively participated in all Slovakia matches. After only individually at home and abroad. We went by cars to Poland, where after the win we advanced to the World Cup, We also organized a bus for an important match to Macedonia before advancing to the European Championships.

MM: From your point of view, what has RWA achieved in those 25 years? In what are you exceptional?

RWA: RWA stood at the formation of the ultras movement in Banská Bystrica and its influence is significant even today. The effort for active support in every match at home and abroad, choreographies and defense of the club's colors outside the stadium are its characteristic features. The potential was great at first, but with the decline of football in the city, it is a success that the group still works and inspires other fans.

MM: Aren't you sorry that the celebrations are at such times? COVID19, football without spectators, Dukla without stadium and still in the second league?

RWA: It is a great pity that this year all the circumstances turned against us - we play away from our stadium, without spectators, in the second league, but the ultras mentality is stronger than all these obstacles.

MM: What would you wish for in 5,10,15 years?

RWA: The biggest wish is to have the stadium completed and to be able to cheer again at home at Štiavničky. Other wishes that would please, but are not necessary: to get into the 1st league and play in the European competitions. These would be the main attributes that would attract people to the stands and help us return the fans to Štiavničky. In the long run,we want to have a stable fan base that will support his club in every match at home and away

Happy Birthday Red White Angeles!!!

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