Sportist Svoge

The ground at Svoge carries the name of Chavdar Tsvetkov, though locals have long called it simply the town stadium. It holds 3,500 after the 2009 expansion.

That promotion came through a play-off in 2009, the first time in 85 years that Sportist Svoge had reached the A Group. The stay lasted a single campaign: 15th place in 2009/10, and back down. It remains the highest the club has finished.

What Sportist has instead is a habit of climbing. Third and fourth tier to the second: 2007, 2014, 2019, 2023. Four times in 16 years the club has worked its way back up to the B Group.

The cup has been kinder twice. In 1950 the club reached the last 16 of the Bulgarian Cup, and did it again in 2007/08 — 58 years apart.

Founded in 1924, the club took the field in blue and white checks, and the colours have stayed blue and white since. The nickname has nothing to do with the shirts: The Chocolates .