Hallowed Be Thy Name
A legend is born from the death of a hero, and Nenad will never forget the heroism of his brother Spomenko, a rebel with a "long tuft", a leather jacket and jeans.
Two brothers, identical twins, were born in the town on the Drava on June 1, 1971. Spomenko was the first to come into the world, followed 15 minutes later by his "younger brother" Nenad. They lived in their hometown with their mother and father, got an education, did their first mischief and got over their first loves. The twin brothers were like two trees that spread from one root. As the trees grew, so too did they grow and develop their own personalities and interests.
But they were united forever by their love for football. They played together in a local club, and their talent was recognized by the coaches, so the brothers were invited to train in Koprivnica for a while. Spomenko was a big fan of indoor soccer, in which he was an excellent technician. He played in all the summer and winter leagues that took place in that area.
His second love was billiards. The brightest moment of his career as a billiards player was his victory at the Varaždin tournament held in 1987. There were many competitors, from Koprivnica-Križevačka County, Međimurje, Zagreb, and the title of champion was won by Spomenko.
Apart from sports, Spomenka was also interested in music. Nenad will never be able to erase from his memory the image of his brother who was "wearing" leather jackets, gloves, jeans, a long "chupa" and t-shirts. That love started when he was "stuck" for Maiden. His favorite album was "Number of the Beast", but his "listening" also included records by Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper and Judas Priest.
Spomenko, as a talented billiards player, knew that a steady hand and correct trajectory, as well as for winning in billiards, is important for a good life. He was a good man and a valuable employee of Podravka. However, the commotion of other balls on the table sometimes causes a ball that is on a good trajectory to sometimes be completely knocked out and change direction.
The memories of the "Maršal Tito" barracks in Skopje, the assembly and disassembly of weapons and the military comrades from the JNA have not faded. Quite the opposite, the brothers didn't even unpack, but moved on. At that time, political turmoil began in their homeland, therefore, only five days after arriving home, they joined the defense of their homeland.
It was a turning point in the lives of two nineteen-year-olds. At the time, they had no idea that life's circumstances would challenge them to the limit. A legend is born from the death of a hero, ancient poets already knew that. And Spomenko's departure to the army was the beginning of the story of a hero that Croatia will never forget.
