A presentation of Branka Bezić Filipović’s DVD and book Veterans of Hajduk 1977-2012 was staged at a CHF Split-organised affair at the Veslo restaurant and soccer museum in New York’s Astoria quarter on January 12. Joining the football and Hajduk fans at the event were consul counsellor Ivana Živković Mikec of the Croatian General Consul and Jere Kursar and Boris Nanjara, the owners of the two restaurants that played host to the Veterans during their 1995 tour.
New York is home to the New York Polet soccer (football) club, one of the four Croatian football clubs in the city. It was founded by emigrants from Zablaće near Šibenik in 1974 and named after the soccer club in their native town. When the Hajduk Veterans were in New York for their 1995 American tour they played a friendly match against a team composed of players from all clubs, including those from Polet. One of those to take to the pitch that day to face the Hajduk Veterans side was Davor Rosini.
“I was 31 years of age in 1995,” said Rosini, recalling the match, played on a Croatian-owned pitch in New Jersey, “and was one of the lucky few called on to play against the Hajduk Veterans. Taking the field for that match were players from all four Croatian clubs in the New York area, these being NY Polet, NY Croatia, Istra and Rudar. I was genuinely honoured to represent NY Polet at the match. The friendly match against the Hajduk Veterans side united what were, at the time, not altogether like-minded Croatian clubs.”
A presentation of Branka Bezić Filipović’s DVD and book Veterans of Hajduk 1977-2012 was staged at a CHF Split-organised affair at the Veslo restaurant and soccer museum in New York’s Astoria quarter on January 12. Joining the football and Hajduk fans at the event were consul counsellor Ivana Živković Mikec of the Croatian General Consul and Jere Kursar and Boris Nanjara, the owners of the two restaurants that played host to the Veterans during their 1995 tour. The event closed with songs celebrating the Hajduk football club.
The visit to New York was also an opportunity to hammer out the details of new programmes, in particular for an investor’s meeting, and there is the good news that a new Croatian priest, Don Vedran Kirinčić, has been working at the Blessed Ivan Merz Croatian Catholic Mission in Astoria for a half year now. A Croatian Catholic school is also active in the frame of the Mission that will celebrate its 27th anniversary in May.
Text by: Branka Bezić Filipović