NK Kovinar Maribor


Nogometni klub Kovinar Maribor, commonly referred to as NK Kovinar Maribor or simply Kovinar, was a Slovenian football club from Maribor. The club was dissolved in 2006.

History

Kovinar Maribor was founded on 25 May 1947 and was located in the Tezno District of Maribor. During a thriving economy in Maribor after the World War II, the club was financially supported by the local engineering industry company :sl:Metalna Maribor|Metalna Maribor and the vehicle manufacturer TAM, both based in Tezno. Between the end of the World War II in 1945 and the independence of Slovenia in 1991, Kovinar spent a total of 18 years in the Slovenian Republic Football League.
In 1961, they helped the newly-formed NK Maribor by giving them some players and sports equipment. After the "Ball" affair, when NK Maribor was pushed back to the third Yugoslav division and a lot foreign players left the club, Kovinar again helped them by giving players. Unlike the other major clubs based in the city, namely NK Maribor and Železničar Maribor, Kovinar never played in the Slovenian first division after the independence of Slovenia; the highest level they reached was the second division during the 1991–92 season. The club was dissolved in June 2006 due to financial problems. In August 2006, a new "successor" club, named NK Tezno Maribor, was founded.
Zlatko Zahovič, who is regarded as one of the best Slovenian footballers, was a member of the club's youth selections in the late 1980s, before joining Partizan from Belgrade.

Stadium

Kovinar Maribor played their home matches at Kovinar Stadium. The stadium can seat 200 spectators, while the overall capacity is around 1,000. The stadium was once a speedway track.