Following a series of wins in domestic cups, Red Star claimed their first Yugoslav First League championship in spectacular fashion. Three rounds prior to the end of the season, and at a time when two points were awarded for a win, Dinamo Zagreb were five points ahead of Red Star in the league. However, Dinamo were defeated by Sarajevo and then lost in the second to last match of the season to Red Star meaning that the side from Belgrade trailed by a single point. Dinamo drew their last match of the season 2-2 with BSK Belgrade which resulted in Red Star coming level on points. The season was decided the next day when Red Star travelled across town to play their heated rivals Partizan Belgrade. Partizan had thrashed Red Star 6-1 earlier in the season, but this time Red Star produced the goods with a 2-0 score line and, thanks to having a slightly better goal average than Dinamo, the championship was won, and Red Star became the champion of Yugoslavia for the first time.

 

Another league title followed in 1953, but it was towards the middle of the decade when momentous changes occurred at the club. A strong governing structure was instigated with Dusan Blagojevic coming on board as President, Slobodan Cosic as Secretary General and the great Aca Obradovic, famous for his nickname Doktor O and a much loved figure within the club, joining as Technical Director. Doktor O initially joined Red Star as a physio before being given the choice of an academic career as an associate professor or an administrative career in football. Obviously, he chose the second option. He became known for utilising uncommon methods in club management, for being involved in practically all the big transfers occurring in the club at the time and for coming up with the idea of building a new stadium for Red Star based on the Maracana in Brazil. Much of his thinking was done in the Madera Tavern which became the epicentre of many football and non-football events, plans, decisions and ideas in Belgrade at the time.

 

Obradevic, Cosic and Blagojevic laid the foundation for the Red Star team that would dominate both Yuglosav and European football for the next five years. They brought many iconic names to the club who are still fondly remembered today; Vladomir Beara, one of the best goalkeepers of the era, defender and future Olympic gold medallist Vladomir Durkovic and his fellow Olympian Branko Stankovic, midfielder Vladica Popovic, Rajko Mitic who made 572 appearances for the club, all time top scorer Bora Kostic and one of the biggest showmen of Yugoslav football, Dragoslav Sekularac, who drew huge crowds on his own merit. These players helped Red Star to win four Yugoslav championships, two cups and every Yugoslav Trophy for five straight seasons.

 

With Doktor O hard at work off the pitch, more success followed including another championship in 1956 and reaching the semi final of the 1956-57 European Cup, in which they played against Fiorentina. Despite Kostic showing brilliant form in the tournament up to that point, Red Star were unable to convert and it was the Italians who proceeded to the final. They were Yugoslavia’s representatives in the 1957-58 European Cup as well, and they were famously defeated 5-4 on aggregate by English champions Manchester United in the quarter finals. The team managed by Matt Busby won the first leg 2-1 then drew the second 3-3 at JNA Stadium. This second leg match is most notable for being the last game played by the “Busby Babes”. On their way home to Manchester, their plane crashed in Munich, West Germany, resulting in the deaths of 23 people, 8 of whom were Manchester United players.

 

After the tragedy, Red Star won their first European honour, the Mitropa Cup, without losing a single game, but after 1958 the focus of events shifted to the other size of Topcider Hill, where Partizan was located, and fans would become so dissolutioned with Red Stars lacklustre performances over the next several years that they would frequently literally run onto the pitch and set both goals on fire.

Achievements: Yugoslav First League – Champions x5
                              Yugoslav Cup – Winners x3
                              Mitropa Cup – Winners x1

Star player: Rajko Mitic – DOB 19 November 1922, Dolac, Yugoslavia

Mitic started his football career in 1937 before WWII halted his football development. He continued playing in his engineer squadron until the war was over, alongside other Yugoslavian players Pedrag Dajic and Jovan Jerzegic. He joined Red Star on the clubs foundation in 1945, quickly becoming the teams capitain and wearing the red and white stripes for 14 seasons. He became a popular and successful player for Red Star, leading the team to 5 championships and 4 domestic cups. One of these championships involved Red Star pipping Dinamo to the title with a better goal average of 0.018. Mitic basically never missed a game, with the exception of 1947 when he had to undergo a knee operation. He played 34 times for Yugoslavia, stating that his favorate goal was one he scored in the dying minutes of the match against England to give the Yugoslavs a 1-0 win. He competed in the London 1948 and Helsinki 1952 Olympics as captain of the superb Yugoslav team in these tournaments, claiming the silver medal on both occasions. He also played in the 1950 and 1954 World Cups. In the former, he hit his head on a metal lid when entering the pitch from an underground tunnel. Subsequently he missed the first 20 minutes of the game against Brazil and his team lost. As captain of Red Star, Mitic is famous for two decisions he had to make in the role. In one, he sent Branko Stankovic, who was his best friend, to the dressing room for inappropriate conduct. In the other, he pulled his entire team off the pitch after a stone thrown by an angry Red Star fan hit a player in the head. As a result, the FSJ disciplinary committee suspended the whole team for a month. Mitic hated unfair play, and was never guilty of shirt pulling, tripping or any other tomfoolery. He was more well known for his people skills and exemplary sportsmanship than for his actual footballing abilities. He went on to coach his beloved Red Star from 1960 to 1966, and was very successful. He also managed Italy to the 1968 European Championship. Red Stars home stadium is now called Stadion Rajko Mitic in his honour. 

GK:  Vladomir BEARA
DF- Novak TIMIC DF- Vladomir DURKOVIC 
MF- Vladica POPOVIC MF- Rajko MITIC MF- Branko STANKOVIC
FW- Ivan TOPLAK FW- Pedrag MARKOVIC FW- Bora KOSTIC FW- Dragoslav SECULARAC FW- Antun RUDINSKI
SUBS:
Jovan KOCIC, Milijan ZEKOVIC, Srboljub KRIVOKUKA, Velco NAUMOVIC, Ranko BOROZAN, Lazar TASIC, Nikola STIPIC

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Manager: Milovan CIRIC

Home Ground: Stadion Crvena Zvezda