PDA

View Full Version : NHC All Greek football leagues suspended - again



HappyAsHellas
25-02-2015, 03:19 PM
We think we have problems with some sectarian singing now and again whereas the Greeks tend to be somewhat more prone to the physical side of things. Reported today in Ekathimerini newspaper after the government was forced to get involved once more:

Then in the afternoon Kontonis held a meeting with representatives of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), the Super League and the Football League and announced to them the government’s intention to see all leagues suspended until a solution is found.
On Sunday Panathinaikos fans responded to the taunting by Olympiakos manager Vitor Pereira before the derby at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium storming the pitch and attacking the Olympiakos squad, while there later was a shower of objects hurled at Olympiakos players and president Vangelis Marinakis, with a flare hitting an Olympiakos player.
At Larissa’s Alcazar Stadium Olympiakos Volou fans clashed with those of Larissa and with police, with several injuries reported.
On Tuesday the Super League meeting was suspended after the president of Olympiakos reportedly hurled a glass of water at his Panathinaikos counterpart, Yiannis Alafouzos, and a bouncer allegedly punched Panathinaikos vice-president Vassilis Constantinou in the face.

I was wondering why you would need bouncers for a league meeting....

MB62
25-02-2015, 03:27 PM
We think we have problems with some sectarian singing now and again whereas the Greeks tend to be somewhat more prone to the physical side of things. Reported today in Ekathimerini newspaper after the government was forced to get involved once more:

Then in the afternoon Kontonis held a meeting with representatives of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), the Super League and the Football League and announced to them the government’s intention to see all leagues suspended until a solution is found.
On Sunday Panathinaikos fans responded to the taunting by Olympiakos manager Vitor Pereira before the derby at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium storming the pitch and attacking the Olympiakos squad, while there later was a shower of objects hurled at Olympiakos players and president Vangelis Marinakis, with a flare hitting an Olympiakos player.
At Larissa’s Alcazar Stadium Olympiakos Volou fans clashed with those of Larissa and with police, with several injuries reported.
On Tuesday the Super League meeting was suspended after the president of Olympiakos reportedly hurled a glass of water at his Panathinaikos counterpart, Yiannis Alafouzos, and a bouncer allegedly punched Panathinaikos vice-president Vassilis Constantinou in the face.

I was wondering why you would need bouncers for a league meeting....


Good. I seriously believe the whole league should be shut down permanently. The way they carry on at games is like an excuse for a war and the treatment of visiting fans is more than just a disgrace, reference the way we were treated against AEK Athens.
UEFA should have stepped in and barred them years ago.

MoscowHibs
25-02-2015, 03:39 PM
It's only a matter of time before some poor sod gets wiped out. I read in the Cyprus mail that the Greek-Cypriots are following the Greeks in carrying on at games. I followed Apoel whilst living in Cyprus and after games it was mental. Fire bombs, bonfires in the middle of the street, guns getting fired.

green&left
25-02-2015, 03:51 PM
Makes you think WTF the hysteria was about for the weeks leading upto that League Cup final a few weeks back when you compare it to events like the weekend in Greece.

Was watching some of it unfold on social media at the time, mad scenes. Although i'd imagine a fair bit of it is to do with the unrest in the whole of Greece just now.

Keith_M
25-02-2015, 05:40 PM
Both Greece and Turkey have serious problems with supporters, and have done for some time. I've long since wondered why UEFA didn't crack down on them more seriously, e.g. ban their clubs from Europe.

CropleyWasGod
25-02-2015, 05:42 PM
Would a simpler solution not be to do what Argentina have done, and ban all away supporters?

Smartie
25-02-2015, 05:51 PM
In some ways I think it is similar to the situation here.

There has to be a desire somewhere for things to change. I don't think that there is any desire to take ownership of the problems and change. Just a desire to point at everyone else and fudge the issue.

Some of the stuff that goes on in Greece and Turkey - at matches - is utterly bonkers. Some of the stuff off the park defies belief.

But there does seem to be quite atrocious corruption within the Greek football system and it needs to be sorted out.

Whatever we do we could do without the Old Firm finding out about this. Imagine the "whataboutery" they'll come out with to excuse their nonsense if they hear about this.

HappyAsHellas
26-02-2015, 08:50 AM
It's pretty messed up when your league gets suspended because a fan got killed in a 3rd division match, so it's not just the big boys that are involved. This week it's only the super league that's not playing although there was a good bit of fighting at a 2nd division match yesterday. The new government may want more powers to intervene as the maximum they can do at present is a one week ban due to legislation. Syriza seem quite determined on other fronts to forge ahead as with the gay rights reform which hacked off quite a few people so hopefully they'll come to the fore here as it really is pathetic. Why UEFA let it go on I have no idea - perhaps their fans behave for European ties? (nowadays)

Jones28
26-02-2015, 09:15 AM
It's such a deep rooted problem that it seems impossible to solve, how can you when people are dying at third division matches?! It's so corrupted by everyone involved.

HappyAsHellas
26-02-2015, 10:49 AM
I think it's a mixture of corruption and fanaticism on a large scale. Sunday's derby between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos had players hit by flares, fireworks and chairs being hurled at club chairmen and police stopping pitch invasions with tear gas. Makes the famous OF scenes look like a Sunday picnic. Hugh Dallas was sent over to try and look after the refereeing side of things and his assistant resigned after being told "they" were going to kill him and his family for iterfering in things. AEK done a "Rangers" and were demoted to the 3rd division owing something in the region of 325 million Euros. The strange thing is that most of the people going to the games are incredibly friendly but seem to take their rivalries a lot more seriously than we do. They're trying to bring in more fan ownership/involvement in an attempt to stop the corruption but it all returns to the guys with the money inevitably, and they do have more than their fair share of oligarchs. Sadly, Greece has a lot more to worry about at present so it'll probably take some time to fix.

AndyM_1875
26-02-2015, 12:47 PM
AEK done a "Rangers" and were demoted to the 3rd division owing something in the region of 325 million Euros.

The strange thing is that most of the people going to the games are incredibly friendly but seem to take their rivalries a lot more seriously than we do. They're trying to bring in more fan ownership/involvement in an attempt to stop the corruption but it all returns to the guys with the money inevitably, and they do have more than their fair share of oligarchs. Sadly, Greece has a lot more to worry about at present so it'll probably take some time to fix.

I noticed that a couple of years back. The whole thing was an exercise in dumping years of toxic debt.

But with AEK top of Division 2 by a mile it looks like they'll be in the top flight next year, assuming it restarts.

HappyAsHellas
26-02-2015, 03:50 PM
It will start again next week as the maximum suspension of any league is one week. I'm sure AEK will be back, but whether they're being run in an orderly fiscal manner or otherwise is doubtful given who owns them.

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/unfollow-magazine-oil-smuggling-aegean-oil

HappyAsHellas
27-02-2015, 08:07 AM
Because of the derby match trouble Panathinaikos have been deducted the 3 points for the win, fined 100,000 Euros and ordered to play their next 2 home games behind closed doors. Maybe the Greek super league has found some teeth at last.

They still have the right to appeal the decision though.