1941–42 Panhellenic Championship
| Season | 1941–42 |
|---|---|
| Champions | none |
| Relegated | none |
← 1940–41 1942–43 → | |
The 1941–42 Panhellenic Championship did not occur due the events of the WW2 and the Axis occupation of Greece. That season was marked as the one with the least sports activity during the years of The Occupation. The Union of Greek Athletes was substantially re-established in 1942, with track and field athletes on the front line, with fundraising, food, healthcare and monitoring being their main activities, helping the needy, the suffering and the tuberculosis patients, who were hospitalized at "Sotiria". Nevertheless, its role enlarged in the second half of 1942 when football joined in.[1]
Despite the Panhellenic Championship not being held, it's known for sure that 2 friendly games were organized. The first was between Olympiacos and Ethnikos Piraeus, which ended 4–0 and the second that eventually was not held, but was remembered for the events that took place afterwards.[2] In the spring of 1942, the Union of Greek Athletes arranged a friendly match between Panathinaikos and AEK Athens, at the then German-ordered Leoforos Alexandras Stadium, with about 15,500 spectators showing up. The players requested from the then president of Panathinaikos, Apostolos Nikolaidis, that part of the income would go for the tuberculosis patients of the "Sotiria" hospital. After his refusal and his announcement that the Germans had appointed an Austrian referee, officer of the German army, for the match, the players decided not to play, as that would be like agreeing with the conquerors. The players of both clubs went on the pitch together, greeted the fans and went up to the stands explaining to the crowd what happened. The fans, enraged, invaded to the pitch, causing damages all over the place. The incidents spread and an anti-fascist demonstration was quickly formed, which reached to Omonia. The demonstrators were eventually dispersed with the arrival of the German forces.[3][4][5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Να ρε βλάκα Κατίδη τι έκαναν οι ποδοσφαιριστές στην κατοχή!". athens.indymedia.org (in Greek). 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Ποδόσφαιρο στον Πόλεμο, στην Κατοχή και στον Εμφύλιο". xyzcontagion.wordpress.com. 12 April 2011.
- ^ "Τι έγινε στο ελληνικό ποδόσφαιρο τον καιρό της Κατοχής". newsbeast.gr (in Greek). 27 October 2018.
- ^ Συριώδης, Νίκος (28 October 2014). "Το γενναίο 'ΟΧΙ' του αθλητισμού στην Κατοχή". sport24.gr (in Greek).
- ^ "Το ποδόσφαιρο στην Αντίσταση". ethniki-antistasi-dse.gr (in Greek).
