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AEK:History:A
real story
Contribution:Sofoklis Sothriou
AEK didn't exist in Constantinople. It first came to life in Athens starting from scratch. Following the Asia Minor war the decision to found an association from what was left from the associations that prospered in Constantinople in an effort to continue the traditions.
So the story of this team is heroic as it keeps and maintains the faith of the never-dying Greek spirit and the will to preserve alive in the ages the memory of the Asia Minor Hellenism. It is the story of a handful of people, representing the hundreds of thousands of the Greeks of Constantinople that kept in their soul the sacred legacy of the Great Athletic Spirit that was dominant in Constantinople, when hunted reached the Holy Grounds of Mother Land.
The TWO HEADED EAGLE of the Byzantine Empire was chosen as an emblem to remind the descendants the glorious athletic legacy of the Greeks of Constantinople. It didn't take long for the seeds to blossom in Athens and to become the new beginning.
The Fire and the Iron that deserted Smirni at August of '22 and the area of Pontos hit Constantinople soon after. Maybe the story of AEK will give us the opportunity to search deeper about what happened then. The only certain fact is that we must never forget these events... The intolerable situation that was created at the time made the Greeks realize that the Hellenic Kingdom was at an end. To escape was the only available option. It was a tragic course to Greece, leaving everything behind. The only thing that was left to follow them for ever and everywhere as it follows all Greeks wherever they are and go was the the never-ending faith and love for Greece and freedom.
Men, women and children, young and old, left to save their lives. Among them all those that continued at the time the Athletic tradition of the City. When those people rooted themselves back in Greece and started to manage they felt in time the need to come back at the football fields. Most of them already professional athletes with fame in the City they showed was they were really about from the first time. Most of them were football players of PERA KLUB and ENOSH TATABLON and they became members of Panionios team (founded in October '22) and Panathinaikos. But as the time passed, they felt the need to have their own sports club one Politikh omada (a team from Poli, Poli refers to Constantinople), a team that would be the continuity of what they left behind.
"Something must be done" was the phrase that you could hear all the time in the little athletic shop of IONA's and DHMOPOULOS' in Veragerou str. The words became faith and the faith a goal of life for that small company of people that visioned to gather under the TWO HEADED EAGLE all the football players and the fans of the City.
ONE NIGHT THE DREAM CAME TRUE. THE IDEA WAS REALIZED AND THE TWO HEADED EAGLE WAS BACK AFTER THE FOLLOWING STRIKES FROM FATE, AND WAS READY TO OPEN ITS WINGS.
IT WAS A WARM SUMMER NIGHT, when after a long talk those people took the final desition. A group of people decided that it was time to give life to the faith that was rooted to their heart and to give the first sight. They were sure that they would be followed by all the people that longed for the athletic glory of Vosporos. The time came to justify their belief.
Pioneers of this effort and founding members of the new club (association) were Emilios Ionas, Kostas Dimopoulos, Miltos Ieremiadis, Menelaos Karotsieris, Menelaos Ionas, Timoleon Tagarhs, Kexagias. Moral supporter of those people was the late Kostas Spanoudis and his daughter Athina. The decision was unanimous about the name.
ATHLHTIKH ENWSH KWNSTANTINOUPOLEWS. And the emblem was the black TWO HEADED EAGLE in yellow border... The Phoenix was reborn from its ashes the TWO HEADED EAGLE was stretching his wings in the Athenian blue sky... It was Summer, July of 1924... The beginning took place.
The new club was accommodated temporarily in the offices of XAN in Mhtropoleos str. that was given to AEK by the Athens College professor Nikos Eleopoulos. The memorandum of the association was written and the members of the board were chosen. Chapter B of the memorandum was referring to the purposes of the association. It took only few words to summarize the greatness of AEK... "It is about a movement of faith...
"[...] Purpose of the association is the gathering of the athletes of Konstantinoupolis to continue the work of the various athletic associations of Konstantinoupolis that they were active members as well as the spread of the athletic spirit in the youth for the construction of sound bodies, bold spirits, gentle characters, capable to fulfill any obligation to the country, the family and the society [...]".
The memorandum was signed by Spanoudi (president), Eleopoulo (Vise President),DIMOPOULOS (Secretary General), Tagaris (Tresurer) and the members Kapotsieris and Ieremiadis. The way of a difficult but glorious route was opened...
This first part is dedicated mainly to the Heroic Greeks, inhabitants of Konstantinoupolis, the some 3000 which are now left, that loyal to their Ideas and the Principles keep holding the Greek Flag high. Secondly it is dedicated to the Heroic? Kosta Karathano that gave me the chance, with his great passion for the association, to search and find this material that has been presented.
The first material so that AEK could present a respectable team was long ready. The first steps, of course, were taken in great difficulty. The football players from Konstantinoupolis were spreaded in various Athenian athletic associations and had obligations and fame so that it was extremely difficult to resign from their teams. Of course there is also something else. It is not easy to persuade someone to become a part of a team of an uncertain future. Did the association had a football field? No. Just a small office and that was borrowed. So the obstacles came visible one after the other right from the beginning of the glorious course, but the enormous faith and enthusiasm of those that had taken upon themselves to realize their dream, overcame the obstacles. Slowly all the football players from Konstantinoupolis were gathered. Before the passing of two months the team was ready to play and continue the tradition of the City.
The historic day for the Greek sports had arrived. A new opponent appeared for the domineering teams of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. The first team of AEK comprised from:
1. N.KITSOS (Goalkeeper) 2. IEREMIADIS (OPISTHOFYLAKAS) 3. THEMOS ASDENIS (OPISTHOFYLAKAS) 4. KEXAGIAS (MESOS) 5. PARASKEYAS (MESOS) 6. DIMOPOULOS (MESOS) 7. KARAGIANNIDIS (KYNHGOS) 8. MPALTAS (KYNHGOS) 9. MILAS (KYNHGOS) 10.ILIADIS (KYNHGOS) 11.GEORGIADIS (KYNHGOS)
The main problem was were to practice since the team did not own a field. Panatninaikos was willing to give its own but AEK preferred to gather its players to the area of the "Olympiou Dios" to practice. There in front of small gatherings of fans the first practices took place. Later they used the field of Panathinaikos and at Autumn they were ready for action.
It was Olympiakos that was to face first (official) AEK in Faliro in the area that today lays the "Karaiskaki field". It was the end of Autumn when that match took place. The year was 1924. Olympiakos used all the best players that it had to present with the "heavy weapons" brothers Andrianopoulous. That was when "the first blood was drawn". AEK used the eleven players that had practiced together the three months that the team was founded. A lot of people gathered in Faliro to witness the great triumph of thyelodous Olympiakou. Olympiakos was finally beaten 3-2 to the new and unknown opponent and was forced to bow before the greatness of AEK. The great will for a victorious beginning of AEK overcame every weakness it had. But despite the victorious beginning and the enthusiasm , 1924 was full of disappointments. But AEK didn't give up.
AEK applied to participate in the championship of the newly founded EPSA (Enosh Podosfairikon Somateion Athinon). Panathinaikos was the one to win the first championship beating AEK in the finals. Things happened then as in this year. AEK had the initiative in the finals but Panathinaikos won an penalty in the last minutes of the game! Apostolos Nikolaidis was the one to form the final outcome of the game 1-0 that gave the championship to Panathinaikos. (1924-25). The players but mainly the fans of AEK grew stronger out of those misfortunes.
In the period 1925-26 Panathinaikos was again the opponent of AEK in the finals. The gathering of the fans was very big for the facts of that time. The wooden row of seats that existed in Leoforo Alexandras was full. The composition of the teams were:
AEK: KITSOS, ASDERIS, IEREMIADIS, KARAGIANIS, DIMOPOULOS, KEXAGIAS, ILIADIS,MILAS, MPALTAS,HANTZOPOULOS, PARASKEYAS.
PAO: KALOGEROPOULOS, NIKOLAIDIS, KRISPIS, KANTONIS, PANOURGIAS, BLAHOPOULOS,STATHOPOULOS, ZAKKAS, ASPROGERAKAS, HRISOXOIDS, SOUTSOS.
In the first the score was 1-1. The second half was thrilling. The winning goal came again in the last minutes from a "thunder" by Asprogerakas that took Kitso by surprise. For the second time Panathinaikos was crowned champion. In 1926 AEK achieved to very important things. It won Olympiakos in 18/7 2-0 and Aris in 30/10 7-0. The beginning was made. AEK had shown that it was an important team.
From the first day of its founding AEK had the need to cooperate closer with Panathinaikos and Olympiakos so that slowly it could create the known today three. So in 1928 when the relationship of Panathinaikos and EPO was broken, the Athenian association was followed by simular movements from Olympiakos and AEK forming POK. The mutiny of the the three big teams resulted in their pullout from the championship of 1927-1928.EPO continued the championship with the participation of the rest teams when POK, owning Panathinaikos field organized several matches between the three and foreign teams. For the record the championship in Athens of that year was won by Atromhtos,in Peraus was won by Ethnikos and in the north Aris with final champion Aris.
In 1928 AEK achieved its greatest success since its founding. In March 4 won Panathinaikos 3-1. It also won Slavia 4-1, Venous-Sparta 3-1, but lost from Ouipest and Bratislava 3-0 and 4-3 respectively.
In the same year two players of AEK, Konstantinidis and Baltas not approving the movements of the association, left and joined the Goudi team. Also the team trusted its fate to the Hungarian coach Sbeg, a very remarkable coach that gave what the team needed. The mutiny of the three big teams continued and the next year which damaged of course football since the Greek Championship never took place. At the end of 1929 POK was resolved following an agreement with EPO but since the agitation continued it was not possible to hold any regular meetings.
AEK won over Panathinaikos once in 1929 by 3-1, one game came to a tie1-1 and lost in one by 5-2. The tie game was at the championship. A great time in the history of AEK was the win over Ouipest by 4-1, but it lost from Ferentsbaros by 2-1 and Pestergempet by 2-0.
IN 1929 H AEK HAD AT LAST ITS OWN FIELD. THE FORMAL OPENING TOOK PLACE IN 1930 BUT AEK HAD THE FIELD SINCE 1929. AEK's field has its own great story which is quite notable. We are in 1926 when, by initiative of I. Hrisafi, member of AEK and the Kentrikhs Epitrophs Stegaseos Prosfygon, actions took place in the Ministry of Pronoias so that it was given a place with a lot of treesin Philadelphia. The Epitroph characterized that area as a gym - to be of cource - for the children of the refugees. THE FIRST STEP WAS MADE. Children of the refugees were the players of AEK and of cource the area belonged to them.
But at that time the synoikismos of N. Philadelfias was growing and there was the risk, if the area was made a real gym to by occupied by the new settlers. Fans and players of AEK (about 100 people altogether) gathered one night at the face of this risk with shovels, axes and other tools and by working without stop under the moonlight cut all the trees. Then they formed the area in a shape of a football field. They also built a rock wall with whatever material they could spare from their houses and the rest of the area was closed by a wooden fence.
SO MAGICALLY A VERY BIG FOOTBALL FIELD APPEARED. Until 1930 that the openings took place it has completely formed into a regular football field. In 1934 mail K. Kotzias was interested in the field and the track and permanent chancellery was built. In 1945 the president at that time, Spyros Skouas and in 1946 Emilios Ionas almost closed the whole field with a wall. A year earlier, after a tour of AEK in Konstantinoupolis, from the money that was gathered the first part of the row of seats was raised. On that part in 1950 the big stand was built lenghted 63 meters. Before the end of that year and the association, having performed great savings, the stand's completion was realized that reached approximately 100 meters covering all of the one side. In May '52 the foundations for the new stand on the other side was set towards Kapodistriou str...AND THAT IS HOW, STEP BY STEP, WE REACH TO THE TODAYS' NIKOS GOUMAS OF 25.000 SEATS.
Following a small copy from an edition of "Athlitikhs Hxous" for the history of AEK of 1953 (Sports Library 3, Panos Makrides, "The History of AEK since 1953") dedicated to the story of AEK's field. "
...SOME TIME, WHEN THE YEARS GO BY AND THERE IN N. PHILADELPHIA A PROUD, MODERN, GREAT STADIUM STANDS PROUD THE PEOPLE MUST KNOW THAT EVERY METER, EVERY STONE HAS BEEN SOAKED WITH SWEAT AND BLOOD OF AEK's FANS AND IN THIS STADIUM THE HOPES AND DESIRES OF AEK IS SEEN TO CREATE NEW BIGGER ATHLETES THAT NOT ONLY WILL CONTINUE THE GLORIOUS TRADITION OF THE CITY BUT WILL EXCEED IT..."
The history of AEK continues in the pages of www.aek.com
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