FC Sumy: Death And Rebirth

 Dmytrii, Ukraine

My name is Dmytrii, I am 24 years old, and I live in the small Ukrainian town of Sumy. I have been an active fan of our local club PFC Sumy. I started supporting the team in 2011 and it became a big part of my life. I work for a large oddschecker site, where I also write predictions for e-sports and Ukrainian football.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

All the photos were taken at our home and away games. They are showing fans like me, my friends, or in some cases random people. Our home games are at Yuvileiny Stadium (which means something similar to "anniversary"). It was built to mark the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian independence. 

Probably the main thing that I wanted to show is the loneliness of our football. From year to year we see a decline in attendances at football events in our country. The only ones who still support their clubs are active fans, the ultras. In one photo my friend was sitting in an empty stand – 5 years ago, that stand was almost full of fans.

There was a game against MFС Mykolaiv, which we lost 8-0. A banner was prepared for that match with a quote from a verse by Taras Shevchenko, which can be translated something like this: "Our thought, our song will not die, it will not perish." At the end of the game, we went down to support the devastated team.

There was an away game in the city of Dnipro. There is also an interesting story with football in that city. In 2015, "Dnipro" reached the final of the Europa League, but only a few seasons later ceased to exist. Now in the city there is only SC Dnipro 1, which was artificially created after the real "Dnipro" perished. Actually, we played against SC Dnipro 1. As you can see, people are not very interested in that club. And on the stewards, you can see the shirt from that season of the Europa League Final.

Are there any stories connected with the people or teams you photographed?

I really like a series of two photos: in one the players are upset after another defeat and came to apologise to the fans after it, and in the other they are happy after a draw against a very strong opponent. Fun fact: that point was the only point for the club in 6 months. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't capture the last moments of our team. Unfortunately, the summer of 2019 (when the pictures were taken) became the last for our club. The team was disbanded, but now (a year later) it has been revived on the foundation of another club from our region, LS Group.

LS Group Verkhnia Syrovatka played for some time in the championship of the region, Sumy Oblast. After the collapse of our club, we began actively raising the issue of team reincarnation and involved local authorities in resolving this. Earlier this year, they decided to create FC Sumy on the basis of LS Group. They switched the name. I still have a conflicted attitude to this, but I understand that nothing will work out differently. The new club has already managed to win its first trophy, a cup named after a regional philanthropist who had recently died. 

I took photos of the first game of our reincarnated club. Fans were not allowed at stadium due to quarantine, so we're cheering and supporting outside. We're trying to spread our fanatic culture with the help of street culture elements such as graffiti and stickers. "біло-сині" means “white-blues” due to the colours of our local team.

What is your favourite photo?

The players dress among the birch trees. This is a Sumy region championship match in Tokari between teams from two local villages. Of course, there is simply no stadium there, only a field. Players arrive in their vehicles half an hour before the match, someone is always late, everybody has known each other for many years and the match takes place in a friendly atmosphere. In addition to me, another 4 people attended the match as spectators :) After that, I went to the next village for the next game.

Has the situation in Eastern Ukraine affected your region at all?

The situation in the East has had no effect on football in our city, even though the border with Russia is only 50 kilometres away. The combat zone is 400 kilometres from here. For some time, a team from Donetsk (FC Olimpik Donetsk) played at our stadium, but now they have moved to Kyiv.

Why is football so important for Ukraine and its people? What is the future for Ukrainian football?

I think, as for many countries, football in Ukraine is one of the last ways of entertainment and a way of escaping from reality. Our country is not currently experiencing the best of times. But some people live from weekend to weekend to see their favorite team in the stadium. Despite the fact that the football infrastructure is not very developed, in almost every back yard you can see children chasing the ball. 

In 2009, our club Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup; then Euro 2012 was held in our country. Now, with the recent success of our team in the international arena, interest in football is gradually rising. In nearly every school you can see new football pitches, while football centres hold children's tournaments. As long as the younger generation has an interest in this, there is hope for a positive future.