HNK Tomislav

Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1920–1941)

Tomislavgrad's football history starts in 1910, when August Batinić, a player of the NK SAŠK, brought a ball in Tomislavgrad, at the time named Županjac. The first football matches were played at Bara, where the present-day basilica is located. The idea of establishing a football club appeared after World War I. However, the founding assembly was held only on 30 April 1920 in a pub owned by Ilija Zrno Čokrlja. Batinić initiated the idea. The first president of the football club's committee was Stojan Protrka. The committee named the football club HNK Tomislav in honour of the first Croatian king Tomislav, whose crowning, according to legend, took place near Županjac, and preparations were underway to mark the 1000th anniversary of the event. The first kit, a white shirt and black trousers, in which footballers played before World War I, was confirmed by the committee as the official kit. The construction of a playground was among the committee's main goals; however, it wasn't realised. The club player on various improvised playgrounds. The club's first match was played in Županjac on 29 September 1920 against students from Županjac who studied at the Široki Brijeg gymnasium. Tomislav won the match. The first official match was played against Stožer, won by Tomislav 2–1. In 1928, Županjac changed its name to Tomislavgrad, officially in honour of Prince Tomislav, son of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, but unofficially in honour of King…