P.O.K.

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P.O.K. was a coalition, a kind of athletic trust, of the three main football teams of the Attica (the "big three") which lasted until the mid 60's. The term dates to in 1927, when Olympiacos F.C., Panathinaikos F.C. and AEK Athens F.C. withdrew from the Greek Championship after disagreements with the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), mainly over the championship's financial status. The HFF determined that league's revenues would be equally divided between all teams that participated. Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK did not agree with this, and formed a group called P.O.K. During that season, they played friendly matches with each other. [1]

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The name P.O.K. is currently used to allude to the continuing dominance of the three clubs in the National A Division. Rarely does a team outside these three finish in the top three spots of the Championship; doing so is called "breaking the P.O.K.". [2] Since 1928, only three other teams - Aris F.C., Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. and PAOK FC - have won the Greek Championship. Finally, on March 7, 1963, the POK officially ceased to exist. The entry of the teams in the bulletins of PRO-PO, the establishment of the A 'national category and the participation of the Greek teams in the European football cups, made this institution weaken and finally to be abolished. [3]

Finally, on March 7, 1963, POK officially ceased to exist. The entry of the teams into the PRO-PO tickets, the establishment of the 1st national division and the participation of the Greek teams in the European football cups, caused this institution to weaken and finally to be abolished.

Establishment

In 1927/28, EEA (Committee of Professional Sports: Greek, Επιτροπή Επαγγελματικού Αθλητισμού) established the first football championship in Greece with teams of the 3 founding football associations: Athens, Piraeus and Macedonia Football Clubs Association. Before the season had begun, EEA ordered other teams not to play against Olympiacos, as they were punished by the Hellenic Football Federation. Panathinaikos and AEK Athens did not obey and organized friendly matches. This was reportedly [ by whom? ] part of a dispute between these three clubs and the league administration for control of the league. As a consequence, the EEA dropped all three clubs on October 31, 1927, and organized the league without them. The teams that took their place were Atromitos from Athens, Ethnikos from Piraeus, and Aris from Thessaloniki.

Activities

The teams that constituted the P.O.K. tried to weaken the EEA, holding their championship with the participation of some other smaller clubs, although the majority of clubs continued under the official administration of EEA.

They also organized various tournaments, during which they invited other foreign football clubs from Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Romania, such as Ferencváros, OFK Beograd etc. The three clubs shared the costs of hosting as well as the revenue from tickets sold.

The tournaments organized for the Christmas and Easter holidays were respectively called the Cup and the Easter Cup. They were financially very successful, as the three clubs were supported by the majority of fans in the Athens area. These tournaments continued even after the war when relations with the EEA had again resumed.

The end of conflict

In July 1928 the EEA made the decision to reinstate the three major clubs. However, this decision did not mark the end of the collaboration since the clubs recognized that they had vested interests in each other. Essentially, this continued until the establishment of professional football. Some areas of cooperation were:

Easter Cup

The first Easter Cup was organized by P.O.K. in 1928 with the participation of the Serbian and Romanian Beogradski benzo corps. It continued, with interruptions, until 1964. Of the 22 total events that took place, one was stopped before completion in 1948. After Olympiacos, who won the cup 10 times, came AEK and Panathinaikos with four wins each. Finally, with one win each, were Ethnikos Piraeus, German team Cologne RT, and Romanian team Progresul București. From 1930 to 1935 (with the exception of 1934) there were no events held due to obligations of the top clubs (POK) on the national stage, but the three POK teams continued to play each other in the stadium of Alexandras Avenue during Easter.

Winners:

Christmas Cup

The first Christmas Cup took place in 1943 and lasted for two years. Organized with the participation of foreign clubs and the three clubs of P.O.K., this continued with various interruptions until 1962. All in all, there were 17 events held plus one (in 1951) which was stopped before completion. The team with the most wins (eleven) was Olympiacos. The biggest defeat of a Greek team in this tournament took place on December 26, 1959, when Panathinaikos was defeated by Vojvodina with an impressive score of 3-8 at the Alexandra Avenue stadium. Three of the Serbs' eight goals were scored by Toza Veselinovic, who later coached Olympiakos.

Winners:

Sources

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The 1927–28 Panhellenic Championship was the first season of the highest football league of Greece. It was held with the participation of 3 teams, the champions of the founding Associations of the HFF, Athens, Piraeus and Macedonia, in which Atromitos, Ethnikos Piraeus and Aris respectively finished first. At the beginning of the season, the HFF punished Olympiacos and forbade them from taking part in the Piraeus' championship and consequently in the Panhellenic championship. He also forced the other clubs not to play with them even in friendly matches. However, the strong teams of Athens, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens and Apollon Athens, expected financial income from the various tournaments they organized with the participation of Olympiacos. On October 31, 1927, the HFF expelled the illegal clubs and banned them from participating in the championship. As a result, the 3 biggest clubs created a partnership called POK, from the initials of the words: Podosferikós Ómilos Kéntrou or from the initials of the names of the three clubs: "Panathinaikos"-"Olympiacos"-"Konstantinoupόleos". In February 1928, Apollon Athens joined the alliance, with the press calling it "POKA". The non-participation of these clubs weakened the championship, as the fans preferred the international friendlies of the strong clubs and the tournaments that have been established since then during the holidays. The devaluation of the leagues forced the HFF the following July 1928 to revoke their dismissals and from the next season the clubs returned to the leagues normally. Aris eventually won the championship. The point system was: Win: 2 points - Draw: 1 point - Loss: 0 points.

The 1931–32 Panhellenic Championship was the fourth season of the highest football league of Greece. Aris won their 2nd championship. On the other hand, AEK Athens, Olympiacos and PAOK qualified for the relegation play-offs for the Athenian, Piraeus' and Macedonian Association, respectively. AEK and Olympiacos prevailed in the play-off matches and remained in the national division. On the contrary, PAOK did not take part in the play-off matches against Megas Alexandros, which were scheduled for September 18 and 22, 1932, protesting against the decision of the HFF, which was issued on July 22, 1932, while PAOK had ended his league games, canceling his 3–2 win over Iraklis on June 5, 1932, following the objection of Iraklis for the referee that kept only 1 minute stoppage time due to entrance of the club's men on the pitch and the police intervention to restore order. The match was scheduled to be repeated at the neutral stadium of AEK in Athens on September 11. PAOK did not appear in the match and Iraklis was declared the winner without a match by the decision of the HFF, overtaking PAOK in the standings. PAOK was then appointed by the HFF to give double qualifying matches with the then champion of Macedonia Megas Alexandros, however it did not show up again in either of the two matches, as a result of which it lost both games without a match. Thus, PAOK were relegated to the regional championship of Macedonia for the first time in its history.

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The 1934–35 Panhellenic Championship was not held due to increased obligations of the Greece national team to fully prepare for the 5th Balkan Cup. Ten teams from the 3 founding associations of HFF participated in the Panhellenic Championship 1934–35, divided into 2 groups, Southern and Northern. They were represented by the same number of clubs as the previous championship and specifically by them, since the local championships were stopped to save time.

The 1928–29 Panhellenic Championship was not held due to serious financial problems, as the organization of friendly matches between the POK members had led the HFF to economic and competitive decline. The return of the members of POK to the HFF in July 1928 and the desire of both sides to hold the championship did not succeed, as the championships of Athens, Piraeus and Macedonia were held, in which Panathinaikos and Olympiacos alongside Ethnikos Piraeus and Aris finished first respectively, but there was a significant delay in their completion, as a result of which the Panhellenic championship was not held, since the summer had already arrived and there was a strong fear of another financial failure.

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The 1994–95 season was the 71st season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the 36th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki, the Greek Cup, the Greek Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League. The season began on 10 August 1994 and finished on 3 June 1995.

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The 1985–86 season was the 62nd season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the 27th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki, the Greek Cup and the UEFA Cup. The season began on 8 September 1985 and finished on 23 June 1986.

The 1974–75 season was the 51st season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the 16th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki and the Greek Cup. The season began on 29 September 1974 and finished on 8 June 1975.

The 1969–70 season was the 46th season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the 11th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki and the Greek Cup. The season began on 21 September 1969 and finished on 7 June 1970.

The 1967–68 season was the 44th season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the ninth consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki, the Greek Cup and the Balkans Cup. The season began on 7 October 1967 and finished on 31 August 1968.

The 1965–66 season was the 42nd season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the seventh consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki and the Greek Cup. The season began on 28 November 1965 and finished on 10 July 1966.

The 1962–63 season was the 39th season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the fourth consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki and the Greek Cup. The season began on 27 September 1962 and finished on 7 July 1963.

References

  1. ↑ efimeris.nlg.gr http://efimeris.nlg.gr/ns/pdfwin.asp?c=108&dc=5&db=3&da=1928.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ http://efimeris.nlg.gr/ns/pdfwin.asp?c=108&dc=19&db=3&da=1928.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "ΕΠΟποιία". www.sport24.gr.
  4. ↑ Alexandris:History of Easter Cup, p.23
  5. ↑ http://efimeris.nlg.gr/ns/pdfwin_ftr.asp?c=108&pageid=-1&id=66250&s=0&STEMTYPE=0&STEM_WORD_PHONETIC_IDS=&CropPDF=0.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ http://efimeris.nlg.gr/ns/pdfwin_ftr.asp?c=108&pageid=-1&id=65668&s=0&STEMTYPE=0&STEM_WORD_PHONETIC_IDS=&CropPDF=0.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ Archived 26 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine [ dead link ]
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