The Zagreb club played their first match in blue as their official club colour on 13 April 1919, right on the Maksimir pitch. On the opposing side stood the English military team York Lancaster. The first blue jerseys appeared in lighter tones, Građanski played in sky blue kit. This was the combination that GNK Dinamo featured in their "Dinamo Classics" retro collection in 2024. In such kit, Građanski defeated Barcelona away in 1923, and a few months later switched to classic blue. It was, in any case, an aesthetic boom: striking light blue jerseys with the sewn-on rectangular club crest of the time alongside a tie below the collar. The choice was clear: blue is the colour of the city of Zagreb, so it's understandable that it's the colour of a club with a strong Zagreb identity. Previously, Građanski had used various jersey variants. The English played in red combination, announced as a team that "recruits from the 8th Battalion of the English York & Lancaster Regiment". It sounds impressive that this military team had recorded as many as 20 victories and one draw in their previous 21 matches with a goal difference of 82-2. The team included some players who had previously played for Manchester City. Građanski won 4-2 in a match where the English led 2-1 at half-time. The stands and surrounding areas were packed, an impressive 7,000 spectators gathered for that era, and part of the atmosphere was conveyed by the media of the time: "Maksimirska Street resembled Vienna's Hauptallee. In the full sense of the word, carriage after carriage, automobile after automobile rushed to the Maksimir pitch." Another report featured an interesting observation: "In every issue of our newspaper we yearn for a proper pitch. This plea of ours could finally reach the mayor and work towards ensuring that the city of Zagreb gets a proper pitch. Anyone who saw that endless multitude of people in Maksimir, the interest with which the public followed the course of the game, could be further convinced that the current pitch absolutely does not meet first-class needs. It seems unpleasant that the city municipality doesn't run trams to Maksimir even on such days, but stops them at Medjaška Street (today's Kvaternikov Square, editor's note). So part of the public was already rushing for trams in lower Ilica Street, some onto carriage steps. Others had to walk, so entire columns of people rolled through Maksimirska Street towards the pitch. The numerous carriages and automobiles also provided an interesting sight, driving in a long line towards the pitch. Coachmen had a good day, as they didn't hesitate to demand 70 crowns for one ride; so 140 crowns there and back! Despite this, carriages couldn't be found anywhere! An hour before the match started, the stands were full. In the left corner of the pitch, the military band of the infantry regiment played, entertaining the public."