Komiti Skopje is an ultras group that supports Macedonian sports clubs, mainly FK Vardar in football and RK Vardar in handball.
The Ultras group KOMITI was first seen in 1985, on the ‘Zapad’ (West Stand), where the most passionate Vardar fans gathered. Two years later, during a derby match between Vardar Skopje and Red Star Belgrade on June 4, 1987, a banner with the writing ‘KOMITI’ was noticed for the first time on the ‘Zapad’. The idea was to establish a strong Macedonian ultra scene, with ‘KOMITI’ leading the activities and events on the West Stand. The name ‘KOMITI’ was chosen as it had a strong historical significance, representing young Macedonians who fought against tyranny during the Ottoman occupation.
‘KOMITI’ also has subgroups, including ‘Red Black Drinkers’, ‘Skinheads’ known as ‘OI Warriors’, and ‘Metal Force’. Another subgroup, ‘Golden Lords’, was formed in the Karpoš part of Skopje in 1997. The group has around 200 members, increasing to 700 during derby matches. The older generation, known as ‘Stara Garda’ (old guard), now sits on the ‘Jug’ (South Stand), with around 30 members, increasing to 50 for important matches.
There isn’t a city in Macedonia or ex-Yugoslavia that ‘KOMITI’ haven’t visited. Their largest away trip was in 1992, with about 900 supporters traveling to Bitola for a league match between Pelister Bitola and Vardar Skopje. Additionally, ‘KOMITI’ have embarked on numerous away trips in Europe, including destinations like Bordeaux, Halmstad, Brussels, Valencia, Vienna, Bucharest, Kyiv, Southampton, Rome, and Gent. One noteworthy away game was on September 3, 2000, in Bratislava for the international match between Slovakia and Macedonia. The Slovakian media reported a week before the match that one of the largest and strongest Ultra groups from the Balkans would attend, leading to the deployment of a special police force. An altercation with the police ensued during the second minute of the game, resulting in scenes of police brutality. The last significant away trip in Europe was on July 17, 2004, for the Intertoto Cup match between Schalke 04 and Vardar Skopje. ‘KOMITI’ also have active members outside Macedonia, in places like Australia, America, Sweden, and Germany (Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Bremen, or Nuremberg), who particularly support FK Vardar or the Macedonian national team during away games.
On April 27, 2002, ‘Komiti’ celebrated their 15th anniversary, coinciding with the anniversary of the golden generation of FK Vardar in 1987, which included players like Darko Pancev, Ilija Najdoski, Vasil Ringov, Boban Babunski, Dragan Kanatlarovski, and many more, who won the championship in the Yugoslav league. The spectacle at the ‘Gradski’ stadium in Skopje attracted about 30,000 spectators. ‘Komiti’ performed their traditional pyrotechnic show with smoke bombs, flares, and Bengal fires at the beginning of the second half and the end of the game. Five years later, they celebrated their 20th anniversary at a friendly match between Vardar and Partizan with another impressive pyrotechnic display.
‘KOMITI’ don’t have allies within the Macedonian scene, as their motto is “Alone against all”. Besides their good relationship with ‘Vojvodi’ from Tetovo, their relations with other groups are not as favorable. They frequently clash with groups like the ‘Sverceri’ (smugglers) from city rivals Sloga Jugomagnat, the ‘Majmuni’ from Pobeda Prilep, and especially their biggest rivals, Čkembari from Pelister Bitola. Interestingly, they were once allied with Lozari from Kavadarci, but they parted ways with ‘Komiti’ and joined forces with ‘Komiti’s’ biggest rivals, Čkembari.
Today, ‘Komiti’ have an executive committee comprising an associated president and various task teams for fan articles, flags, photography, actions, finances, general administration, and internet management. They sustain themselves largely by selling fan merchandise and reinvesting the proceeds into new activities. The future of ‘KOMITI’ hinges on their ability to recruit more young members into their core group and find future leaders. To achieve their goals, they require better performances from the club in both domestic leagues and European competitions, aiming to revive the glory days of the 1980s and early 1990s. Despite facing prohibitions, obstacles, repression, and negative media propaganda against the ‘Komiti’ name, they have remained steadfast in their support for their club and country.
Brother groups: Vojvodi (Tetovo) and Ultras Gelsenkirchen (Schalke 04)