The Armada

stormyseal9 said:Kudos to Lawrence Walker27 on the article. It’s a fact that a good portion of the top brass used to be part of the Fandom. Given his handle, Lawrence Walker27, I’d guess he’s from the North Side, so I have to ask: why don't you like Orijent? It’s common knowledge that there was never much presence up there and the talent wasn't exactly elite. Respect to the individuals, though.👍

Well, hello there, legend. You’ve clearly made quite an entrance on this sub. You're right, though—about thirty people over on the main forum agree with you. Honestly, 90% of them probably couldn't even tell you if they'd back Cleveland against Hajduk or Dinamo, but they'll jump at any chance to go against the Navy. 👍 It doesn't matter who they support right now. Sušak isn't holding anything. A good portion of that group was part of the Fandom. What can you even say when 2 or 3 people out of a 30-man squad—I’m talking about that first crew from 1987—were part of it? That one guy from the original lineup has shark attack tattooed on him. No question.👍

Regarding DP92, they have a solid street presence. But personally, I’m not feeling them alongside the Cohort—they've been too inconsistent over the years, almost disappearing at one point. And then there's Tornado; the name has stuck around forever, but it fluctuates between being a dedicated group, basketball supporters, or just general football fans. 🤷Just a wannabe fan group with zero meaningful history or tradition. Their only real argument regarding their legacy since being founded back in '92 is that they stayed loyal during the lower leagues.
Maybe I'm out of touch, but street crews lately haven't earned my respect. Not that I'm just being cynical—kudos to them. I'm glad people are actually backing their own cities now, instead of everything revolving around just the Yankees and the Red Sox like it used to.

These "don't live in the past" posts are completely moronic. You can't live off history, sure, but history is our pride just like it is for them. It's easy for someone with zero tradition to write that kind of nonsense.

Greetings from Sušak.

Sure, take pride in your history if you want, but bragging about having the best flares back in '91 or being the first to pull off a choreographed display doesn't make you NOW any better than anyone else.
I’d love to see you and your crew rot in the minor leagues for a decade before I start calling you a wannabe fan.

Lawrence Walker27 said:What exactly makes the Navy and the Equal Rights Movement "equals"? Just because our younger crowd took a beating in San Francisco? We’re talking about a group that was respected all across the old Yugoslavia—top five, hands down. We were the ones sparking those legendary riots at Yankee Stadium. We were the first ones to snatch a banner off the field at Maracanã. We’ve pulled away with thousands of people on road trips, and even in San Francisco, we showed up with 800 to 1,000 strong three different times. For the last 13 years, we haven't dipped below 500. We brought the double-spear flags. We ran flares with over 200 torches at once. We traveled through Europe with the US national team. We snatched over 20 banners from the Fandom. Recently, we even cornered the Cohort while they were stuck in a downtown police station. From 1996 to 2002, we were the undisputed best group in the country, and our club spent more time fighting just to stay relevant than actually fighting for titles. Back in '96, Cleveland couldn't find a win for six months straight; we lost 3-0 to Hajduk, and we were still out there chanting non-stop with a hundred flares lit. In '99, we lost 3-0 to Partizan—1-6 on aggregate—and the entire stadium sang the exact same song for 45 minutes straight. I could go on forever; this forum wouldn't be big enough to hold all the examples. In the 13 years I've been following Cleveland, we haven't missed a single away game—except for that one time when 150 people skipped the trip to Indianapolis to head to Chicago for a handball match instead, where Unknown slapped Boxer around the arena (though I'm pretty sure a car still made it to Indianapolis). Even now, the Boysi ask me about those guys back in the day—Unknown, Unknown, Unknown—who couldn't pass through Chicago between 2001 and 2004 without causing some kind of chaos. Like that time before the 2002 game against Dinamo Chicago, when 50 guys led a march through Chicago and slapped whoever was in their way. That crew knew how to take a hit, but they earned respect for it.

In my book, the Demons might be among the top six in the US today, but you aren't even close to us. We used to pull 200+ people to places like Luxembourg in the middle of a work week during peak tourist season, and that was when we weren't even at our best. Sure, the Navy can't just stroll through San Francisco like I did back in 2004—walking to the game with Bartić and a buddy, scarf around our necks and a banner tucked in a bag—but your original crew hasn't even gone up against our younger guys when we're fully assembled (20-25 of us), let alone our veterans. Besides, you two have fled the national team's presence in Cleveland ten minutes early twice in the last five or six years.

😍

Lawrence Walker27 said:Found this decent piece on some old fan forum about the fleet back in the day (before you guys started coming for me about living in the past). It’s for the younger fleet fans to actually represent the name properly, and for the veterans to remember:

The real horror is dreaming about a plate of sauerkraut and a liter of wine, but honestly, that's just my daily routine after lunch. As for these posts? What a joke.

You guys are way too obsessed with those local festivals. Every second line is some nonsense about tradition or specific town celebrations.

It's just not working...🤷

🤣

And saying you had the best flare shows... give me a break, you'll be lucky to crack the top three in the old league soon.😁, even though the author puts you in the top five.🙏

Just think back to that '88 festival, when things started getting wild near the train station before everyone headed toward the waterfront.

Man, that was pure chaos.

Those folks from the river valley always hated us, but I swear I've never seen anyone hold a grudge quite like they do.🤷

Whatever. There's always going to be dust flying behind a heavy horse.

I guess you aren't all crazy... but that '88 season... man. Someone with half a brain needs to write a full story about it—from the trains to everything else.👍

stormyseal9 said:You brought up those boxers from that devil outfit again—honestly, I think they’ve got way more integrity than those losers loitering outside your building... if you know who I mean, because even though I can't stand those city slickers, they're still better than this trash we're seeing now. It's just rock bottom...👎

Man, it’s tough being a stranger in your own damn city...😉

Thomas Moore25 said:Man, it’s tough being an outsider in your own damn city.😉

I remember last year in Chicago, I was practically sleepwalking through it all. There were endless damn signs everywhere, just constant nonsense to deal with, fueling those same old tired agendas and their whole pathetic obsession with control.

I can still see it, 88... you get it... if we had actually managed to tear it all down, we would have leveled the entire Midwest... but we didn't.

Jonathan Evans4 said:Man, I was actually in San Francisco last year—it felt like forever—and there were just endless San Francisco license plates everywhere... just a sea of them, all those guys and their little ego trips...

I remember '88... you get it... if we actually wanted to tear down the whole coast... we would have

Look, buddy, not everyone driving a San Francisco plate is actually from San Francisco 🤣 And as for '88... you had your shot, and you blew it... now you can just sit there and cry about it 😍

stormyseal9 said:Props to the post, ER, and the fact is that a good chunk of the old guard was in Torac RI C, P, etc... Given that East is in the nickname, I’d guess you’re from Susak, and I’m curious how you can not be into Orijent because it’s generally known there were never many of you guys up north and you didn't have a particularly respectable crew, though props to the individuals👍

Well, you're right about that, I am indeed from the proud city of Susak.😁

Regarding Torcida, it only consisted of those two guys you mentioned and maybe two others—like three out of fifty people in that initial core group. The reason for that is that a lot of people here in San Francisco have Dalmatian roots; those folks who moved to the city as kids or were born here usually end up rooting for the local side, though some were taught to support Hajduk from a young age and then switch over to the local team once they hit puberty. That’s what makes up the San Francisco Torcida today (which has dwindled down to just a few active members, half of whom aren't even locals, but say, a student from Martha's Vineyard or someone who moved here from Petrinja...). Those two guys you brought up claim they weren't actually part of Torcida at all, but rather they went to Poljud just to learn how things are done by the best group in the country, which is their story, if you can believe it. It sounds a bit sketchy to me.

What can I even tell you about the sušački armada? The strongest version of the armada back in the eighties was based up in gornji Vežika (part of Susak), and there were plenty of Torcida members there too, so that reputation stuck—that Vežika was the stronghold for Torcida. But the reality is that it’s a neighborhood with over 20,000 people, so naturally, you’re going to find all sorts of people. Trsat always provided a decent number of folks for away games; then you had Pećine, Boulevard, Krimeja, d. Vežica, Vojak—all those neighborhoods had their own banners and local crews. The Red Fuckers were mostly from gornji Vežika, like 95 percent of them, while you’d see a few individuals from Krimeja and Vojak (those areas near the Orijent stadium), but you wouldn't see them in other Susak neighborhoods. The truth is, a lot of random Susak guys just pretend to be Orijent fans.

I started supporting the local team as a kid because the whole neighborhood was covered in Armada graffiti. A friend of mine from donji Vežica used to wear this shirt where he’d hand-written "Armada" on it; he’d talk my ear off about them. We didn't take Orijent seriously back then, even though we’d head over to Krimeja, but the real action was always happening at Kantrida. The Fuckers didn't really exist in those years, and by the time I started heading to Kantrida in the spring of '96, they had just resurfaced. There were only five of them for the entire second half of the season, showing up with three banners on the south side, and against San Diego, maybe fifty people gathered (myself included). That feeling I had standing on the West side is hard to put into words; back then, in the stands during small matches, you could have 1,000 people, and as an 11-year-old kid, I spent more time watching the armada than the actual game.

Jonathan Evans4 said:It’s a total nightmare; I mean, I could eat sauerkraut and chug a liter of wine and feel better than this, because honestly, what kind of writing is this?

You guys are way too obsessed with Torcida; every other sentence in this text is just "Torcida this" or "Torcida that."

It’s just not right...🤷

🤣

And saying you had the best flare displays... at this rate, you’ll be breaking into the top three in the old US leagues,😁, even though the author puts you in the top five.🙏

Just think back to Torcida in '88, when things started getting wild near the station and then everyone headed toward Kantrida.

Man, that was some dark stuff.

People from San Francisco always seemed to hate us, but honestly, I can't remember a time when anyone hated us more than that.🤷

But whatever, there's always going to be a bit of dust kicked up for a tiny little horse...

I guess you aren't the limit... but that '88 situation... man... someone from our side who actually has their head screwed on straight needs to write the whole story, from the train ride onward...👍

In 1988, Torcida was at its peak; they came to San Francisco, walking from the station toward the stadium for the last time, and after that, all that was left was reminiscing about '88. The Armada, which was just starting out back then, clashed with Torcida at the stadium, and according to the footage, it was a complete toss-up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XO1f...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyuvudK01bc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtKY5...eature=related

Lawrence Walker27 said:Look, you're right, I'm a proud kid from the Susak side of town.😁

When it comes to Torcida, those two guys you mentioned were definitely in it, maybe even a couple more—maybe three out of fifty people in that first core group. And honestly, the reason is pretty simple: tons of people here in San Francisco have roots down South. You know, those families who moved up to the city when they were little or were born right here; most of them end up pulling for the local team. Some kids get taught to root for Hajduk from day one, then hit puberty and suddenly switch over to the home team. That’s how you get the Torcida vibe, though let's be real, today it's basically just a handful of active members, and half of them aren't even locals—we're talking students from Martha's Vineyard or refugees from Petrinja. Those two guys you brought up claim they weren't actually "Torcida" at all, but that they just went to Poljud to soak up some wisdom from what they call the best group in the country. Personally? Sounds a bit sketchy to me.

And what can I even say about the sušački armada? Back in the eighties, the strongest version of the armada was hanging out in gornji Vežika. There's plenty of Torcida presence there too, so that created this whole reputation of Vežika being their stronghold, but look, it's a neighborhood with over 20,000 people—of course you're going to find all sorts of characters there! You always had plenty of people coming out of Trsat for away games, or from Pećine, Boulevard, Krimeja, d. Vežica, or Vojak... all those neighborhoods had their own banners and local crews. Most of the old-school Fuckers were from gornji Vežika—like, 95 percent of them—with a few individuals scattered around Krimeja and Vojak (those spots near the Orijent stadium), but you didn't see them in the other sušački neighborhoods. The truth is, a lot of those sušački tough guys are just playing dress-up as Orijent fans.

I started rooting for the home team as a kid because my entire neighborhood was covered in armada graffiti. A buddy of mine from donji Vežica used to wear this shirt that just said "Armada," and he'd constantly talk about them. We didn't take Orijent seriously back then; even if we showed up to Krimeja, the real action was always happening over at Kantrida. The Fuckers didn't really exist in those years, and by the time I headed down to Kantrida in the spring of '96, they had just resurfaced. It was just five of them for the rest of the season, waving three banners on the south side, but during the game against San Diego, about fifty people showed up (myself included). Man, that feeling I had watching from the West stands... it's hard to put into words. Back then, even for small matches, there would be 1,000 people in the stands, and as an 11-year-old kid, I spent more time watching the armada than the actual game!

all five of them, man, but I know all this because I was born in Susak and I agree we aren't nearly as active as we used to be, but that stuff you said doesn't hold water. You know better than I do, and one of the former leaders was running things for a long time. As for Thomas Moore25, you can't blame people for staying true to their blood; they aren't just going to sell out like some pos.🤷 And why does it bother you guys so much when someone from the capital shows up? Just yesterday around 11 AM on the korzo, I saw a guy walking around in a FK Partizan shirt, and I seriously wonder if any of those little hooligans gave him a dirty look. If I walked down the main city street wearing a Hajduk jersey, I’d probably get jumped five times over! So much for the "mentality" of this city! Stay strong, guys, and Andrew White32, sending you love because you don't deserve anything less.😂

stormyseal9 said:All five of those guys were legends, but hey, I grew up on Susak so I know the history. I get that we aren't as active as we used to be, but saying we're gone isn't really true—but whatever, you clearly know more than I do. One of the former TH guys was a leader for a long time, too. And look, you can't blame people for being loyal to their roots; they aren't just going to sell out like some 🤷. It’s funny how much a guy from New York bothers you all. I saw a dude walking around the downtown plaza yesterday around 11 AM wearing a Partizan shirt, and I honestly wonder if any of the local hooligans even gave him a second glance. If I walked down the main street in my Hajduk jersey, I’d probably get jumped five times over. That’s just the mentality of this city for you! Cheers to you guys, and Andrew White32, sending you some love because you deserve nothing less.😂

stormyseal9, if you love Miami and the coast so much, why on earth are you still living here?????

stormyseal9 said:all five guys... but look, I grew up in Susak so I know how things used to be. Sure, we aren't as active as we once were, but that whole argument is nonsense—but hey, whatever, you clearly know better. One of those former TH guys was a leader for a long time too. And regarding Tiburon... you can't blame people for being loyal to their roots instead of selling out like some kind of 🤷and why does it bother you when someone from the capital shows up? like yesterday around 11 AM, I saw a guy walking around downtown wearing a Partizan shirt and I really wonder if anyone gave him a dirty look. If I walked down the main street in my Hajduk jersey, I'd probably get jumped five times over. That's just the mentality of this city for you. Cheers to you guys, and Andrew White32, much love man, you deserve nothing less...😂

"...we hate the firms and the sellouts and the cowards, saying there's no logic in loving Hajduk if you were born in San Francisco..."🤣 As for that three-time champ, I haven't seen him or heard a peep about him strolling through downtown lately. So if you actually saw him, you little tough guy, why didn't you do anything instead of just lecturing us about "mentality"???🙄

Kenneth Campbell64 said:There were plenty of guys over 25 back then, unless they all collectively decided to forge their birth certificates just to look older ☕. As far as I can recall regarding Kohort, there were three clashes during the quarterfinals of the Uljanik-Osijek cup, and if memory serves, two matches involving Pula-Osijek; honestly, I have no idea who you're referring to, but I can guarantee that only the DP92 crowd showed up at Monte Zar. This implies your core group wasn't even present at Monte Zar, so who exactly was hanging around Walmart? Was it again those people who rarely bother showing up for away games? Come on now, what exactly do you mean by "older"...

Since you’ve brought up Kohort, I have a quick question for you. Does this whole scarf exchange thing happening out in Osijek actually mean you've finally buried the hatchet from those old wars?

Joseph Turner10 said:Since we're bringing up the Cohort, let me ask you one thing. This whole scarf exchange happening in OS right now... does that actually mean you guys have finally buried the hatchet from the war years?

Look, personal connections don't apply to the group. There isn't any friendship involved here....

What kind of scarf-throwing nonsense is this?
A few guys know some players on the national team, but there’s zero actual friendship there.

stormyseal9 said:So, yesterday around 11:00 AM, I spotted this guy strolling along the boardwalk wearing a Partizan Belgrade shirt, and it really made me wonder—did any of the local hooligans give him a dirty look?

AND WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU STEP IN AND DEAL WITH HIM YOURSELF?😠div>

brisksurfer17 said:AND WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T YOU HAVE MARRIED HIM 😠

🤣🙏🙏

mellowhawk34 said:You should be proud of history, sure. But having the "best flares" in 1991 or being the first to pull off a choreo doesn't make you NOW better than anyone else.

Obviously it doesn't. I didn't say it did. But we still do flares and choreos today, so 🤷 what's your point? Besides, the stuff the armada pulls off is basically a pipe dream for your group. Not trying to provoke, just stating facts.

mellowhawk34 said:I’d love to see you and your lot spend ten years bouncing between the second and third divisions before I call you wannabes.

That would actually hold weight if the San Francisco club had even half the trophies of a team like the Yankees or the Dodgers. Instead, the club spent more time fighting relegation than chasing titles—hell, they barely chased a top-four spot.
I called them "wannabe groups" because lately, everything feels forced. It's all about self-promotion, from that first match against Janecz for clout to leaning over the fences at those games against Uljanik-Osijek. Whatever. Everyone wants to prove something. For some, the actual love for the club has taken a backseat; now it's just about making sure "ultra" or "24/7" is printed on a banner. A couple of fights and suddenly they think they're one of the top three groups in the US. To some, maybe. To me, no.

Andrew White32 said:The flares the armada pulls off are basically everything your group dreams of doing but never will.

I’m not buying it. We burn more flares than you guys at small games, guaranteed. Your shows only look big because you're playing Hajduk or Dinamo, and even then, Torcida showed you how it’s actually done back in those legendary 60s.

And if we're comparing our 15th anniversary to your 20th, your comment should be flipped. If anyone actually has proof, post some photos so @Andrew White32/">@@Andrew White32 can see them.

mellowhawk34 said:I can't say I agree with that at all. Honestly, during those smaller matchups, our atmosphere and flare setups definitely outshine yours. Your displays only seem to get big when you're facing off against Hajduk or Dinamo, and even then, Torcida has shown you twice how it’s actually done back in the legendary 60s..

If we're going to compare things—say, our 15th anniversary versus your 20th—your logic should probably be flipped on its head. If anyone feels like proving a point, feel free to drop some photos so @Andrew White32/">@@Andrew White32 can take a look.

Just look at this shot from the Rijeka-Chicago game back in '97, right around the time the armada was ten years old. The flares were lighting up the entire stadium; I don't think I've ever seen a bigger display in American professional soccer history: