GS Apollon Smyrnis, full name Gymnasticos Syllogos Apollon Smyrnis, literally ''Gymnastics Society Apollon of Smyrna'' () is a Greek multi-sport club based in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. Apollon originally was founded in

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

in 1891 and moved to Athens in 1922 after

Asia Minor Disaster Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. The club has got departments in football, basketball, volleyball, waterpolo and other sports. The most successful section is the football team with long presence in A Ethniki. The home stadium of the club is in

Rizoupoli Rizoupoli ( ) is a neighborhood of Athens, Greece. It is the northernmost neighborhood of Athens along with the small district Probonas. The district is located between Patissia, another Athenian neighborhood, and nearby town of Nea Filadelfeia a ...

, a district of Athens. The club's colours are blue and white and its emblem is the ancient God

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

History

Apollon in Smyrna (1891-1922)

Apollon was founded in

1891 Events January * January 1 ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. **Germany takes formal possession of its new African territories. * January 4 – The Earl of Zetland issues a ...

and was re-instated in

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

. The first members from the club belonged earlier to Orpheas Smyrnis, the ancestor of

Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan-Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis''), ...

. The metropolitan bishop of Smyrna Chrysostomos was among the founders of Apollon. In 1894, three years after its foundation, Apollon acquired its own stadium. A few years later the stadium moved in the Smyrni's district of Agios Tryfonas. In 1904, Apollon organised the Apollonian Games, the annual athletics games in Smyrna. Athletes of all the nations in Smyrna take part in the Games besides Turks. The football team of Apollon was founded in 1910 and it became the most popular and successful team of the club. Chrysostomos of Smyrna

Apollon in Athens (1922-today)

In 1922, Apollon moved to Athens as result of

and the expulsion of Greek population from Asia Minor. The club originally settled in Columns of the Olympian Zeus. In 1923, Apollon moved to Rouf, a district in the west of Athens. In 1946 the Greek Railway Company bought the area of Apollon in Rouf. The money from the selling was used for the buying an area in

where the new stadium of Apollon was built. The stadium started to be built in 1947 and it inaugurated in 1948. In 2003, the stadium was named Georgios Kamaras after the name of the notable player of Apollon. Apollon was two times the finalist of the championship. Other achievements were the third place in the championship of 1963, and the presence in the final of the

Greek Football Cup The Greek Football Cup (), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Betsson Greek Cup for sponsorship reasons is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second-most important domestic men's footba ...

in 1996 when it was defeated by

AEK A.E.K. (; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople'') is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelfeia, Attica. The club is more commonly known in European competitions as A.E.K. Athens. Established ...

. The Volleyball and Water Polo sections of Apollon have reached up to second division in their sports. In current season Volleyball and Water Polo team play in A2 Ethniki (2nd-tier). The basketball team had played in

Beta Ethniki The Football League () was the second highest professional football league in Greece since its inception in 1962 as ''Beta Ethniki'' and until 2019. It then served as a third tier after the creation of the Super League 2 as the new second tier ...

in 1991-92 and 1992–93 seasons and now it plays in

Gamma Ethniki The Gamma Ethniki (, C National Division) is the Greek football league system, third highest football league in Greece. History The Gamma Ethniki began in 1965 as an amateur championship, while in 1983 it was changed to professional. Although no ...

(4th tier).

Departments

Apollon Smyrnis F.C. Apollon Smyrnis Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Athens, Greece, which competes in the Athens Football Clubs Association, Athens FCA first division. It is part of GS Apollon Smyrnis (Γυμναστι ...

, Football club that plays in

(2015–16) *Apollon Smyrnis B.C., Basketball club that plays in Β league (2016–17) *

Apollon Smyrnis V.C. Apollon may refer to: * Apollo, ancient Greek god of light, healing and poetry * Apollon (Formula One), Formula One constructor * Apollon Kalamarias, Greek football club * Apollon Smyrnis F.C., a Greek football club from Athens * Apollon Pontou F ...

, Volleyball club that plays in

A2 Ethniki Volleyball A2 Ethniki Volleyball or Greek A2 Volleyball League is the third-tier of the Greek volleyball championship system in Greece. It used to be the second-tier until the founding of the Pre-league tier replacing A2 as the second tier making A2 the third ...

(2015–16) * Apollon Smyrnis Water Polo, Water polo club that plays in

A2 Ethniki Water Polo A2 Ethniki Water Polo is the 2nd-tier of the Greek Water Polo championship. It is held in three groups of teams and in current season, 14 teams take part. The championship is held in two stages. The two first teams of the 2nd stage promoted to A1 E ...

(2015–16)

Sport facilities

The football team plays in Giorgos Kamaras Stadium in

. The stadium belongs to Apollon and was built in 1948. The basketball and volleyball team play in Rizoupoli indoor arena and the Water polo team plays in natatorium of Galatsi.

Honours

Apollon men's football * Greek Football Championship **Finalists (2): 1938, 1948 *

**Finalists (1): 1996 *Smyrna championship **Winners (6): 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922 Apollon waterpolo * LEN Challenger Cup **Winners (1): 2023 Apollon boxing *Greek Championship, Men: **Winners (1): 1956

Notable supporters

* Giorgos Afroudakis, former water polo player *Zachos Afroudakis, former water polo player *Giorgos Arkoulis, author *

Manolis Anagnostakis Manolis Anagnostakis (; 10 March 1925 – 23 June 2005) was a Greek poet and critic at the forefront of the Marxist and existentialist poetry movements arising during and after the Greek Civil War in the late 1940s. Anagnostakis was a leader amongs ...

, distinguished doctor *

Chrysostomos of Smyrna Chrysostomos Kalafatis (; 8 January 1867 – 10 September 1922), also known as Saint Chrysostomos of Smyrna, Chrysostomos of Smyrna and Metropolitan Chrysostom, was the Greek Orthodox metropolitan bishop of Smyrna (İzmir) between 1910 and 1914, ...

, Greek-orthodox bishop in

, Asia Minor until 1922 *

Giorgos Georgiou Giorgos Georgiou (; 26 May 1947 – 5 June 2023) was a Greek television and radio personality. He started his career as a journalist in 1983 in the sport newspaper "''Φίλαθλος''" (Filathlos, translating "Sports Fan"). In November 199 ...

, former sports journalist *Michalis Michalakis, former football player *

Giorgos Kamaras Giorgos Kamaras born Georgios Katrodavlis (), 5 May 1929 - 2000 was a Greek footballer. His name has been joined with the history of Apollon Athens. The stadium of Apollon Athens, in the Athenian district of Rizoupoli, is named Giorgos Kamara ...

, former football player * Giorgos Karatzaferis, former politician, journalist *Michalis Michalakis, former football player *Panagiotis Monemvasiotis, entrepreneur * Alekos Papadopoulos, politician, former Former Minister of Finance *Stamatis Velis, ship owner, former Apollon FC owner *

Tolis Voskopoulos __notoc__ Apostolos "Tolis" Voskopoulos (; 26 July 1940 – 19 July 2021) was one of the legends of modern Greek music The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its History of Greece, history. Greek music separates into two parts: ...

, singer

References

External links

Official page
{{A2 Ethniki water polo Sports clubs and teams established in 1891 1891 establishments in Greece Multi-sport clubs in Athens Population exchange between Greece and Turkey