Asteras Tripolis Creates History
by Catherine Tsounis

Soccer dominates the interest of all. Asteras Tripolis team has the interest of Greece with its meteoric rise in several years to Super League. On May 27, during the three day religious holiday, a unique celebration of this achievement was held in Areos Square, Tripolis. Over one thousand persons from the entire Peloponnese attended the “Zise Tin Historia” (Long Live the History) celebration. Rock stars from Athens, fire works, lambs roasted on open pits were offered free. This event staged the official induction of Asteras Tripolis into Super League 2008, beginning the end of August 2007.

On May 12, 2007, Asteras Tripolis defeated Kalamata 2-1. This victory elevated their position into the Super League. “This was the brightest moment of Asteras, but more importantly of Arcadian athletics,” according to Asteras' team news on Soccer.com. “It took five years for Asteras to travel the road from Arcadia to Super League. The team advanced four major elevations. Instantly, after the end of the game in the capital of Messinia (Kalamata), the elevation of Asteras took place into the Super league. The Tripolis municipality council voted to have a celebration with fireworks. The team was awarded 70,000 euros to be divided among the players.”

Soccer Players Mihalis klokidis (left to right), Savvas
Panteliadis, Akis Mihos and Team Captain Nikos
Lazaridis at the celebration of their historic victory.

The nickname of Asteras Tripolis is “The Yellow/Blue”. Their stadium is located in Tripolis with a capacity of four thousand spectators. A Proposed new state of the arts stadium is planned in the future. The chairman is Vagelis Kritikos with Pavlo Campos as Manager. The club was formed in 1931. It has existed in its present form since 1978, after two mergers and dissolvements over the years. Asteras Tripolis was one of the founding members of B Ethniki, Greece’s 2nd division in 1962-63.

The team’s unique titles include: 2nd division championship, 2007; 3rd division championship 2006; 4th division championship 2005; 8 Arcadian championships (5th division) in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1988, 1990, 2003 and 3 Arcadian cups in 1990, 2004 and 2005.

Asteras Tripolis competed professionally in the following: Super League Greece (formerly Alpha Ethniki) 2007-08; three in B Ethniki 1962, 1963, 2006, 2007; once in 3rd division 2005-2006; five in D Ethniki 4th division in 1990-1991, 1991-1992, 1992-1993, 2003-2004, 2004-2005 and twice in Greek cup 2005-06. The public has bought record breaking ticket sales for the new season. Arcadia supports this phenomenal team. Their supporters believe they will excel in Super League 2007-2008. Nikos Lazaridis, team Captain, said “it is early, but we want to succeed. Our success to super league is not a secret. Organization, locations and excellent climate is the secret of our success. We wrote history in Greek Soccer with these factors. The people are with us...”

Tripoli is the geographic center of the Peloponnesus. This fact is forgotten by many. The Asteras team will draw spectators from Arcadia and the entire peninsula.

Tripolis stadium set in the mountains of Arcadia.


The 2007-08 Asteras Tripolis Super League schedule:

1st Matchday - (26/08), Asteras – Larissa; 2nd Matchday - (02/09), Xanthi – Asteras; 3rd Matchday - (16/09), Asteras – Iraklis; 4th Matchday - (23/09), Asteras – Panathinaikos;

5th Matchday - (30/09), OFI – Asteras; 6th Matchday - (07/10), Asteras – Aris;

7th Matchday - (21/10), Kalamaria – Asteras; 8th Matchday - (28/10), Asteras – Olympiakos; 9th Matchday - (04/11), Ergotelis – Asteras; 10th Matchday - (11/11),

Asteras – PAOK; 11th Matchday - (25/11), Asteras – Panionios; 12th Matchday - (02/12), Veroia – Asteras; 13th Matchday - (09/12), Asteras – Atromitos;

14th Matchday - (16/12), Levadiakos – Asteras; 15th Matchday - (23/12),

Asteras – AEK; 16th Matchday - (06/01),Larissa – Asteras; 17th Matchday - (13/01), Asteras – Xanthi; 18th Matchday - (20/01), Iraklis – Asteras;

19th Matchday - (27/01), Panathinaikos – Asteras; 20th Matchday - (03/02),

Asteras – OFI; 21st Matchday - (10/02), Aris – Asteras; 22nd Matchday - (17/02),

Asteras – Kalamaria; 23rd Matchday - (24/02), Olympiakos – Asteras; 24th Matchday - (02/03); Asteras – Ergotelis; 25th Matchday - (09/03), PAOK – Asteras; 26th Matchday - (16/03), Panionios – Asteras; 27th Matchday - (23/03), Asteras – Veroia;

28th Matchday - (30/03), Atromitos – Asteras; 29th Matchday - (06/04), Asteras – Levadiakos and 30th Matchday - (13/04), AEK – Asteras.



Banner saying “Long Live History” in Areos Square, Tripolis,
Greece



Popular victory celebration attracting the entire
population of the Peloponnesus


Visit the following links in Greek and English:

http://www.greeksoccer.com/forums/index.php?showforum=148,

http://www.stadia.gr/tripoli/tripoli.html,

http://www.greeksoccer.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t11529-150.html



(Posting date 10 August 2007
)

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