Nyíregyháza Spartacus is a professional football club from Nyíregyháza, Hungary. Formed in 1928, it has had brief stints in the Nemzeti Bajnokság III. It set to play in the NB I from 2024–25 after promotion from NB II in 2023–24. The team is locally referred to by its monicker, Szpari. Its games take place in Városi Stadion, in the city sport complex just north of the downtown.
History
1920s
Nyíregyháza played their first season in the second division of the Eastern Football Association of Szabolcsi group of the 1928–29 season. The club finished in the fourth place.[1] In the following season, the club finished in the third place, playing only four matches against the two opponents: Mátészalkai Tűzoltók SE and Nyíregyházi MTK.[2]
1930s
Nyíregyháza won the 1934–35 season of the Keletmagyarországi LASZ, and therefore were promoted to the second division.[3] However, in the 1937–38 season, won by Debreceni VSC, they were relegated to the third division.[4]
1960s
The team was refounded in 1959 by the fusion of the clubs Spartacus and Építők. In the early 1960s, the team entered the second division of Hungarian football and then the now non-existent NB I./B, a sub-division of the first division. These were the years of the so-called "golden team" featuring players such Bakos, Pilcsuk, Kovacsics, Páll Cini, Papp Szuszka, Szokol, Kaskötő, Ignéczi, Nagy Zoli, Harcsa, Groholy, and Csemiczky. The team, however, fell from the NB I./B in 1968, ending the golden age.
1980s
Nyíregyháza won the 1979-80 Nemzeti Bajnokság II season and were promoted to the first division the first time in the club's history. The club won 22 matches, drew nine times, and lost only seven matches.[5]
In their first season of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, ( 1980–81 Nemzeti Bajnokság I) the club finished seventh, winning 11 matches, drawing 16 times and losing only seven times.[6]
In 1980, the team finally ascended to the NB I. Their first match in the first division was played against Diósgyőri VTK, soon-to-be rivals from nearby Miskolc. The first goal was scored by Kozma "Kicsi" and Szpari won the match 2–0. The team finished the season in 7th place. However, the team was never able to improve from that season and they were relegated at the end of the 1983–84 season.
1990s
The team finally returned to the NB I. in 1998–99 and ended that season in 13th place. They finished 9th in 1999–00, but the league shrank in the 2000–01 season, ultimately only allowing 12 teams to compete and Szpari again exited the first division.
2000s
In the 2004–05 season, the league expanded to again allow 16 teams and Nyíregyháza again found themselves in the first division. Though there were a few highlights including a masterful win over a declining Ferencváros to a home crowd in the second half of the season, the team ended in 15th place and were relegated yet again to NB II.
The team had an unsuccessful first campaign upon returning to the NB II, finishing in sixth place overall at the end of the 2005–06 season. Next season they made a stronger case for themselves, spending most of the season challenging Ferencváros at the top of the NB II table. On the occasions they faced each other the perennial Hungarian league favorites could only draw, 0–0 in Nyíregyháza and 1–1 to a crowd of over 13,000 in Budapest. With two matches left in the season the two teams were tied in the standings, but Nyíregyháza ended triumphant, winning the 2006–07 NB II Eastern division outright.
Nyíregyháza spent four consecutive season in the second tier of the Hungarian football league system. In the 2000–01 season, the club finished third and thus were not promoted.[7] In the 2001–02 season, the club finished 7th.[8] In the 2002–03 season, Nyíregyháza was the fifth.[9]
Nyíregyháza finished fifth in the 2003–04 Nemzeti Bajnokság II season and were promoted to the first division since the number of clubs in the first division was expanded.[10]
In the 2004–05 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, Nyíregyháza finished 15th and were relegated to the second tier.[11] The cub could precede only Békéscsaba 1912 Előre in the championship. The club could win only five matches and drew 11 times. However, the club were defeated 15 times during the season, collecting only 26 points.
In the 2009–10 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season, the club finished 15th preceding only Diósgyőri VTK and thus were relegated to the second division. The club could win only six matches and drew nine times, and lost 15 times during the season.[13]
In the 2023–24 Magyar Kupa season, Nyíregyháza beat FC Tiszaújváros in the 3rd round on 17 September 2023.[35] In the 4th round, Nyírehgyháza beat 1–0 Dunaföldvár on 1 November 2023.[36][37] In the round of 16, Nyíregyáza beat Szentlőrinci SE 5–1 in Szentlőrinc on 28 February 2024.[38] In the quarter-finals, Nyíregyháza beat Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Kecskeméti TE 2–1 at Balmazújvárosi Városi Sportpálya on 4 April 2024.[39][40] This victory was a historic moment since Nyíregyháza has never reached the semi-finals of the Magyar Kupa in their history.[41] On 4 April 2024, the draw of the semi-finals took place and Nyíregyháza would face Ferencváros in the semi-finals.[42]
On 25 August 2024, Nyíregyháza hosted Fehérvár on the 5th match day of the 2024–25 Nemzeti Bajnokság I to open their new stadium.[46] On 21 September 2024, Nyíregyháza beat Debreceni VSC 3-2 at home in the Nemzeti Bajnokás I in front of 8,000 spectators setting a new record of attendance.[47][48] On 28 September 2024, Nyíregyháza a match for the first time away against Kecskeméti TE at the Széktói Stadion.[49]
Colours and Badge
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The colours of the club are red and blue. The two colours were selected from the flag and the coat of arms of Nyíregyháza. The badge contains the initial letters of the club that is Ny, S, F, and C. Since the voiced palatal nasal /ɲ / sound corresponds to the letter ny, the first letter is a digraph in the badge of the club.
Nyíregyháza's first stadium was opened in 1958 and it was demolished in 2021. It was able to hold 10,500 spectators. The first match was played between Nyiregyháza and Eperjes on 27 July 1958. The match ended with a 5-0 victory for the visitors. The highest attendance was recorded on 12 September 1972 when Hungary hosted Czechoslovakia national football team.[50]
The new stadium was built between 2021 and 2024. It was opened on 25 August 2024 when Nyíregyháza hosted Fehérvár in a 3-3 draw on the 5th game week of the 2024–25 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.[51] The first goal was scored by Márton Eppel in the 5th minute. After the match, both coaches (Krisztián Tímár and Tamás Pető) said that the atmosphere was enchanting and for this atmosphere it is worth visiting the stadium.[52]
Supporters
The team has several fan groups. The Keleti Front (Eastern Front) began in 1992, The Mastiffs[53] in 1995, and most recently Elit in 2007. The fans have a friendship with Polish fans of Resovia Rzeszów.[54]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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