OFI FANS,comment on the pics of the last post

As i use to do i post the comments for the pics on the previous post,so you have some explanation,about them!

1st,2nd and 3rd,Although Pagkritio stadium is a huge stadium,not a football stadium,but a place for athletics also,the fans of OFI manage to do it an unconquerable home.It is a fact though that OFI needs his own only for football stadium.Unfortunately it would take time to built it.
4th,Fans of OFI are protesting in the streets of Iraklion against the double ownership.I consider that last year were more than 4000 people in the streets for this protest.And it had happened twice...
5th,just before the starting whistle in a game in Pagritio.The atmosphair unique,but usual for an OFI fan
6th,Players of Panionios are taking their place in the field in last year's game.In the background the fires have been lighted.No it is not a stadium in Argentina,it is Pagritio stadium
7th,thats the first from our old stadium,Genti Koule.There were always people climbing up there.Second from the left,my very good friend Catman
8th,Against Levadiakos,last year in the last game that OFI manage to stay in the super league.In the last min.J.Nwafor scored the 2nd goal,that was enough for not having an extra match against the team from mainland.
9th,simly, Gate 4 in Genti Koule
10th,cops are looking at our fans in Gate 4,unable to react
11th,against Panathinaikos,the atmospair is always hot.Here you can see a stolen banner from the green fans,hunged up-side down in Gate 4.Loosing a banner is a big insult for the fans of the opposite team.
12th,and 13th,fans of OFI are protesting against the double ownership in the streets of Iraklion
14th,against Atletico Madrid,in Genti Koule.The experienced players of the spanish team were amazed of the atmosphair so much that it was like they never came out to play.They were just waiting for their loose
15th,against Olympiakos,another stolen banner.I still remember this brave man going in the grandine that Olympiakos fans were,and stealing their banner without to be understood,in the half time of a game in Genti Koule.When they realised that ,it was too late,so they start a civil fight for the stolen banner.In the meanwhile we have been amazed,in the sky,watching the guy with the stolen banner to cross the field and coming in our places.Of course some mins later the banner was on fire under our song"the bourdelo is getting burnt...
16th,No,no,it is not "La Bobonera".it is not Boca Juniors"who is playing.It is Genti Koule and it is OFI who is playing.For the story,the pic is from the game against Atletico Madrid...
17th,nd 18th,another two pics from Gate 4 in Genti Koule,when the fireworks start to explode...
19th,and 20th,fans of OFI on their boattrip to Rhodes,for the final of the playouts against F.C.Pas Giannina,in 2001.Of cource after this support OFI had won and had sent Gianina to the 2nd division
21st,gate4 in Genti Koule
22nd,usual for gate4 and OFI FANS
23rd,another marvelous support by OFI fans
24th,back from 1968,OFI FANS are celebrating for the rise in the first division of Greek football for the first time
25th,OFI FANS are celebreting for the cup victory against F.C.Iraklis,in 1987
26th,in OAK Athens,for the final against F.C.Iraklis
27th,OFI fans in an away game to support our beloved team
28th,in 2001,5000 fans have been in an away game to support OFI
29th,in the 60s,celebrating for the rise in the first division...

Pictures from OFI,

So here are some pics,from OFI FANS protests about the double ownership,from players that played in both teams and from players that have written their name in the recent history of OFI.

1st,OFI-Panathinaikos,in the old stadium,Genti Koule,in the background you see Gate 4,the most fanatic part of the stadium.OFI FANS are looking for the second win against Panathinaikos since 1996.

2nd and 3rd,more than 5000 fans of OFI are protesting in the streets of Iraklion against the double ownership of their beloved team by Vardinogiannis family

In the small pics,1st, Nickos Machlas,the nature captain of OFI Creta,he was brought out by Gerald,he refused to go in Panathinaikos and had made a great career abroad,Vitese,Ajax,and Sevilla,being the top-scorer in 1998 of Europe.He came in OFI to finish his career,but his disagreement with the status of the doubleownership,led him out of the team

2nd small,an other Cretan player that refused to go to Panathinaikos,Stavrakakis,became a song from the funs becouse of his deny going in the greens.

3rdsmall,R.Gomez,the CostaRican striker,made a great career in OFI,almost led the team in a champion,but that is limmited only for three clubs in Greece

4th small,G.Koutsoupias,a nowadays hero for OFI fans,he scored against Panathinaikos in 1997 and left the biggest enemy of OFI fans out of Europe.Naturally another song,

by them for him.

5th small,,Eg.Geralds,the reformer of OFI Crete,being in the bench for 15 years,has made the team belonging in the top-5 of Greek clubs.He left cause he could not stand anymore the issue of the double ownership.

Next are two big pics,so in the 1st,another view of Gate 4,in a game against our hatefull club,Panathinaikos.Then the arrival of more than 4000 fans in Rhodes,for the final of playoffs against Gianina.Their support helped OFI to stay in the first division.More pics of the fans,the power of OFI Crete in a next blog.

9 small pics are following, so here are the subtitles

1st and 7th,K.Kiassos is another player that was brought out in OFI,he became a national player,moved to the greens,bad career there,came back in OFI.Now where...???

2nd and 5th,The chech trainer Scazni,came in OFI in 2002.His first statement was that his boss is Panathinaikos.After a not succesfull time in OFIs bench,went to Panathinaikos,failed there as well.A silly comic figure in the story of the double ownership.

3rd,oops,again this pic.G.Koutsoupias."Suddenly in OAKA,with the goal of Koutsoupias..."

4th,the banner that appears in every OFI's game.Shamrock is the emblem of Panathinaikos

6th,Alexoudis,another player,that was brought out from Gerald,became a national player,being in OFI,then he went in Panathinaikos and destroyed his career

8th,Nikos Noblias,a great player ,played for OFI for 20 years,with a break of 3 years that he moved to...Panathinaikos.You see he wanted to win tittles in his career,and for OFI,even though the team was playing amazing football that was forbidden ...from the authorities.Greek F.A.,Refererees,Greek ligue and of course Vardinogiannis family.When he came back to OFI,he wasnt so welcomed by the fans that never liked his transfer,or any other transfer to or from Panathinaikos but with his performances he gained them again.

9th,Probably the biggest star that has ever played for OFI.Mohamadu Diarra was another discovery from Geralds,he was too good for us ,so he stayed only for one season.After a great career in F.C.Vittese and F.C.Luon,now he is playing for Real Madrid.Yeap he is,last year's transfer of Real,has already helped a lot the "mererengues".Unsurprisingly ,the only player of Madrid,that has started his Europe carreer in Greece...

Of course more pics from OFI,next time is about the power of the team,The FANS

OFI Crete,part3,recent history 1996-2007

The continous double ownership



After the death of Th.Vardinogiannis,nothing seemed like the typhoon that was coming for OFI Creta.The team,under the training of Eg.Geralds,finished 4th,qualified for another year for Uefa cup.

But behind the curtins,a lot were hiding.The council,that were trusty people of Vardinogiannis family in Crete,had start to have problems and misunderstandings with the Dutch reformer of the team.You see the Dutch,had complained in press a lot of times for the low budget of the team,for his players that were leaving the team suddenly for Panathinaikos,but mostly,he seemed that he had overtaken the council,his requestes were going straight to Vardinogianis family,especialy the head of the family Vardis.That was something that the people of Vardinogiannis in Iraklion didnt like at all,they were loosing their power,but they couldn do something about it.You see,Geralds,had the fans at his side,and who knows what would have happenned if he was fired...

It is time to say,that after the death of Th.Vardinogiannis,protests from the funs were being louder.Protests from the funs have been there always,i remember a year,that OFI was in the 2nd place of the championship,but we were protesting in the streets of Iraklion for the doubleownership.It was the year ,that the rumour for Minon Lines,one of the biggest companys of Crete and Greece,was interested about buying OFI,was passing round Crete.

But the family had never decided to sell F.C.OFI.

I have to mention how OFI Crete went in Uefa cup at the end of the year 97.After a magnificent first round,the second part of this year championship was not that good.A couple of games before the end of the championship,OFI was facing Panathinaikos,that was trying also for Uefa cup,in Athens.OFI was playing for two results,win and draw,but Panathinaikos was wining till the 78th min.Nobody was expecting that OFI would take a result and a qualify from the "big brother",you see the results, that were showing for many years.But suddenly a cross and a header from G.Koutsoupias,a young talent,one of Geralds discoverys with not more than 10 displays,send OFI fans in heaven,and the green fans in hell.That was a year that OFI left Panathinaikos out of Europe,OFI fans were seeing their biggest enemy in the mat.

G Koutsoupias,even though he didnt manage to make a great career after that,he became OFI fans heroe and a song.It was a night to remember...The myth is saying that the manager of Panathinaikos was rebuking the manager of OFI,and the most trusty man of Vardinogiannis in Iraklion,P.Myriokefalitakis at the change room of OAKA in Athens,and he was crying for the disaster that OFI brought to Panathinaikos.The very same night,the team the team was partying in the bouzoukia but without the council that was not that happy.

That incident made the war between Geralds and the council even bigger and slyer.So much that before of the season 2000,Geralds announced that was his last year in the bench becouse of his heart problems.The truth was that he was sicked off the war that taking place,so that was the only way to leave the bench.In any other way,the fans would have pulled down the stadium of OFI.

So in the year 1999-2000,he leaded the team in uefa cup,having discovered again two great players,for very few money,as always,R.GOMEZ,an international striker from Costa Rica,with two displays in world cups,and M.Diara,a gifted midfielder at his 17th year,that now is playing for Real Madrid,after an awesome carreer in Vittese and Luon.OFI finished at this year at the 4th place,having played for another time the most spectacular football in Greece,but OFI was missing ,his reformer from the bench,after 15 years of success.It was the unique time in the history of Greek football that a trainer had been in the sae team for 15 years,something like Guy

Rou,in F.C. Osser,or Brian Claugh in Nottigham Forrest.His achievements were many.Except of players that he had brought out(Noblias,Machlas,Anastasiou,Diara,Konstantinidis,Kounenakis,Chaniotakis,Marinakis,Alexoudis,Stavrkakis,are only a few of them),he had managed to consecrate OFI as one of the best 5 times in Greece,not to forget the magnificent and spectacular football that OFI was playing all these years.As it is considered if that was happening in another country of Europe,Eg.Geralds OFI would have manage to win at least two championships.You see,in Greece,it is not that easy,even the laws are not working equal for everybody,not to mention the referees and the whole footbal league.

The sad thing is that the system is like this,in Greece,the country that has born democracy...

Anyway lets go further...

When Geralds left the bench,his 15 year asistant trainer,Vasileiou, became the head of the football team.

But the protest that the fans were making had led Vardinogiannis family to replace the chairman of the council as well.Instead of Papamattheakis,Kazanakis was the chairman,another trusty man of the family in Crete. But still Vardinogiannis family were continuing the double ownership of Panathinaikos and OFI.

The year 2000-2001,the first after Geralds,was the worst in the recent history of OFI.His replacer,the former assistant coach,was Mr Nobody.Good players had left all the new were a bunch of shit.Is it so becouse they had come from Panathinaikos?After a very bad 1st round,OFI was at the last place for many months,but a new replacement in the bench,changed everything.J.Samaras now was the head trainer,and with the support of the fans he managed to save the team from the 2nd division.At this year the Greek league had put play-offs,for the teams that were trying to save themselves.So after two games with PAS GIANNINA,that finished in equal score,there was the last game in an neutral place.It happened in Rhodes,and 4ooo fans of OFI were there to support their beloved team.OFI won and stayed for another in the first division.

J.Samaras,as i have written before is a special person in the latest history of OFI.He came as a player from Panathinaikos,he became a national player being here,they took him back for some years,and when Panathinaikos didn want him anymore ,he came in Iraklion till the end of his career.After he managed to save the team, as a trainer,eventhough it was in the last place,and that was looking like a miracle,next season was a bright for him and OFI,almost qualified for uefa.But he wasnt the "yes man"that council wanted,especially he had the fans on his side also, so disagreements and problems made him to exit the team.After some months he took his son Giorgos,from the young team of OFI, now player of Manchester City,and his family,going to Holland.It was there that Giorgos became a great player and got transfered to City.

In the meanwhile,the fans were getting more noisy and louder.Kyrgiakos was another player that tranfered for "big brother"that was the most rediculus,and the Chech trainer that had come,Scazni,had admitted soon that his boss is Panathinaikos.The press in Athens,after so many years,was putting on this subject.Thre double ownership of OFI and Panathinaikos.

Except lots of players that left from OFI for Panathinaikos,the results were in the games of the two teams were comic.Since 88-89,OFI has one win against Panathinaikos,in 1996.That is 1 win out of more than 40 games.The most of those games looked like friendly,without a yellow card or even a hard trackling.You see nobody should been injured or punished in a "friendly"game.

As the years were passing by,OFI was changing chairmen,but not owners.Fans have been stroonger,they had weekly 4 pages in the most popular paper of Crete,their tv-show,that everybody who was calling, was stating that Vardinogiannis family should leave OFI alone,and in the stadium was happening a mess.

That made Vardinogiannis changing chairman every year.Till now under the ownership of Vardinogiannis as chairmen were 6 different chairman.The last 5 have changed in 7 years.Even Myriokefalitakis became a chairman,that guy that was crying when OFI left Panathinaikos out of Europe.But Myriokefalitakis is a special figure in recent OFI history.Comic i would definetely say.He came in OFI as a masseur,then he became a head-manager,vice chairman and chairman.

Always listening to the wishing song of the fans to go to hell or to screw himself.As he has told he didnt care about the barnyards for himself,he didnt want to hear barnyards for Vardinogiannis.You see he was the most trysty man of Vardinogiannis in Iraklion.He was in company's like he has borrowed 800.000 euros to F.C.FI.Money that he cannot explain of course in the taxis office of the goverment...

The funny thing about the company's books is that so many years,the council was saying that there are no money in OFI,the team is a step from bankrop,but recently was announced that all these years F.C.OFI is the the most lucrative team in Greece.Especially in the year 2005-2006,F.C.OFI's gaininings were more than 2,7 millions euro.Money that were never invested in the team,for good players or a new stadium,or whatever.

Here is that everybody thinks why Vardinogiannis family is not selling.Of course their official answer is that we keep OFI in memory of Theodoros Vardinogiannis,that was a big fan of the team.

The last two years chairman is Vatsinas.He claims that he is the owner as well,but nobody beleieves him.Even the former head manager of OFI,old player Koronakis,accused him that he is taking orders from Vardinogiannis.Eventhough Vatsinas threat that he is gonna answer in court,he didnt dear something like that.Fans are still protesting,but nothing has changed,or looks like it would.Greek sport laws probably have not the power to face Vardinogiannis.So many years even the laws were unable to change the double ownership.Maybe UEFA,and the new chairman,M.Platini should do something about this double ownership...

OFI Crete,part 2,the double ownership...

So in the first and in the last Charalampidis ,next Fratsescos with both teams,then Delgado at the black and white,next with greens,then you see Samaras first with OFI,then with Panathinaikos.(The very last twice by a mistake.

I know that many of you are expecting from me to give you more photos and more details from Hersonissos,but this blog is being writen with my heart as a pencil.Allow me then to introduce you one of the biggest crimes in world football,the biggest of Greek football for sure.
The double ownership of F.C.O.F.I. and F.C.Panathinaikos
In 1978,OFI was for his 3rd season in the 1st Division of Greek football,which was at this time in an amateur or half-proffesional base.The family Vardinogiannis,one of the reachest in Greece,which is coming from Crete also,had aproach the administrative council of F.C.OFI,in order to buy the team.For reasons that never had been known the council had answer negative to the powerfull family.Two years later,economic problems led the chairman of OFI,Douloufakis,in prison for two months.Very soon, the council of F.C.OFI knocked the Vardinogiannis door.Vardinogiannis family even though they had become even reacher and powerfull, never forgot their home-country ,Crete.Often they are helping Cretans that were facing serious health problems and in the late 80s they had sponsored the making of Opthalmologic Clinic of the Univercity of Crete,one of the best in Europe.So they agreed to buy OFI.Of course ,it helped that Theodoros Vardinogiannis ,"the mind"of the family in bussiness,was a great fan of OFI.But in the meanwhile the family had bought also F.C.Panathinaikos,one of the biggest teams in Greece,something that didnt prevent them from buying OFI.They put some people of their trust,Myriokefalitakis and Sarris,to control everything in the team,so they overtook the greek laws that didnt allow?a double ownership.

The truth is that in the age that Theo.Vardinogiannis,was runing F.C.OFI,the team had its best ages.Something basic for that was the Dutch trainer Egen Geralds,that came 5 years later,in 1985.The Dutch had all what he wanted.A good atmospair in the team.supporting fans and no economical problems of course.For many years OFI was playing the nicest football in Greece,but achieved only one title,the Cup in 87.Many people say today that OFI was not supposed to be higher than Panathinaikos,that would have caused problems inside the Vardinogiannis family, the Athens fans would not be satisfied if the"little brother"was above their team.
Anyway,eventhough there were complains sometimes from fans of OFI for this doubleownership,the priority didnt say so much.You see,they were the results and the good football that didnt allowed them.More complains had been in the transfers periods,especialy winter,but in summer also,that very often the best players of OFI were transfering in Panathinaikos in one night,something that had made even Eg.Geralds to complain in the family and in the Press.The national players of OFI,Noblias,J.Samaras(father of todays player of Manchester City George)Konstantinidis,Vasileiou,Alexoudis,Kiassos,Kyrgiakos(he left before he played with OFI,from the summer training becouse a defensive player of "the big brother" got injured.

That was the story between 1985-1996.It is fair to say that in those years were following the opposite way many good players. G.Charalampidis,K.Fratzescos, were the best that had come,J.Samaras ,even though he never weared the jersey of Panathinaikos,everybody knew that he belonged in the greens.But J.Samaras is another circumstance,he came to OFI,belonging to Panath.,he had a great career in Iraklion,he went back to Athens,crying as the story says,came back after 3-4 years and finished his player career here,having played all the position in sthe starters,he become a couple years later ass.trainer,nd soon trainer(manager),the most difficult year of OFI in 1st Division,he saved the team with the help of the fans' next year OFI lost Europe in the last game,but in the summer,he resigned.Becouse of misunderstandings with the ...council.

They were lots of players that were following the same direction from both ways.Vasileiou(the constructor),Delgado,an artist from Chile,twice,and many other that ...not to mention.

Anyway,from this times, i ll write something last.It was a year that we were playing,no doubts about it,the most spectacular football in the league,the coming of Fratzescos from Panath,or anath,had helped for sure.Great player but he transfered in F.C. PAOK ,in this year that we could have won the champion,if he had stayed.

Before that,in 1996,something bad had happened.Theodoros Vardinogiannis,dyed ,by heart attack,in his midle 40s,if i remember well....

That goes to long,so we continue in the next part...above are some photos of players that played in both teams and soon i continue...

OFI Creta,historical pics

Before i let you know about the doubleownership of F.C.OFI and F.C.Panathinaikos(bliaxx),here are some pics from the past of OFI Creta.I havent upload any pics of the fans,the power of the team cause this is gonna be in another blog that is going to amaze you.

On the top are:N.Machlas,the favourite player of the fans with a great career in Europe,J.Anastasiou who is still playing in Holland,H.Vera an arrist of football that we admire in Iraklion in late 80s and early 90s,R.Gomez,the tank of our attack,participated in 2 world cups with Costa Rica,P.Marinakis was another kid of Eg. Geralds,the first Greek that played in Primera Division in Spain,N.Noblias one of the greatest for OFI,M.Diara,now player of Real Madrid,and Myron(yes i am proud for the same name)Sifakis,the goalkeeper that gave us the Cup.His son is now first goalkeeper of OFI.Then you see the triuph round in 1987 that we were Cup winners,a great goal that send us in Uefa cup against Olympiakos,and the architecht of OFI's greatest teams Egen Geralds.Next the great chief ,a real Cretan G.Vlastos.

Lets go more in the past now,starting with the team of late 70s,M.Sifakis is holding the Cup that he helped so much OFI to win by saving 3penaltys.Some retro pics for the end,the team of 1929 after winning the champion of Crete,in the background you can se the Walls of Iraklion.At this times OFI was playing in the National Stadium of Freedom which is builded next to Walls of Iraklion,OFI at the year 1945,just after the 2nd world war,and a pic from the 60s.

Well those were just for starting ,OFI is my favourite team,i am a football adiccted,so there gonna be more blogs about.I have promised that i let you know about a crime,unique in world football,the relationship between F.C.OFI and F.C.Panathinaikos.A relationship that nobody likes in Crete,a relationship that made many thousands of fans not to go again in an OFI match in Iraklion.Something that still going on only becouse of some deceivers that earn money becouse of that

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