The new club didn't have to look long for a rival: it found one in the neighborhood.
During the summer of 1925, Zora, in its first match since its founding, tested itself against Balšić. Since there is no written record from that time, we have to rely on the statements of two players from the “red club” Mahmut Buta Krkanović i Vas Vukadinović, who remembered that their team won 2:1, the location - on Ćemovsko polje, on the site of the old airport - and the names of nine teammates: the goalkeeper Musaja Čelebičić, Bećir Abdomerović, Gojko Mitrović, Arsen Ćar Marković, Blaž Prelević, Blaž Šutulović, Andro Bulatović, Vaso Čarapić i Milan Raičević.
And then - silence. In fact, media silence followed Zora for a long time. The first mention in the press was not until July 1, 1926, when the official announcement of the Split Football Sub-Association was published in the Adriatic Post, with point 5: "A separate response will be given to the letter from the Zora - Podgorica club."
It seems obvious that the new club had not yet been accepted into the sub-federation forum. That summer, however, it was, as it was included in the autumn part of the SNP V župa championship competition. In its first official match, Zora was defeated by Balšić 3:0 on September 12, 1926. Details are unknown.
At the end of October of the same year, Jadranska pošta reported the SNP's decision to "read", or register, 23 players for Zora: Vasilije Misovic, Mitar Milacic, Dimitrije Pajovic, Jovan Petrovic, Bosko Djordjevic, Ilija Vucelic, Blazo Sutulovic, Ivo Mikovic, Blazo Prelevic, Smajo Ramovic, Mahmut Krkanovic, Musaja Celebicic, Savo Radonjic, Jovan Vucinic, Petar Popovic, Veljko Milatovic, Vaso Vukadinovic, then Milivoje Zukic, Amar Orahovac, Djordjije Vučelić, Milan Raicevic, Milo Pajovic i Suco Kapic, “all with the right to perform on November 11, 1926.” The foundations were laid.
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As Zora with Balšić was the only Podgorica club that belonged to the Split Football Sub-Association, and the competitions in the province - championship and "cup matches" - were played according to the Cup system and territorial principle, this meant new and new episodes of the city derby. In the first and next one, the younger club made it known that it was ready to shake the primacy of the older one. At the start of the spring championship, on March 6, 1927, Zora convincingly defeated Balšić (3:0), with goals Gojko Mitrović (2) and Luka Bulatović. At the green table, however, the result was changed. Eight days later, the SNP Business Board verified the match with a score of 3:0 for Balšić (pff), because “Zora played on 6. 3. with unverified players Savo [Vaso] Vukadinović, Gojko Mitrović and Tahir Čelebičić”. Balšić was sent on to the match against the champion Cetinje.
By the end of the year, Zora will play two more competitive duels with a local competitor.
Like the first, the second will be decided in Split. And in a farcical way. The SNP Business Board scheduled a “cup match” between two Podgorica clubs for May 1, 1927, and appointed a referee Djura Spasic from Cetinje. Although players from both teams were at the center at the scheduled time, the match was not played. Neither was the one scheduled for May 22nd. Nor was the one scheduled for June 12th. What happened?
The version of Zora, which officially lost the match and was forced to pay the costs, was given by Đ. V. (probably Đorđije Vučelić) in a letter published in the Adriatic Post. He recounts that after the third failed match, “the president of Zora, as well as the vice president of Balšić, called Mr. Spasić on the phone and asked why he did not come to referee the aforementioned match. He stated that he did not come because he did not want to referee Balšić, fearing scandals on the field, as had happened before, as far as we hear from individuals.”
It is added that it is not true that Zora did not want to agree to finding another judge.
"As for Balšić, it seems that he is powerless to beat Zora on the green field, he tries all sorts of unsportsmanlike gestures and tricks."
The answer arrived on August 13, 1927, more than two weeks later, which can be seen as confirmation of the isolation of football Montenegro at that time. Balšić responded in a “fight” that the allegations were untrue, that they were in favor of the match taking place anyway, even with Karl Vugrinec, a member of Zora, as a judge, and that they "always treated Spasić with the most loyalty."
"All doors are open for RŠK Zora to discuss the dispute with official factors as befits a serious sports organization, and we will proudly represent our interests, confident in the victory of justice."
(From the monograph “Proud Past, One Future”, which will be on sale soon)
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