Apollon Smyrni F.C.

Apollon Smyrnis
Full name Gymnastikos Syllogos
Apollon Smyrnis

(Gymnastic Club
Apollon of Smyrna)
Nickname(s)
Elafra Taxiarhia (Light Brigade)
Founded 1891
Ground Georgios Kamaras Stadium
Athens, Greece
(Capacity: 14.200)
Chairman Stamatis Vellis
Head Coach Stathis Stathopoulos
League Football League 2 (South Group)
Home colours
Away colours

Apollon Smyrnis, officially known as GS Apollon Smyrnis (Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Απόλλων Σμύρνης - Gymnastikos Syllogos Apollon Smyrnis), the Gymnastic Club Apollon of Smyrna, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece.

The club currently compete in the Football League 2, the 3rd tier of Greek football.

Contents

History

Apollon Smyrnis is the oldest Greek sports club, established in 1890 by a high priest called Christostomos, Vassilis Samios, 1920 Greek Olympian, and other former members of "Orfeas" who came from Smyrna, Asia Minor as immigrants due to the Asia Minor Disaster in 1922. The clubs first name (while the founders were still in Smyrna) was "Orfeas Smyrnis" and it was founded in 1890. Its colors are blue and white because Apollon's founders wanted to honor the Flag of Greece. The club's first badge was a swastika-like cross but just after World War II it was changed (due to the notorious use as a Nazi symbol) and the new badge decided to be the Greek ancient god Apollo's head in blue and white colors.

The clubs first home ground was located in a place near the building of the Greek Parliament called "Stiles Olympiou Dios" (Pillars of Olympian Zeus). Apollon stayed there for about 25 years, and after the World War II the clubs house was transferred in an Athens neighborhood called "Rizoupolis" and built a stadium there, which is called Georgios Kamaras Stadium, after a club legend called Georgios Kamaras. The club has four departments: The football department called "Apollon Smyrnis FC", a basketball club called "Apollon BC", a volleyball club and a fighting department. The best known (and probably the most successful) department is Apollon's football club. Apollon FC participated in Alpha Ethniki championship for many years, except seasons 1969/70, 1972/73, 1974/75, 1986/87. The team won the local Athens Championship 4 times: 1924, 1928, 1938, 1948 and 1958

The seasons 1994/95 and 1995/96 are the most successful club's seasons: In 1994/95 Apollon qualified for the 1995-96 UEFA Cup (preliminary round) where they played against Olimpija Ljubljana. Georgios Kamaras Stadium was not suitable for the game and Apollon played in AEK Athens home ground, Nikos Goumas Stadium. Apollon won 1-0 in Athens in front of 10,000 Apollon fans but lost 3-1 in Ljubljana (Olimpia scored 2 goals in the last 15 minutes) and Apollon was eliminated. In these matches many people noticed a young striker (he was just 21 years old) who almost ten years after this moment would become European football Champion: his name was Demis Nikolaidis The following season (1995–1996) Apollon FC, under Giannis Pathiakakis coaching and thanks to Demis Nikolaidis's integral scoring performances, participated after an excellent season in the Greek Cup final, but they lost 7-1 to AEK Athens. After these great seasons, Apollon's glory started to fade and as a result, in 1999/2000 season Apollon was relegated in Beta Ethniki, in 2005 relegated to Gamma Ethniki (South Group) and in 2007 relegated to Delta Ethniki (Group 8).

Apollon have gone since the 1930s under the nickname "The Light Brigade" (Greek: Ελαφρά Ταξιαρχία), named after the 1936 Hollywood movie release The Charge of the Light Brigade, after winning the 1938 regional Athens championship.

Titles

They have won the Athens championship a few times (1924, 1938, 1948, 1958) but have yet to win a national title.

Apollon have been crowned Football League (former Beta Ethniki) champions in 1970, 1973 and 1975.Promoted as 3rd in 1988. Champions of Delta Ethniki in 2010.

They currently play in the Football League 2 (former Gamma Ethniki), Greek Third division.

Trivia

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 GK Antreas Ntousis
2 DF Michalis Strompoulos
3 DF Michalis Kyrgias
4 MF Ioannis Arxontoulis
5 MF Dimitris Karademitros
6 MF Panagiotis Mpoumpas
7 FW Ioannis Lazanas
8 MF Ioannis Marinou
9 FW Konstantinos Roussis
10 MF Alexis Souflas
11 MF Dimitrios Konstantinou
12 GK Athanasios Katsoulis
13 MF Michail Koronis
14 DF Giannis Thomas
15 DF Athanasios Tsoukalos
16 MF Stavros Almpanis
17 FW Dimitrios Patsiavouras
No. Position Player
19 DF Konstantinos Vasileiou
20 FW Dimitrios Verbis
24 DF Avgerinos Katranas
25 MF Panagiotis Vlachos
27 FW Fotis Souleles
29 MF Dimitrios Mpoukas
31 DF Argyris Samios
33 DF Stamatis Syrigos
73 GK Thanasis Kois
77 FW Ηlias Tsiliggiris
90 DF Trifonas Kroustalelis

Notable former players

Greece
Albania
Argentina
  • Nestor Errea
Bulgaria
  • Ivan Russev
Cameroon
Czechoslovakia
Germany
Holland
Iran
Poland
Serbia
Sweden
USA

League statistics

Positioning in Greek league

1960s Position 1970s Position 1980s Position 1990s Position 2000s Position 2010s Position
1959–60 4th 1969–70 1st 2div. 1979–80 17th 1989–90 15th 1999-00 17th rel 2009–10 1st 4div.
1960–61 5th 1970–71 7th 1980–81 12th 1990–91 11th 2000–01 6th 2div. 2010–11 6th 3div.
1961–62 3rd 1971–72 17th rel 1981–82 15th 1991–92 5th 2001–02 12th 2div.
1962–63 8th 1972–73 1st 2div. 1982–83 12th 1992–93 12th 2002–03 8th 2div.
1963–64 5th 1973–74 17th rel 1983–84 10th 1993–94 13th 2003–04 10th 2div.
1964–65 6th 1974–75 1st 2div. 1984–85 11th 1994–95 4th 2004–05 14th rel
1965–66 10th 1975–76 14th 1985–86 12th 1995–96 11th 2005–06 14th 3div.
1966–67 12th 1976–77 15th 1986–87 15th rel 1996–97 9th 2006–07 14th rel
1967–68 12th 1977–78 12th 1987–88 3rd 2div. 1997–98 12th 2007–08 8th 4div.
1968–69 14th rel 1978–79 10th 1988–89 13th 1998–99 14th 2008–09 2nd 4div.

European matches

Season Competition Round Club Home Away
1995–96 UEFA Cup 1st Round Olimpija Ljubljana 1–0 1-3

External links