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Apollon Smyrnis
Full name	Gymnastikos Syllogos; Apollon Smyrnis; (Gymnastic Club; Apollon of Smyrna)
Nickname(s)	I Ble (the blue); Apollonistes (Apollonians); Elafra Taxiarhia (Light Brigade)
Founded	1891
Ground	Georgios Kamaras Stadium; Athens, Greece; (Capacity: 14.200)
Chairman	Aristidis Kamaras
Head Coach	N Karoulias
League	Fourth Division (Group 8)
2007-08	9th, Fourth Division
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 Greek Fourth Division.

[edit] History

Apollon Smyrnis is the oldest Greek sports club, established in 1891 by a high priest called Christostomos, Emmanuel Samios 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 most 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 he 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 unfortunately 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.

[edit] 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 Beta Ethniki champions in 1970, 1973 and 1975.

They currently play in the Delta Ethniki (Greek Fourth Division D).

[edit] Trivia

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

The 1938 Light Brigade. Notice the swastika-like badge.

Since 1910 the team's badge was a swastika-like cross. But after the Nazi invasion in Europe it was changed with Apollo's head for obvious reasons.

The last time an Apollon FC player was an active member of the Greek national football team was on May 8, 1996 (Demis Nikolaidis, Greece - Georgia 2-1). Since then, no Apollon FC player is a national football team member.

Georgios Kamaras Stadium was in bad shape during the 90's, but it was renovated in 2001 from Olympiakos FC. Olympiakos used this stadium as home ground until Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium was constructed in 2004.

Shareholder and team president was from the late 70's until 2005 the businessman Kostas Alamanos. He helped Apollon to participate in the UEFA Cup and in the Greek Cup final and for many years, he was the beloved of Apollon fans. But after these successful seasons, Alamanos became Persona non grata for Apollon fans mainly because he sold many of the team's best footballers (Demis Nikolaidis, Blendar Kola and Theofilos Karasavidis) and released most of the remaining team as free agents. The team was unable to recover from these losses, and in 2000 were relegated. That's why Apollon fans are calling Alamanos "The Unmentionable".