These days the label “legend” is attached to many people, even to some who achieved little success. In Kozma Mihály's case, however, the word “LEGEND” applies in the noblest sense. He served our club for 25 years, first as a footballer and then as a sports executive. He was captain of Budapest Honvéd for ten years, a two-time league champion, four-time runner-up, two-time bronze medallist, three-time top scorer, Olympic silver medallist and 17-time Hungary international – and the list is still not complete.
The Kispest legend celebrated his 75th birthday on the very day of Sunday's Budapest Honvéd–Mezőkövesd match. Before the game, Kozma Misi was greeted on his birthday by the club's managing director Séllei Árpád, and the birthday celebrant also performed the ceremonial kick-off.
“Ah, if he were out there on the pitch now, he'd surely bang in two or three goals” – an older supporter who had seen the top scorer play told his companion. His younger companion could only nod, perhaps hardly believing what he was hearing, even though in his prime the grey-haired gentleman holding the red-and-black shirt aloft used to produce goals on a conveyor belt.
In competitive matches he scored 3 goals fourteen times, 4 goals six times, 5 once and 8 once against the opposition.
“Kozma Misi, Kozma Misi” – chanted the Kispest support. His slightly misty eyes suggested that Misi had been moved by the celebration. The writer of these lines had the opportunity to watch the top scorer during his playing days, and there were very few matches in which we could not applaud a Kozma goal. He arrived in Kispest in 1969 and immediately became a member of the starting team. At the end of the league season Honvéd finished second in the table, while Kozma contributed 21 goals to the silver medal despite being a newcomer.
How he came to Kispest has a story of its own, which he told like this:
“At the time several clubs approached me, including Bp. Honvéd. Since Tichy Lajos was my role model, there was no question that I would choose Kispest. My decision was reinforced by the fact that, back when I was a youth international, old Mr Preiner Karcsi also advised me to join Honvéd. Needless to say, it was a huge experience to play in the same team as a footballer like Tichy Lajos. I quickly got used to the new environment and the team accepted me immediately, perhaps that is why I settled in so quickly. It helped a lot that I had such a brilliant footballer alongside me as Kocsis Lajos, who was also from Szeged; I most enjoyed playing with him. To this day I have never seen such a technically gifted, brilliant playmaker as he was.”
Kozma also excelled as a human being, not only as a footballer. To this day he helps everyone he can and has not forgotten his former team-mate either. “It saddens me that Kocsis Lajos has still not been made an honorary citizen by either the Szeged or the Kispest municipality, even though Lajos would deserve it. It is enough to mention his Olympic successes: he won gold in Mexico and silver in Munich” – and we would only add that Kozma Misi himself may also deserve such recognition.
A footballer, especially a striker, most likes to remember his goals. Of the several hundred goals, which one was Kozma's favourite?
“I have many beautiful memories. For a striker, goals really are the greatest experience. Many times I scored three or more goals in a match, and once I even scored eight times in a Hungarian People's Republic Cup match (Hungarian Cup). If I had to single out one match and one goal, I would say the most memorable was the goal I scored against Inter at San Siro in the UEFA Cup in 1976, with which we beat our world-famous Italian opponents 1–0. The return leg ended 1–1, so Honvéd advanced to the next round.”
Club loyalty is slowly becoming an unfamiliar concept in our time – with all respect to the very few exceptions – but Kozma Mihály is a model of loyalty. He served the club for two and a half decades as a player and then as an executive, and nowadays he supports his successors from the stands.
“I spent a total of twenty-five years in Kispest as a player and an executive, so naturally I follow Honvéd's performances. I am here at Bozsik Arena for most home matches, and most recently I was also in the stands in Budafok. If I cannot be there in person, I watch my team on television.”
Kozma Misi was not only an outstanding footballer, but also a great person. Many happy returns, top scorer!
