On 3 August 1909, the weather forecast predicted scattered thunderstorms and rain. The newspaper “Ellenzék” wrote that Clemenceau, the former French prime minister, was visiting Budapest, while reports from Lisbon spoke of a strong earthquake. At that time, only the local paper reported the founding of Kispesti Atlétikai Club (KAC), but within a few years national newspapers were also regularly writing about events at KAC.
Football, which rapidly grew in popularity after the turn of the century, was becoming increasingly popular in Kispest as well. Five years before KAC was founded, teams formed from groups of friends were already kicking a ball around on the open grounds of Kispest. A few years later, on 3 August 1909, KAC was formed by members of these teams and began its journey towards worldwide fame. At the committee meeting, Kispesti Atlétikai Club was established with eight sections (athletics, wrestling, cycling, boxing, tennis, gymnastics, fencing and football).
Over the past 115 years, the club has grown into one of Hungary’s most distinguished institutions with fourteen league titles, eight Hungarian Cup triumphs and one Mitropa Cup victory. Twelve players from the club have won 24 top-scorer titles. The club has supplied 103 players to Hungarian football, with our players scoring 314 goals in the national colours. Honvéd footballers contributed to three Olympic gold medals and one silver and one bronze, with a total of ten Honvéd players receiving Olympic gold medals. Seven players from Kispest were in the Hungary team that finished runners-up at the 1954 World Cup. In 1964, three of our players won bronze medals at the European Championship.
Without attempting to be exhaustive, the club has given Hungarian and world football such fantastic players as József Eisenhoffer, József Nemes, Imre Serényi, Béla Egresi, Ferenc Puskás, József Bozsik, Sándor Kocsis, László Budai, Zoltán Czibor, Ferenc Machos, Lajos Faragó, Lajos Tichy, Lajos Kocsis, Mihály Kozma, Sándor Pintér, József Pál, András Cseh, Gábor Sikesdi, Lajos Détári, Imre Garaba, Antal Nagy, László Gyimesi, József Varga and Dániel Gazdag, who today continues to achieve success after success in the United States.
Many happy returns, legend!
