Birthdays
17 August
— Born 128 years ago: Alajos Stallmach, a player who helped Kispest achieve some of its earliest successes. The outstanding former Kispesti AC and Kispest FC forward served the red-and-blacks loyally during three separate spells in the club’s early decades, later returning to Kispest FC in 1932 during the professional era. He was a key member of the generation that brought the club its first major successes: he finished as league runner-up in 1919/20 and lifted the Hungarian Cup with Kispest in 1926.
18 August
— Today is the 64th birthday of Róbert Pandur, Kispest’s kit manager, who has served the club’s colours for thirty years.
19 August
— Today marks the 53rd birthday of former Kispest-Honvéd midfielder Attila Forrai, a tireless and uncompromising player. Nicknamed “Rambo” by supporters for his combative playing style, he played a central part in the club’s successes in the '90s. He belonged to the side that finished league runners-up in 1993/94 and was also heavily involved in Kispest’s cup runs, collecting a Hungarian Cup runners-up medal in 1994 and lifting the trophy in 1996.
August 20
— Turning 63: Robert Warzycha. The outstanding former Poland international midfielder played for Kispest-Honvéd between 1995 and 1996, and red-and-black supporters still remember his spectacular long-range goals. He was part of Kispest’s Hungarian Cup-winning team in 1996.
— Born 92 years ago: István Gilicz. The skilful forward played for Kispest’s red-and-white side from 1958 to 1962, appearing in 71 league matches and scoring 14 goals. He was a member of the team that finished third in the league in 1958/59 and shared in one of the club’s greatest international successes, winning the 1959 Central European Cup (Mitropa Cup).
— Today is the 38th birthday of Péter Tepliczky, fitness coach of Kispest-Honvéd FC.
— Celebrating his 49th birthday: Róbert Lóczi, Kispest-Honvéd’s former home-grown defender and midfielder. After progressing through Kispest’s youth system, he was a member of the Kispest-Honvéd FC first-team squad between 1995 and 2000, wearing the red-and-black shirt in 27 top-flight league matches.
August 21
— Today would have been the 94th birthday of Gyula Macsali, a former league-winning Budapesti Honvéd player. The excellent left-half played for Kispest’s red-and-white side from 1954 to 1956. His greatest career achievement came in his very first year in Kispest: he was a member of Budapesti Honvéd’s 1954 title-winning team, reaching the summit of Hungarian football alongside Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis and József Bozsik.
23 August
— Born 97 years ago: Zoltán Czibor, the Golden Team’s brilliant, uncompromising, world-class left winger, nicknamed “Rubber Legs” by supporters for his inimitable dribbling. One of the most distinctive, free-spirited geniuses in Hungarian and international football history, he scored prolifically for Budapesti Honvéd between 1953 and 1956, enjoying landmark success at club level. His performances in Kispest’s red-and-white shirt, combined with his achievements for the national team, established him among the game’s greats. He won two league titles with Bp. Honvéd (1954 and 1955) and a Hungarian Cup runners-up medal in 1955. He also reached the pinnacle individually as a Kispest player, becoming the league’s top scorer with 20 goals in 1955. He conquered the world stage in national colours too, winning Olympic gold in Helsinki and finishing as World Cup runner-up in Switzerland in 1954.
— Born 107 years ago, on 13 August 1919: László Zalai, an outstanding, wholehearted right-half for Kispest FC and KAC. A loyal club servant in the interwar years and during the war, he wore the red-and-black colours from 1933 to 1944. Over his long career in Kispest, he made 110 top-flight league appearances and contributed six goals alongside his defensive duties. His greatest success with Kispest came during the exceptionally difficult wartime period: he belonged to the Kispest FC squad that won the Szent László Cup in 1944.
— Born on this day 117 years ago: János Csabai, one of the outstanding right-backs from the pioneering era of Kispest football. The defender played for the club from 1926 to 1933, representing both Kispesti Atlétikai Club (KAC) and its professionally organised successor, Kispest FC. He enjoyed one of the greatest successes of both his own career and the club’s history in his very first year: he was part of the team that won the Hungarian Cup in 1926, the first national cup triumph in the club’s history.
Deaths
18 August
— Passed away 16 years ago: Boldizsár Mihalecz, who played for Bp. Honvéd’s first team between 1963 and 1966. During his years in Kispest, he won two league runners-up medals and was part of the Honvéd side that won the Hungarian People’s Republic Cup in 1964.
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