This article is about the football club formed in 2002. For the original club from Veliko Tarnovo which existed from 1924 until 2003, see F.C. Etar. For the team formed in 2013, see OFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo.
Professional Football Club Etar 1924 (Bulgarian: Професионален футболен клуб "Етър 1924"), commonly referred to as Etar 1924 Veliko Tarnovo, is a former Bulgarian professional football club based in Veliko Tarnovo. They were last competing in the 2012–13 season of the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, the top tier of professional football in Bulgaria. The club replaced the old FC Etar (Veliko Tarnovo), which won the Bulgarian championship in 1991.
The club's home ground had been Ivaylo Stadium since 1958, and their main nicknames were the Bolyars and the Violets, the latter in reference to the colour of their home kit, which was often mistaken for purple.
The club folded following the end of the 2012–13 A PFG due to financial difficulties. Etar Veliko Tarnovo acquired the license of Botev Debelets and played in the Bulgarian V AFG in the 2013/14 season.[1]
The club was founded as Etar 1924 in 2002, following severe financial problems plaguing the historical FC Etar, which folded in 2003. In their first season, they were promoted to B PFG as champions of the North-West V AFG.
In September 2010, Velin Kefalov had been appointed as a manager of Etar 1924. He led the team to the third place in the West B PFG. Because Chernomorets Pomorie did not receive a licence to play in the A PFG, Etar competed in the promotion playoff, but lost 3–1 to Svetkavitsa Targovishte.
In June 2011, Kefalov left the club and was replaced by Georgi Todorov in the role of head coach. Todorov resigned after the first half of the 2011–12 season and was replaced by Tsanko Tsvetanov. А streak of good form in the second half of the season ensured promotion to the A PFG on 23 May 2012 with 1–0 home win against Nesebar.
The team finished the autumn part of the 2012-2013 A PFG in last place of the standings. As a result, the second half of the 2012-13 A PFG season saw a huge turnover in player and managerial personnel[2] (Tsvetanov had already been replaced by Serdar Dayat). Despite a bright start to the spring season, the increasing financial uncertainty continued to plague the team and Etar relocated to Sliven, in part due to a conflict of interest with the Veliko Tarnovo supporter groups and the municipality, which contributed to the club remaining in the relegation zone. In May 2013, the team was practically dissolved and Etar's remaining A PFG opponents were awarded 3:0 wins by default until the end of the season.
The legacy of the club was succeeded by SFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo, which was established shortly after Etar 1924 folded.
Last squad
As of 7 February 2013[update]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Up to three non-EU nationals can be registered and given a squad number for the first team in the A PFG. Those non-EU nationals with European ancestry can claim citizenship from the nation their ancestors came from. If a player does not have European ancestry he can claim Bulgarian citizenship after playing in Bulgaria for 5 years.
