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| Foto: Ultras Avanti |
Firma Novi Sad, commonly known as Firma 1989, is the principal organised supporters’ group of FK Vojvodina. Based on the north stand of the Karađorđe Stadium, the group represents a fan culture built around loyalty to Vojvodina, attachment to Novi Sad and the belief that people should support the club of their own city.
The history of Firma did not begin in isolation. Organised support for Vojvodina existed decades before the modern ultras movement reached Yugoslavia. Firma emerged from that older tradition, developed within the Red Firm movement and survived the political, economic and social upheavals that transformed the region during the 1990s. Its history is therefore more than the story of a single group. It is also the story of how generations of supporters have attempted to preserve the identity of FK Vojvodina in a football culture largely dominated by the two major clubs from Belgrade.
The early supporters of FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina was founded in Novi Sad on 6 March 1914. Over the following decades, its red-and-white colours became closely associated with the city and the club developed one of the oldest supporter traditions in the region. One of the earliest recorded organised away followings took place on 3 May 1931, when approximately 150 Vojvodina supporters travelled in six buses to Šabac for a match against Mačva. Fans also followed the club by train, bus and even steamboat to matches in towns such as Osijek and Borovo.
A formal supporters’ organisation was established on 15 December 1937 to coordinate travel, distribute information and improve support for the team. It is sometimes described as the first supporters’ club in Yugoslavia or the Balkans, although that claim cannot be proved conclusively. It is safer to regard it as one of the earliest formally organised football supporters’ associations in the region. The Second World War interrupted its activities. Novi Sad was occupied and annexed by Hungary, while FK Vojvodina was prohibited from operating. Several people associated with the club were killed during the occupation or became involved in the anti-fascist resistance, leaving a lasting mark on Vojvodina’s historical identity.
The changing culture of the terraces
Vojvodina attracted large crowds during the post-war decades, particularly when the team became increasingly competitive at Yugoslav level. Thousands followed the club to important away matches, while the 1966 Yugoslav championship and the European Cup campaign that followed produced some of the largest attendances in Vojvodina’s history. Supporter accounts place approximately 4,000 Vojvodina fans in Zagreb for the decisive 1966 championship match against Dinamo. The following season, the European Cup quarter-final against Celtic brought an estimated 30,000 people to the stadium in Novi Sad.
The appearance of the terraces gradually changed during the 1970s. Scarves, larger flags and neighbourhood banners became more visible, while groups of younger supporters began gathering together. One of the earliest remembered banners, displayed in 1974, carried the inscription “Navijači sa Salajke” - “Supporters from Salajka” - referring to one of Novi Sad’s traditional districts.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, formations such as Tulips, Red Crew, Salajka, Liman Boys and Old Town Boys had appeared around the Vojvodina scene. They were not necessarily organised ultras groups in the modern sense, but they represented an important transition from traditional match-going crowds to more coordinated terrace support. The development of the scene was interrupted when Vojvodina were relegated from the Yugoslav First League in 1986. Attendances declined and some previously active supporters moved away from the stadium. A smaller core nevertheless remained, providing the foundation for the reorganisation that followed the club’s return to the top division.
Red Firm and the foundation of Firma
The decisive moment arrived during Vojvodina’s remarkable 1988-89 championship campaign. With the club competing for the Yugoslav title, enthusiasm returned to Novi Sad and the stadium once again attracted large crowds. On 12 March 1989, Vojvodina defeated Dinamo Zagreb 4-1 in front of approximately 15,000 spectators. It was during this match that a new banner appeared for the first time: Red Firm. The purpose of Red Firm was to unite smaller groups and independent supporters operating around the stadium. According to the movement’s historical accounts, the name was proposed by a supporter known as Šima and inspired by West Ham United’s Inter City Firm. “Inter City” was replaced with “Red”, referring to Vojvodina’s colours.
Several days later, a number of younger supporters established Firma. They wanted a name in the local language and a structure that more clearly represented their generation and ideas. Firma initially operated as one of the sections within the wider Red Firm movement rather than as a completely independent umbrella organisation. Firma uses 12 March 1989 as its official foundation date. Historical accounts, however, show that Red Firm first appeared under that name during the match against Dinamo, while Firma was established by younger supporters several days later. This distinction explains why Red Firm and Firma are closely connected but should not be presented as exactly the same organisation.
The timing of their emergence could hardly have been more significant. Vojvodina ended the 1988–89 season as Yugoslav champions, winning the second national title in the club’s history. The decisive 4–2 victory over Sloboda Tuzla attracted approximately 27,000 spectators and was followed by a mass celebration on the pitch and throughout Novi Sad. For the young Red Firm and Firma members, the championship season established the foundations of their supporter culture: vocal backing throughout the match, regular away travel, flags, scarves, banners and a recognisable visual identity.
European travel and the final Yugoslav seasons
Vojvodina entered the European Cup in the autumn of 1989 and were drawn against Budapest Honvéd. A sizeable group of supporters travelled to Hungary for the first leg, while the return match in Novi Sad featured smoke, paper rolls, flags and other visual elements that were still relatively new to the local stands. Although Vojvodina were eliminated, the tie became an important early test for the developing group. It demonstrated that Red Firm and Firma were capable of organising support beyond domestic football and following the club internationally.
During the following seasons, Vojvodina supporters travelled throughout Yugoslavia, including visits to Belgrade, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Skopje, Split, Subotica, Tuzla and Titograd. The group’s identity was shaped by railway journeys, organised buses, banners and encounters with other developing supporter movements. The final years of Yugoslavia were also marked by confrontations between rival groups. Firma’s history, like that of many major supporter organisations from the period, includes incidents inside and outside stadiums. These events form part of the historical record, but they should not be treated as the only measure of the group’s importance.
War, sanctions and the rise of Firma
The disintegration of Yugoslavia changed football and supporter culture across the region. War, international sanctions, economic collapse and hyperinflation made ordinary life increasingly difficult. Away travel became more complicated, former league opponents disappeared from the domestic calendar and many supporter groups lost members or ceased operating. Red Firm stopped functioning as a unified structure in 1992. Several of its sections disappeared, while others attempted to continue independently. Firma proved to be the most persistent and best-organised section of the former movement, and its name gradually became the central identity of Vojvodina’s active support.
This did not mean that all Vojvodina supporters became part of Firma. In 1994, a group of older followers formed Stara Garda, or the Old Guard, during a gathering at Novi Sad’s Štrand beach. Its members were connected with the traditional nickname Slaninari, long used for supporters of Vojvodina. Stara Garda developed as a separate organisation with its own banner and identity. The distinction remains important: Firma represents the main ultras structure, while Stara Garda belongs to the broader and older culture of Vojvodina support.
Despite the difficulties of the 1990s, Firma continued to organise home support and attend away matches. Its members also followed other clubs belonging to the Vojvodina sports society, particularly volleyball and handball. One of the decade’s biggest football occasions came in 1998, when Vojvodina reached the UEFA Intertoto Cup final against Werder Bremen. Reported attendance for the return leg in Novi Sad varies between approximately 12,000 and 16,000. Organised displays, flags and continuous support helped create one of the most memorable atmospheres at the stadium during that difficult period.
The move to the north stand
Firma’s modern identity is inseparable from the north stand of the Karađorđe Stadium, but the group did not establish itself there permanently until 2003.
As Firma grew and became more organised, the need for a clearly defined home section became increasingly apparent. The move provided the group with a stand from which chants could be coordinated, main banners displayed and larger choreographies created. From that point onward, the north became the recognised centre of active support for FK Vojvodina. Support is traditionally directed from the front of the stand by a chant leader, accompanied by drums, flags and banners. Large choreographies are normally prepared for derbies, European matches, anniversaries and fixtures of particular importance. Pyrotechnics have also remained part of the group’s visual culture, although their use has repeatedly brought fines and restrictions for the club.
Firma is not a single neighbourhood group. During different periods, its structure has included sections and crews from Novi Sad and surrounding areas. Names associated with its history include Red Firm, Old Town Boys, Bački Odred, Divizija, Sremski Front, Rajkersi, Sanatorijum and UltraNS. The internal structure has changed repeatedly, and historical lists should not be presented as evidence that every section remains active today. Public membership estimates are similarly unreliable because not everyone standing in the north is necessarily a formal member of Firma.
Restoring the Karađorđe name
Vojvodina’s stadium was built in 1924 and originally named Karađorđe, after the leader of the First Serbian Uprising. Following the Second World War, it became known as the City Stadium and was later commonly referred to as Vojvodina Stadium.
For many supporters, restoring the original name was a way of reconnecting the club with the intentions of its founders. Stara Garda submitted a formal proposal for its return in 2000, while Firma and other sections of the fanbase continued to support the campaign. The original Karađorđe name was officially restored in 2007. For Vojvodina supporters, the stadium consequently represents more than the physical home of the club. It is also a symbol of historical continuity and an example of the fanbase influencing how the club’s past is remembered.
Local identity and resistance to the Belgrade clubs
The defining message of Firma is that people from Novi Sad and the surrounding region should support Vojvodina as their local club. This position has particular importance in Serbian football, where Red Star and Partizan dominate media coverage and attract supporters from across the country. Firma’s rejection of that pattern is expressed through banners, songs, graffiti and campaigns encouraging younger generations to choose Vojvodina. The group’s identity combines attachment to the club, Novi Sad and Serbia. It should not be classified too simply through the conventional political labels often applied to European ultras groups. Firma includes people with different personal beliefs, while its public position is that political parties should not control the north stand.
Following claims of political divisions after incidents within the stand in 2025, Firma issued a statement rejecting that interpretation. The group said that members were entitled to their own political, religious and social beliefs outside the stadium, but that the stand should remain united around FK Vojvodina and Serbian patriotism. The statement summarised this position with the phrase: “Our party is FK Vojvodina.” This does not make the group politically neutral in every sense, particularly because Serbian patriotic symbols remain visible in its culture. It instead draws a distinction between collective supporter identity and direct party-political involvement at the stadium.
Symbols and terrace culture
Red and white form the foundation of Firma’s visual identity. They are the colours of Vojvodina and dominate the group’s scarves, flags, banners, stickers and choreographies. The crossed hammers are another recognisable symbol inherited from the Red Firm period and the early inspiration taken from West Ham United. Within Firma’s own interpretation, they have also come to represent hard work, unity and the collective effort needed to maintain an organised group.
Another figure associated with Firma is Rajke, a stylised, bald and confrontational-looking supporter character that has appeared on stickers, graffiti and group material. The image also inspired names used by sections connected with Firma’s graffiti culture. The words “Firma 1989”, the initials F89 and the abbreviation RFNS – Red Firm Novi Sad – remain common references. They demonstrate how the modern group continues to recognise the Red Firm origins from which it developed.
Cup finals and European journeys
Firma’s ability to mobilise supporters has been particularly visible during Serbian Cup finals. Thousands travelled to Belgrade for successive finals during the late 2000s and early 2010s, even when the club repeatedly failed to win the trophy. Several thousand Vojvodina supporters travelled to Belgrade for the controversial 2011 final against Partizan, with supporter accounts commonly placing the total at around 7,000. It remains one of the largest Vojvodina away mobilisations of the modern era, although the exact number of supporters and buses cannot be independently confirmed.
The match ended in controversy after Vojvodina’s players refused to continue during the closing stages because of decisions they considered unfair. The contest was subsequently registered as a 3–0 victory for Partizan. For many supporters, the event reinforced the belief that Vojvodina was forced to compete within a system dominated by the leading Belgrade clubs. Vojvodina finally won the Serbian Cup in 2014, during the club’s centenary year, and lifted it again in 2020. For Firma, these victories represented rare moments when years of travel, protest and continued support were rewarded with a trophy. European qualifying campaigns have also taken the group to numerous countries. The numbers have varied according to distance, cost, visa requirements and restrictions, but international away travel remains an important measure of commitment within the group.
Brotherhood with Lešinari
Firma’s best-known and most enduring supporter friendship is with Lešinari, the organised followers of Borac Banja Luka. The relationship dates from the 1989-90 Yugoslav league season. According to accounts preserved within both supporter scenes, Vojvodina fans welcomed visitors from Banja Luka before a match in Novi Sad, spent time with them and organised an informal football game. The hospitality was later returned when Vojvodina travelled to Banja Luka.
The wars of the 1990s interrupted regular contact and separated many of the people who had established the relationship. When connections became possible again, younger generations of Firma and Lešinari renewed the friendship. Members of the two groups have since attended one another’s matches, displayed shared banners and produced joint graffiti in Novi Sad and Banja Luka. The relationship is generally described by the supporters themselves as a brotherhood rather than an ordinary friendship.
Rivalries
Firma’s strongest domestic opposition is associated with the organised supporters of Red Star and Partizan. Matches against the two Belgrade clubs carry significance beyond league position because they represent Vojvodina’s attempt to preserve an independent identity within Serbian football. The antagonism is reinforced by the presence of Red Star and Partizan supporters in Novi Sad and other parts of the province. For Firma, supporting one of the major Belgrade clubs while living in Novi Sad contradicts the principle of loyalty to the local team.
Matches against Spartak Subotica form the principal regional fixture within Vojvodina. Although the intensity has varied between generations, encounters involving Firma and Spartak’s Marinci have produced a recognisable regional supporter rivalry. Other tensions have appeared against groups encountered in the Yugoslav and Serbian leagues. Long lists of supposed enemies should nevertheless be treated cautiously because relationships can change and a single incident does not necessarily create a permanent rivalry.
More than football support
Although Firma is primarily associated with FK Vojvodina’s football team, its members have also supported clubs belonging to the wider Vojvodina sports society. Volleyball and handball have been particularly important, while organised support has also appeared at basketball and water polo matches. The group has participated in blood-donation campaigns and other charitable activities in Novi Sad. Such actions receive less attention than choreographies or incidents, but they demonstrate how an organised supporters’ group can function as a social network beyond matchday.
Firma has also intervened publicly during periods when supporters believed that FK Vojvodina was being poorly managed or that its identity was under threat. Its relationship with club administrations has consequently not always been comfortable. Support has been accompanied by the belief that directors, officials and players have a responsibility to respect the institution they represent.
Firma today
Firma remains the central organised force on the north stand of the Karađorđe Stadium. Its size and internal structure have changed from one generation to another, and the group has experienced periods of growth, decline and internal disagreement. The wider Vojvodina fanbase remains more diverse than Firma alone. Stara Garda, Slaninari Zapad, traditional supporters’ clubs and independent followers all form part of the club’s supporter culture. Firma occupies its most active and visible section, but it belongs to a tradition that began long before the modern ultras era.
From the organised journey to Šabac in 1931 and the supporters’ club established in 1937, through the appearance of Red Firm and Firma in 1989, to the permanent move to the north in 2003, the history of Vojvodina’s supporters has been shaped by continuity, local identity and resistance. Firma’s importance does not rest only on crowd numbers, choreographies or confrontations. It lies in the group’s role in keeping FK Vojvodina visible as the club of Novi Sad and passing that identity from one generation to the next. At the centre of its culture is a simple demand: that the people of the city recognise Vojvodina as their own and stand behind it regardless of results, divisions or changing times.