Hmmm, there could be trouble ahead..

[fork me]

AEL, my adopted Cypriot club have been drawn in the sam group as Feberbahce of Turkey in the group stage of the Europa Cup.

Could be interesting, me and a friend have already decided to travel to Istanbul for the away leg.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Out of interest how do you go about making that journey? Is it as simple as crossing the border and getting a flight direct from the North?

 

[fork me]

Out of interest how do you go about making that journey? Is it as simple as crossing the border and getting a flight direct from the North?

It's a wierd one, it's gonna be easy for us, but difficult for any Turks wanting to come to Cyprus.

There is an airport in the North, Ercan, but Cyprus have declared it a "closed" port of entry, meaning that it's illegal to enter or leave Cyprus using it under Cypriot law. In practice though, EU citizens are just allowed either way across the buffer zone anyway. I;m going with a friend, so yeah, we'll drive across the border, park at the airport and get a direct flight from Ercan to Istanbul.

Turks won't be able to do that though, because they an only get an entry visa to Cyprus at a legal point of entry, so if they fly through Ercan, they won't be allowed across the buffer zone. They'll have to change planes, probably at Athens, and fly to Larnaca, which will be a lot more expensive.

 

[Superphil]

Had you seen the Cyprus Footie Resepct video?

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

 

[fork me]

Hmmm, respect in Cypriot football? It'll NEVER catch on. APOEL fans, for example, hate Omonia even more than they hate the Turks - and they REALLY hate the Turks.

It's all political over here, APOEL are fiercely nationalistic and right wing, Anorthosis is technically a refugee club from the North, so Omonia fans take Turkish flags when they play either of those teams. Apollon (another right wing nationalist club) fans rained down missiles on a Turkish women's basketball team when they played in Cyprus.

I tell you, us and the Scum are the best of buddies compared to what it's like over here between the left and right wing clubs.

 

[glasfryn]

those Cypriot girls are rather nice!!!!

 

[Superphil]

Hmmm, respect in Cypriot football? It'll NEVER catch on. APOEL fans, for example, hate Omonia even more than they hate the Turks - and they REALLY hate the Turks.

It's all political over here, APOEL are fiercely nationalistic and right wing, Anorthosis is technically a refugee club from the North, so Omonia fans take Turkish flags when they play either of those teams. Apollon (another right wing nationalist club) fans rained down missiles on a Turkish women's basketball team when they played in Cyprus.

I tell you, us and the Scum are the best of buddies compared to what it's like over here between the left and right wing clubs.

The Anorthosis fan who came on the pitch and attacked his own goalkeeper in the Europa game recently got banged up for 4 months. Two other ANO fans involved in the same have also just been put away for 4 months. Those guys have got to tell their families, their bosses, possibly even their wives/girlfriends that they are being put in prison for being dickheads, four other fans are due to be sentenced today I believe. Anorthosis was fined €50,000 UEFA and must play their next three European home games behind closed doors.

Being banned from having fans at upcoming (lucrative) Euro games could also encourage the club to identify the idiots and get rid of them.

Perhaps this heavy handed approach by the authorities will finally start to get through to them. Surely even a CY Ultra, cannot afford to lose their jobs, and have their family tarnished by their behaviour can they? After all, just like the hoolies in this country, many have full time jobs, mortgages and families, and family in Cyprus counts for a lot more there than it seems to here.

I know my brother thinks nothing will change, I imagine Fork Me will think the same, personally, I would like to think the threat of imprisonment might make some start to rethink their behaviour at gmaes.

NB, I know what goes on outside the grounds over there, I've seen it, that is a whole nother story. The police seem reluctant to deal with it, probably all in the pockets of the various fan groups.

 

[Spiros]

I went to an AEL home match a few years back and was struck by how much noise so few fans could make as well as the impressive number of flares lit in the stands. I was also a bit taken aback by their habit of ripping out the seats and walking out before half time because they had gone 2-0 down. I'm not sure they left the ground as quite a few reappeared when AEL pulled a goal back, though they ripped out the remaining seats at the final whistle. My Cypriot mate with me at the game explained that this was normal behaviour and the seats are designed to be pulled out and pushed back in easily - not sure if he was taking the piss though!

 

[fork me]

The Anorthosis fan who came on the pitch and attacked his own goalkeeper in the Europa game recently got banged up for 4 months. Two other ANO fans involved in the same have also just been put away for 4 months. Those guys have got to tell their families, their bosses, possibly even their wives/girlfriends that they are being put in prison for being dickheads, four other fans are due to be sentenced today I believe. Anorthosis was fined €50,000 UEFA and must play their next three European home games behind closed doors.

Yup, and, to be honest, it's about time. In the play-offs last season, of the four teams qualified only AEL didn't play any of their home games behind closed doors. The club Chairman requested, at the beginning of the season that fans behave themselves, and by and large they have. Cyprus is still way behind the UK in football behaviour, which is a shame because in some ways they are way ahead in passion.

Being banned from having fans at upcoming (lucrative) Euro games could also encourage the club to identify the idiots and get rid of them.

Anorthosis have banned that fan, and the others who followed him for life. Let's hope they stick to it.

Perhaps this heavy handed approach by the authorities will finally start to get through to them. Surely even a CY Ultra, cannot afford to lose their jobs, and have their family tarnished by their behaviour can they? After all, just like the hoolies in this country, many have full time jobs, mortgages and families, and family in Cyprus counts for a lot more there than it seems to here.

I know my brother thinks nothing will change, I imagine Fork Me will think the same, personally, I would like to think the threat of imprisonment might make some start to rethink their behaviour at gmaes.

NB, I know what goes on outside the grounds over there, I've seen it, that is a whole nother story. The police seem reluctant to deal with it, probably all in the pockets of the various fan groups.

I'd like to think it will improve. I hope it does, I'm not convinced all clubs are taking it seriously though. The year I first came here (just 3 years ago) the Cyprus FA, the police and government held a meeting and invited all the club chairmen to see what could be done to curb the problem, not one of the clubs bothered to even send a representative. As I said, AEL seem to be listening now, untill the other clubs do, at the very top levels, the problem won't improve.

Your point about the police is valid as well, they normally do next to nothing, possibly because they're outnumbered and out resourced. One of the first games I went to over here was an AEL-Apollon derby. After the game, the fans poured out of both sides of the Tsirion Stadium and ran at each other, the riot police line between then, actually ran away and left them to it!

 

[fork me]

I went to an AEL home match a few years back and was struck by how much noise so few fans could make as well as the impressive number of flares lit in the stands. I was also a bit taken aback by their habit of ripping out the seats and walking out before half time because they had gone 2-0 down. I'm not sure they left the ground as quite a few reappeared when AEL pulled a goal back, though they ripped out the remaining seats at the final whistle. My Cypriot mate with me at the game explained that this was normal behaviour and the seats are designed to be pulled out and pushed back in easily - not sure if he was taking the piss though!

Things have improved at AEL now. Apart from the pitch invasion on the last home game (when they won the league) there's been nothing. The police and club seemed to accept that though, and some of the team came back out of the dressing rooms to mingle with the fans on the pitch. I saw Dosa Junior being carried round the running track by fans wearing just his pants!

There was, however, a huge amount of damage in the city while they celebreated their league win (for 44 straight days) but the club offered to repeair all of the damage at their own expense on the first day of celebrations so not that many people seemed to mind, especially shops that sell paint, they all sold out of yellow!