Nea Salamis Famagusta
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Nea Salamis Famagusta or Nea Salamina Famagusta ( el, Νέα Σαλαμίνα Αμμοχώστου) is a Cypriot sports club based in
Ammochostos Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under th ...
(also known by its romanized name, Famagusta),
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. The club is named after Salamis (or Salamina), an ancient city near present-day
Famagusta Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia District, Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. Duri ...
. Nea Salamis Famagusta fields teams in men's
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
, and formerly fielded teams in women's football,
track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
,
water sports Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...
and
table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
. Since the 1974 Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus, Nea Salamina has been a
refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
team based in
Larnaca Larnaca ( el, Λάρνακα ; tr, Larnaka) is a city on the south east coast of Cyprus and the capital of the district of the same name. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 144 ...
. The men's football team, founded in 1948 and based at
Ammochostos Stadium Ammochostos Stadium ( el, Γήπεδο 'Αμμόχωστος') is a multi-purpose stadium in Larnaca, Cyprus. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the temporary home ground of the refugee team from the occupied city of Famagus ...
in Larnaka, is the club's oldest; its high points were winning the 1990
Cypriot Cypriot (in older sources often "Cypriote") refers to someone or something of, from, or related to the country of Cyprus. * Cypriot people, or of Cypriot descent; this includes: **Armenian Cypriots **Greek Cypriots **Maronite Cypriots **Turkish C ...
and
Cypriot Super Cup The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is us ...
s. The men's volleyball team is one of the most successful teams in
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. With 9
championships In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
, 8 cups and 8 Super Cups it is the second team in trophies. The ground of the team is in Limassol, the indoor athletic arena
Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Center The Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Center (Greek: Αθλητικό Κέντρο "Σπύρος Κυπριανού"), also known as Spyros Kyprianou Sports Centre, Spyros Kyprianou Arena and Palais des sports, is an indoor arena located in Kato Polemidia ...
.


History


Early years

Nea Salamis was founded at the time of the
Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...
. The situation in Greece affected Cyprus, influencing politics and sport; most athletes were also involved in politics. At that time, Famagusta had two sports clubs: the Evagoras Gymnastics Association, or GSE, ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ευαγόρας) and the
Anorthosis Famagusta FC Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
. GSE had many leftist athletes (some of the best in Cyprus) on its roster, and many of Anorthosis' players were also leftists. In the right-wing political climate of the time, both clubs began restricting the admission of leftist players or denying them promotion. Additionally, Anorthosis was hosting at their clubhouse the right-wing Cypriot National Party. In early 1947 a group of leftists, members and of GSE and Anorthosis and some other people from Famagusta agreed on the need for another sport club which would appeal to all, regardless of political affiliation. On 14 February 1948 a decision was made to establish the club, and the New Salamis sports club was formed on 7 March 1948 as the first leftist athletic club in Cyprus. After the club was founded, demand was high to join. The football team was not strong at that time, since most of the players were untalented. On 8 March 1948, the newspaper ''Democratis'' reported the club's establishment in a story titled, "A Progressive Movement in Varosha":
Today at 11 a.m. in Hadjihambis theater the founding convention of a new sport club in our city, New Salamina took place. The board of directors consisted of Messrs. Andrew Paschalides, Georgio Fano, doctor, and Kostas Eleftheriou. Mr. G. Fanos stressed that the most progressive city of the island, Famagusta, hasn't had a political free sport club. He also emphasized the association's program as leading the city in cultural and sportive terms and invited all professionals and amateurs to join the new club.
Nine board members were elected: * Andreas Paschalidis (Chair) * George Fanos (Vice-president) * Kostas Eleftheriou (General Secretary) * Michael Daniel Sialis (Treasurer) * Antonis Totsis (Collector) * Lycurgus Archontides (Football head) * Nikos Kokkinos (Football head) * Panagiotis Kalogirou (Track head)


Name

The new club was named "Nea Salamis", based on a suggestion by Evagoras Lanitis. Lanitis came to the GSΕ stadium during Pancypriot games, and said Anorthosis should be renamed "Salamis" in honor of ancient Salamis. A club founder remembered the suggestion, proposed it and it was adopted as "Athletic Club 'Nea Salamis' Famagusta" ( el, ΑΘΛΗΤΙΚΟΝ ΣΩΜΑΤΕΙΟΝ "ΝΕΑ ΣΑΛΑΜΙΣ" ΑΜΜΟΧΩΣΤΟΥ; ''nea'' means "new" in Greek).


Teams

Many people soon joined the new club, creating track and football teams for young athletes. Although the club had a track team, the football department coordinated all events. The first Nea Salamis track meet was the Famagusta races on 25 March 1948 at the GSE stadium, at which the club was victorious. Participants included Nikis Georgiou, Panayiotis Kalogirou, Antonis Totsis, Koumis Kkeses, Kostas Manoli, Nikos Kokkinos and Christofi Tsiakkiros. The track team was successful because GSE's top track athletes joined Nea Salamis, but the football team was not strong because few players from Anorthosis had joined Nea Salamis.


Expulsion from GSE Stadium and founding of CAFF

Before the May 1948 Pancyprian Games, the
Hellenic Amateur Athletic Association The Hellenic Athletics Federation (Greek: ; abbreviated SEGAS) is Greece's governing body for amateur sport. SEGAS was created in 1897 and has been the principal organiser of many international sporting competitions held in Greece. The associatio ...
(SEGAS) asked all sports clubs in Cyprus to publicly support the rightists in the Greek Civil War, espousing "nationalist beliefs" and condemning the leftists. The rightist athletic clubs and athletes signed the statement; the only club which refused was the "Kinyras" Paphos Gymnastic Association, which was excluded from the games. The leftist athletes, opposed to the declaration by the clubs, refused to sign the statement. Among the first athletes who reacted were GSE champions
Antonis Totsis Antónis (Greek alphabet: Αντώνης) is a Greek masculine given name that is a variant of Antonios that is used in Greece and Cyprus. Antonis is a Dutch masculine given name that is a diminutive of Anthonius that is used in Netherlands, Belgiu ...
( el, Αντώνης Τότσης) and Nikis Georgiou (Νικής Γεωργίου). Although the GSE asked the athletes to apologize, both insisted that sports should remain separate from politics. Totsis and Georgiou also decided to support the "Kinyras" Paphos Gymnastic Association if the decision excluding it from the Pancyprian Games was unchanged. They held to their position, and although the GSE was favored in the games it finished third. Nea Salamis did not participate in the Pancyprian Games, and the GSE president informed the club by mail that it was barred from the
GSE Stadium The Evagoras Gymnastic Association Stadium (GSE Stadium) (Gymnastikos Syllogos Evagoras, Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Ευαγόρας) is a football stadium located in Famagusta, Cyprus and was the home ground of Anorthosis and ...
. Nea Salamis hadn' t stadium for the new season. Leftist athletes were also persecuted in other Cypriot cities. In Larnaca,
Alki Larnaca F.C. Alki Larnaca ( el, ΑΛΚΗ Λάρνακας, ''ALKI Larnakas'') was a Cypriot football club based in the town of Larnaca. The club was founded in 1948 and it was dissolved on the 6th of May of 2014 due to financial issues. The club's colours we ...
was founded in April 1948; the following month, the Gymnastic Club Zeno (GSZ) banned Alki from using its
GSZ Stadium GSZ Stadium or Gymnastic Club Zenon Stadium (; Γ.Σ.Ζ., ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Larnaca, Cyprus. Usually it is referred to as the 'neo GSZ Stadium' to distinguish it from the old GSZ Stadium, which it replaced. It is currently used most ...
; a similar proposal excluding Turks and Catholics was rejected. At the same meeting, GSZ members amended its constitution to prohibit the future enrollment of new members unless they signed a declaration that "they espouse Hellenic nationalistic ideals". This excluded leftist athletes from becoming members or using its stadium. In May,
Orfeas Nicosia Orfeas Nicosia () is a football club from the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. It was founded in 1948. The club colors are yellow and green. It has participated in the Cypriot First Division four times, from 1959 until 1963. The club's highest achie ...
was founded in Nicosia; that month,
APOEL F.C. APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', literally "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") ...
sent a telegram to SEGAS with "cordial brotherly greetings to the entire Greek youth athletes" for the National Games and hoping for an end to intra-nation mutiny. APOEL asked its members and athletes to sign a declaration supporting the telegram's content. Leftist APOEL members and athletes "intra-nation mutiny" a political challenge issued by the club, and distanced themselves from the statement. The Cypriot press created a hostile climate with articles and commentary. This was followed by an indefinite suspension of five APOEL athletes, who founded
AC Omonia Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia ( el, Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Oμόνοιας Λευκωσίας, ΑΣΟΛ; ''Athlitikos Sillogos Omonias Lefkosias'', ''ASOL''), commonly known as Omonia Nicosia, or simply Omonia ("Harmony"; also trans ...
in June 1948 with former APOEL members. After that, AS
Kyrenia Kyrenia ( el, Κερύνεια ; tr, Girne ) is a city on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. While there is evidence showing that the wider region ...
was founded. The members of the new clubs were not accepted in the
Cyprus Football Association The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It organizes the footb ...
(CFA) due to their leftist sympathies, and founded the
Cyprus Amateur Football Federation The Cyprus Amateur Football Federation (CAFF) (Greek: Κυπριακή Ερασιτεχνική Ποδοσφαιρική Ομοσπονδία) was founded in 1948 by leftist Greek Cypriot actors and athletes. The league, which divided Cypriot footb ...
(CAFF) in December 1948. CAFF organized leagues and cups, attracting thousands of fans; CAFF matches attracted more fans than those of the CFA. Six clubs belonged to the new league: Nea Salamis Famagusta, Omonia and Orfeas in
Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
, Alki at
Larnaca Larnaca ( el, Λάρνακα ; tr, Larnaka) is a city on the south east coast of Cyprus and the capital of the district of the same name. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 144 ...
, AMOL at
Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...
(renamed Antaeus in 1951) and Neos Asteras in
Morphou Morphou ( el, Μόρφου; tr, Omorfo or ) is a town in the northwestern part of Cyprus, under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. It is the administrative center of the Güzelyurt District of Northern Cyprus. Having been a predominantl ...
.


Unification of Cypriot football

Although the CAFF clubs favored the unification of Cypriot football, they were repeatedly rejected over a three-year period by the CFA. The existence of two football federations and two championships was unprecedented in Cyprus. The situation created economic and infrastructure problems, preventing the sport's development in the country. The CAFF clubs also felt that sports should be based on friendship rather than segregation. In December 1952, the first edition of the sports newspaper ''Athlitiki'' launched a crusade for the unification of Cypriot football which was supported by the foreign coaches of CFA clubs. According to the CFA, " he coaches'statements opposed the spirit of the Federation". During the summer of 1953, most Cypriot sportspeople supported unification. In August 1953, Nea Salamis, Omonia, Alki and Antaeus submitted a joint application to join the CFA's First Division. On 19 September the association accepted Nea Salamis and Omonia as members. However, the organization's negative attitude towards those clubs continued. First, the league rejected applications from Alki,
Orfeas Nicosia Orfeas Nicosia () is a football club from the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. It was founded in 1948. The club colors are yellow and green. It has participated in the Cypriot First Division four times, from 1959 until 1963. The club's highest achie ...
and Neos Asteras (although the first two joined a year later), and second, arguing that according to its constitution, only one team must participate in the
Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
and two teams in the
second division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
. The CAFF clubs accepted the conditions in the interest of unification. At an ''ad hoc'' meeting, CAFF members agreed that Omonia would join the First Division and Nea Salamis and Antaeus the Second Division. After this, the federation disbanded. The first game between teams from the rival leagues was a friendly between Nea Salamis and Anorthosis at GSE Stadium on 27 September 1953 before a crowd of 5,200. Anorthosis won, 3–1, and ''Athlitiki'' praised the fans' sportsmanship and brotherhood.


Famagusta municipal stadium

When Nea Salamis was barred from GSE Stadium, the club had nowhere to play. Initially practicing at the Saint Lukas ("Proodou") court in Famagusta, it began efforts to build a privately owned stadium. In December 1948,
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
donated A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as blo ...
three thousand pounds to Famagusta for a community project in gratitude to the city's residents for help offered to
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
refugees. Famagusta
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
and Nea Salamis footballer Gabriel Makris supported a stadium, and the city council acknowledged "financial assistance granted by the Jews to create Municipal Sports Stadium, which is available to Famagustans for the promotion and spread of mass popular sport." The stadium would be available to Nea Salamis and any other sports club. In early 1949, construction began with volunteer labor on a municipal stadium in Saint John's parish in Famagusta. The stadium, the first in Cyprus with a roofed grandstand, was completed in 1952 and was Nea Salamis' home ground in 1952 and 1953. In 1953, after unification of Cyprus' football, Nea Salamina started using GSE Stadium. The Famagusta municipal stadium was used by the team only for training until 1974. That year, when Famagusta was occupied by the Turkish army, the club moved its headquarters in Larnaka.


Refugees and reactivation

A tragic day in Nea Salamis' history was the 14 August 1974 occupation of
Famagusta Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia District, Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. Duri ...
by Turkish troops as a result of the invasion of Cyprus, which made it a refugee club. The city remains in Turkish hands, and fans and players scattered to free areas of Cyprus or abroad. Although while Cypriots struggled to adjust to the occupation sports were a low priority, club members tried to maintain its presence. In September 1974 board members Kostas Nikolaos, Nikis Georgiou, Dimos Fotiou and Panayiotis Kalogirou met, deciding to convene a meeting of the full board. Since most board members were in
Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...
, the meeting was held in the
Aris Limassol F.C. Aris Limassol (Greek: ''Άρης Λεμεσού'') is a Cypriot football club based in Limassol and one of the founder members of Cyprus Football Association. The club's colours are green, black and white, and their home is the Tsirion Stadium. ...
clubhouse on 14 October 1974 with eight of eleven board members present; the other three were abroad. In attendance were Nicholaou Costas (chair), Pantelakis Vasileiou, Dimos Fotiou, Panagiotis Kalogirou, Pambos Charalambous, Christakis Polyviou, Giorgaros Kythreotis and Makis Constantinou, who decided to reactivate Nea Salamis. Since most of the players were in
Larnaca Larnaca ( el, Λάρνακα ; tr, Larnaka) is a city on the south east coast of Cyprus and the capital of the district of the same name. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 144 ...
, it was decided that the
Alki Larnaca F.C. Alki Larnaca ( el, ΑΛΚΗ Λάρνακας, ''ALKI Larnakas'') was a Cypriot football club based in the town of Larnaca. The club was founded in 1948 and it was dissolved on the 6th of May of 2014 due to financial issues. The club's colours we ...
clubhouse would be Nea Salamis' temporary home. In late 1974, the CFA decided to play a championship season. Although the Nea Salamis board disagreed on whether to play because of their refugee status, they decided to participate—not so much to win as to keep the team in First Division. There were many problems; Nea Salamis' football fans were scattered across Cyprus, the team no longer had equipment nor a place to train. Without a permanent home, Nea Salamis used the
GSZ Stadium GSZ Stadium or Gymnastic Club Zenon Stadium (; Γ.Σ.Ζ., ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Larnaca, Cyprus. Usually it is referred to as the 'neo GSZ Stadium' to distinguish it from the old GSZ Stadium, which it replaced. It is currently used most ...
for the 1974–75 season. Players of the team lived in various Cypriot cities, and many had been conscripted by the military due to the tense situation on the island. Board members traveled at their own expense across Cyprus, transporting players from Larnaca and the military camps for workouts and matches on day trips. In January 1975, Nea Salamis rented a building. The team's expenses were covered at first by contributions from members and friends of the club. Two teams were formed to train young players; the first, in Larnaca, was managed by former team member Andreas Konteatis (followed by Nikis Georgiou) and assisted by Nikos Pitsiaoulos. The second team, in Limassol, was trained by Mavrikios Asprou. In 1975 Georgiou proposed a volleyball team in
Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...
, since most of Nea Salamis' volleyball supporters were there after 1974, and it was created the following year.


Emblem, colors and anthem

The club's emblem is a red-and-white
Olympic flame The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic ...
on a
shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...
with the five Olympic rings in red. Nea Salamis' first colors were yellow and red, worn for two years in the CAFF. After 1950, the club's governing council changed the team's colors to red and white: red for power, and white for peace. Red jerseys with white stripes were chosen because they resembled those worn by
Olympiakos Piraeus Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σ.Φ.Π. ), known simply as Olympiacos or Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional football club based in Piraeus, Attica. Part of the major multi-sport club Olympiacos CFP (''O ...
. Nea Salamis' anthem, translated from the Greek, is:


Football

Men's football is Nea Salamis' principal and longest-running program, and the team's home ground is
Ammochostos Stadium Ammochostos Stadium ( el, Γήπεδο 'Αμμόχωστος') is a multi-purpose stadium in Larnaca, Cyprus. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the temporary home ground of the refugee team from the occupied city of Famagus ...
. Its high point was winning the 1990
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
and
Cypriot Super Cup The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is us ...
s, and the team's highest position in the
Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
was third. During the first five years after Nea Salamis was founded (1948–1953) the team played in the
Cyprus Amateur Football Federation The Cyprus Amateur Football Federation (CAFF) (Greek: Κυπριακή Ερασιτεχνική Ποδοσφαιρική Ομοσπονδία) was founded in 1948 by leftist Greek Cypriot actors and athletes. The league, which divided Cypriot footb ...
, joining the
Cyprus Football Association The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It organizes the footb ...
(CFA) in 1953. It has played for more than 50 years in the
Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
, the seventh-highest tenure in the league. Nea Salamis has finished third four times, and has played in three cup finals. As a cup winner Nea Salamis played its first European Cup match in 1990, but was eliminated in the first round by
Aberdeen F.C. Aberdeen Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen, Scotland. They compete in the Scottish Premiership and have never been relegated from the top division of the Scottish football league system since they were ...
In the first game, at
Tsirion Stadium The Tsirio Stadium ( el, Τσίρειο Στάδιο) is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium in Limassol, Cyprus. The stadium holds 13,331 people and is mostly used for football matches. It was the home ground of the three biggest clubs in Limass ...
on 19 September 1990 before 8,000 fans, Nea Salamina lost 2–0 after a scoreless first half. At
Pittodrie Stadium Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. Used primarily for football, it has been the home ground of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) club Aberdeen F.C. since they were ...
in Aberdeen on 3 October 1990, Nea Salamis again lost 3–0. The team played in the
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
and
1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup The 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup finals were won by three French teams -- Lyon, Bastia, and Auxerre. All three teams advanced to the UEFA Cup. Qualified teams Group stage Group 1 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Group 2 ...
s, but was eliminated both years in the first round. In the
2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup The 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup finals were won by Udinese, Celta Vigo, and Stuttgart. All three teams advanced to the UEFA Cup. First round *Matches played on 18–19 June and 25–26 June First leg ---- ''The game was awa ...
Nea Salamis advanced to the second round, defeating
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twice and
FK Austria Wien Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (; known in English as Austria Vienna, and usually shortened to Austria (German: Österreich) in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the mo ...
in Cyprus before losing 3–0 in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
. The 1965–66 season had high and low points for the club. According to witnesses and contemporary newspapers, Nea Salamis played the best football in Cyprus. Beginning the season with consecutive wins, the team was in first place until the last game of the season and lost its first cup final. In a game with APOEL at
GSP Stadium Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standar ...
in
Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
, Nea Salamis led 3–0. In the 62nd minute, an APOEL player struck a Nea Salamis player; when the assailant was ejected, a fan grabbed the assistant referee's flag and the
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
stopped the game. After three weeks, a CFA tribunal decided to replay the match, and Nea Salamis won the replay. Before the season's next-to-last game, Omonia and Nea Salamis were tied for first place with
Olympiakos Nicosia Olympiakos Nicosia ( el, Ολυμπιακός Λευκωσίας, ''Olympiakos Lefkosias'') is a football club based in Nicosia, Cyprus and competes in the Cypriot First Division. The club was founded in 1931, and is a founding member of the Cy ...
one point behind. In the game with Olympiakos, Nea Salamis led 2–1 when the referee added generous stoppage time; after clashes during the final seconds, the game was halted and the CFA tribunal decided to replay the match with the standings Omonia (50 points), Nea Salamina (47) and Olympiakos (46). If Nea Salamis had defeated Olympiakos, they would have won the championship with a better
goal difference Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches ar ...
than Omonia. On 31 May 1966 Nea Salamis' fans traveled from Famagusta to Nicosia, but Nea Salamis lost 6–3. Its defense, the best in the league (allowing 15 goals in 19 games), allowed six in the game and the team finished third for the second time. After the defeat some players left the team, and despite being favored in the cup final over
Apollon Limassol Apollon Limassol FC ( el, Απόλλων Λεμεσού, ''Apollon Lemesou'') is a Cypriot sports club, based in Limassol. It has football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1954, Apollon FC currently plays in the Cypriot First Divisi ...
Nea Salamis lost 4–2. During the season, the team had the best defense in the league—21 goals in 20 games—for the first (and only) time.


Women's team

In 2006, Nea Salamis began a women's football program. Its team finished third in the 2006–07
Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
and qualified for the
cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
final, which it lost 3–1 to AEK Kokkinochorion at
GSP Stadium Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standar ...
. That year the team won the
Super Cup A super cup is a competition, usually but not exclusively in association football, which often forms the 'curtain raiser' to a season, and typically involves only two teams who have qualified through success in other competitions during the prev ...
, defeating AEK Kokkinochorion 2–1 at
Ammochostos Stadium Ammochostos Stadium ( el, Γήπεδο 'Αμμόχωστος') is a multi-purpose stadium in Larnaca, Cyprus. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the temporary home ground of the refugee team from the occupied city of Famagus ...
in Larnaca. The women's program was curtailed in 2010 for economic reasons.


Ammochostos Stadium

Nea Salamis' home ground until the 1974 occupation was GSE Stadium in Famagusta. The 5,000-seat Ammochostos Stadium in Larnaca, owned by the club, is used primarily for football and houses the club offices. The stadium is named for the town of Famagusta ( el, Αμμόχωστος; ''Ammochostos''), and was built in 1991 near the refugee camps. The decision to build the stadium was made in 1989; construction began in December of that year, and with the aid of club supporters in Cyprus and abroad, the Cyprus Sports Organisation and volunteer labor it was completed on schedule. The first Nea Salamis Famagusta game at the new stadium was on 12 October 1991 against
Evagoras Paphos Athlitikos Syllogos Evagoras Paphos () was a Cypriot football club based in the city of Paphos. Founded in 1961, was playing sometimes in First and sometimes in the Second Division. It has adopted its name from Evagoras Pallikarides, who was a h ...
; Nea Salamis won, 4–1. The stadium hosted the
1992 UEFA European Under-16 Championship The 1992 UEFA European Under-16 Championship was the tenth edition of UEFA's European Under-16 Football Championship. Cyprus hosted the championship, during 7–17 May 1992. 16 teams entered the competition, and Germany won their second title, the ...
final on 17 May 1992 between
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, which Germany won 2–1.


Volleyball


Men's team

The Nea Salamis Famagusta men's volleyball team of is one of the best in Cyprus. With nine
championships In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
, eight cups and eight
super cup A super cup is a competition, usually but not exclusively in association football, which often forms the 'curtain raiser' to a season, and typically involves only two teams who have qualified through success in other competitions during the prev ...
s, it has the second-largest number of trophies after
Anorthosis Famagusta FC Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
. The team's home is the indoor
Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Center The Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Center (Greek: Αθλητικό Κέντρο "Σπύρος Κυπριανού"), also known as Spyros Kyprianou Sports Centre, Spyros Kyprianou Arena and Palais des sports, is an indoor arena located in Kato Polemidia ...
in Limassol. From its early days Nea Salamis Famagusta has supported a volleyball program, and since 1954 the club has organized popular amateur summer leagues and championships. Participants have included
Anorthosis Famagusta FC Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
, the
Anagennisi Dherynia Anagennisi Deryneia ( el, Αναγέννηση Δερύνειας) is Cypriot football team based in Deryneia, Famagusta. The club was founded in 1920 and they joined the Cyprus Football Association in 1972. The team played in the Cypriot First di ...
, Marathon Kato Varosha and ENAD Agios Memnon. In 1975 Nikis Georgiou proposed creating a volleyball team in Limassol to preserve the club since many Nea Salamis fans moved there after the occupation the year before. The volleyball team (created in 1976) is one of 20 charter members of the
Cyprus Volleyball Federation Cyprus Volleyball Federation (CVF) (Greek: Kυπριακή Oμοσπονδία Πετοσφαίρισης, Κ.Ο.ΠΕ) ( tr, Kıbrıs Voleybol Federasyonu (KVF)) is the governing body of volleyball in Cyprus. It organises the first division, secon ...
, which was founded in 1978. In Nea Salamis' first
Cyprus Volleyball Division 1 Cyprus Volleyball Division 1 is the top level volleyball league in Cyprus. The league is organised by the Cyprus Volleyball Federation since 1978. The league is contested by 9 teams. History The Cyprus Volleyball Federation organises the league ...
season the team finished second, also finishing second in 1981 and 1982. In 1981, they lost the championship on a points difference. In 1983 Nea Salamis won its first club-level cup final, defeating Anorthosis 3–1. The team won its first championship (and its second cup) in 1989–90, followed by another championship the next season and a cup the season after that. From 1998 to 2003 Nea Salamis, coached by Antonis Constantinou, won a record six consecutive championships. The last four were trebles, with the team winning the championship, the cup and the super cup. In addition to its victories, the team has been a cup finalist six times. The team, with many European players, qualified for the round of 16 in the 2011–12
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
(its greatest success).


Women's team

In 1978 the club decided to create a women's team in Limassol, first to give women an opportunity to play and secondly to preserve the club. Its first coach was Nikis Georgiou. After the 1984–85 season the board suspended the team for financial reasons, although it was a cup finalist. In seven years, the women's team finished second three times (1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83) and was a cup finalist three times (1979–80, 1982–83 and 1984–85).


Youth teams

Nea Salamis has under-19, under-17 and under-15 teams. The U19 team has won a league-record nine championships, the U17 team a league-record eight and the U15 team a league-record seven. The U19 team has also won a record six cups.


Track and field

Until 1974 Nea Salamis had a track-and-field program. The club's track team was founded by Cypriot champions Nikis Georgiou and Antonis Totsis, who had been expelled from the GSE. Nea Salamis won its first track meet in March 1948 (days after the club's founding), the Famagusta provincial meet, and finished second in 1952 and 1958. In 1970, when Cypriot club meets began, Nea Salamis finished fifth out of thirteen teams; the club was third in 1971 and 1972. In 1973 and 1974 (the last Cypriot club races), Nea Salamis finished fourth.


Other activities

Before 1974 Nea Salamis had other sports programs, competing locally in swimming, boating and table tennis. The club also had an active role in Famagusta's cultural life with outdoor dance performances, theatrical events and marching in holiday parades.


London and New York clubs

In 1971, a group of Nea Salamina fans living in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
founded New Salamis in honor of their team in Cyprus. Nea Salamina London maintains close ties with Nea Salamina, with some Famagusta players coming from London. New York Salamina S.C., a Greek Cypriot football club founded in 1999 in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
by New York Cypriot supporters of Nea Salamis Famagusta, plays in local amateur leagues.


Relations with Turkish Cypriots

Since its founding, Nea Salamis sought to develop friendly relations with the
Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( tr, Kıbrıs Türkleri or ''Kıbrıslı Türkler''; el, Τουρκοκύπριοι, Tourkokýprioi) are ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,00 ...
community of Famagusta; an important element was the acceptance of Turkish Cypriots on the team. During the early 1950s, several Turkish Cypriot footballers (including Siekkeris, Nita and Moustafa) joined Nea Salamis. When the team joined the Cyprus Football Association it struggled for two seasons in the second division, playing Turkish Cypriot clubs including Demir Sports, Kenslik Kiounslou and the Turkish Club of Famagusta. When Turkish Cypriot clubs began withdrawing from CFA tournaments in late 1955, Nea Salamis tried to convince them to remain and Turkish players were still welcome in the club. In 1962 Kallikas was transferred to Nea Salamis, and in 1970 Neziak (of Turkish origin) was transferred to the club. In 2004 the Turkish Cypriots Imam and Oulousoi were transferred to Nea Salamina, the first Turkish Cypriot footballers to play in the CAF in thirty years. On 26 March 2005 Nea Salamis played a friendly football match against the Turkish Cypriot Yenicami at Ammochostos Stadium, winning 6–0; it was the first match between a Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot club in a half-century. The 2,500 fans sat together in the stands, sending a message of peace, and the match was attended by representatives of the political leadership of both communities, local sportspeople and the
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...
.


Honours


Football


Men

*
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
: 1989–90 *
Cypriot Super Cup The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is us ...
: 1990 *
Cypriot Second Division The Cypriot Second Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Β΄ Κατηγορίας) is the second highest football division of the Cypriot football league system. Administrated by the Cyprus Football Association, it is contested by 16 teams, with th ...
championship: 1954–55, 1979–80, 2001–02, 2003–04


Women

*Cyprus Super Cup: 2007


Volleyball


Men

*
Cyprus Volleyball Division 1 Cyprus Volleyball Division 1 is the top level volleyball league in Cyprus. The league is organised by the Cyprus Volleyball Federation since 1978. The league is contested by 9 teams. History The Cyprus Volleyball Federation organises the league ...
champions: 1989–90, 1990–91, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2012–13 *Cyprus Cup: 1982–83, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2010–11 *Cyprus Super Cup: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2013


U19

* Champions: 1994–95, 1998–99, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12 and 2012–13 * Cup: 1996–97, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2009–10


U17

* Champions: 1991–92, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13 and 2016–17


U15

* Champions: 1991–92, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2013–14 and 2016–17


References


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links

* * {{Nea Salamina Famagusta Sports clubs established in 1948 1948 establishments in Cyprus