Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium
Encyclopedia
Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium is a football stadium in Athens
, Greece
. The stadium, has been the home of Panathinaikos FC
and has played for most of the years of its existence, since its foundation back in 1908.
The stadium is named after deceased club president Apostolos Nikolaidis. It is in the Ambelokipi
district of Athens
, east of the Lycabettus Hill and on Alexandras Avenue
, by which name it is most commonly known (Leoforos Alexandras or simply Leoforos). The stadium's record attendance was recorded in 1967, when 29.665 spectators watched the Cup Winners Cup game between Panathinaikos FC and FC Bayern Munich
.
The venue also houses a small basketball and volleyball court, a swimming pool, a boxing rink and offices, all contained under the stands.
Panathinaikos
left Leoforos in 1984 and moved to the Olympic Stadium. The club returned to their home ground in 2001, following an upgrading that cost €7 million.
On January 27, 2007 Panathinaikos
Amateur and Panathinaikos FC decided to reuse Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium for the 2007/2008 Greek Super League season
Due to the stadium's old construction, dearth of space and dense urbanization of the area, the club has sought to move. Negotiations are currently under way between the Greek government, the Municipality of Athens, and the football, basketball, volleyball and amateur divisions of the club in order to facilitate the building of a new, comprehensive sports complex to house all of the 21 departments of Panathinaikos elsewhere. Finally, the industrial Votanikos
district has been selected among others to house the complex and there are plans for the construction to begin in 2008. Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni has stated that such a project will revitalise the area as well as benefit the club.
". It was called like that by a journalist during its inauguration ceremony, as the claustrophobic feeling it created reminded him of the namesake film by Fritz Lang
that was featured in cinemas during the same time.
This nickname was so successful, that it was immediately adopted and is used until today to -informally- distinguish the indoor hall from the other facilities of the stadium.
Apart from the football field and the indoor hall, the stadium includes a number of other facilities under its stands.These include the main shop of Panathinaikos football team, a cafe, a Pressroom and rooms for the training of other Amateur departments such as boxing, weightlifting, table-tennis etc., including a pool for the swimming department.
supporters sit in the stadium.
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The stadium, has been the home of Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
and has played for most of the years of its existence, since its foundation back in 1908.
The stadium is named after deceased club president Apostolos Nikolaidis. It is in the Ambelokipi
Ampelokipoi (Athens), Greece
Ampelokipoi is a large, central district of the city of Athens. In 1908, Panathinaikos Athletic Club was founded in this district.Ampelokipoi is located in the center of Athens, near Zografou, Goudi, Psychiko, Pagkrati....
district of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, east of the Lycabettus Hill and on Alexandras Avenue
Alexandras Avenue
Alexandra's Avenue is a main east-west thoroughfare running from Patission Street/28th of October Street and Kifissias Avenue in the northern part of the city of Athens, Greece. It is named after Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, later Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia...
, by which name it is most commonly known (Leoforos Alexandras or simply Leoforos). The stadium's record attendance was recorded in 1967, when 29.665 spectators watched the Cup Winners Cup game between Panathinaikos FC and FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
.
The venue also houses a small basketball and volleyball court, a swimming pool, a boxing rink and offices, all contained under the stands.
History
Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium holds a very important place in the history of Greek football. The first stand was built in 1928, and for almost 50 years it hosted the majority of big matches in domestic and international competitions. It was the first to have floodlights installed (1938) and the first with a grass pitch (1958). It was the home of the Greek National Team for many years.Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos is a multi-sport club based in Athens, Greece. It has the shamrock as its official emblem and green and white as its colours...
left Leoforos in 1984 and moved to the Olympic Stadium. The club returned to their home ground in 2001, following an upgrading that cost €7 million.
On January 27, 2007 Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos is a multi-sport club based in Athens, Greece. It has the shamrock as its official emblem and green and white as its colours...
Amateur and Panathinaikos FC decided to reuse Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium for the 2007/2008 Greek Super League season
Due to the stadium's old construction, dearth of space and dense urbanization of the area, the club has sought to move. Negotiations are currently under way between the Greek government, the Municipality of Athens, and the football, basketball, volleyball and amateur divisions of the club in order to facilitate the building of a new, comprehensive sports complex to house all of the 21 departments of Panathinaikos elsewhere. Finally, the industrial Votanikos
Votanikos
Votanikos is a subdivision located 3 km west of the downtown part of the Greek capital of Athens. The area is named after a nearby botanical garden situated to the southwest . The eastern part are residential, the western part are forested and industrialized. The subdivision has no squares but...
district has been selected among others to house the complex and there are plans for the construction to begin in 2008. Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni has stated that such a project will revitalise the area as well as benefit the club.
Indoor Hall
Under the East curve of the stadium, under Gates 6 and 7, there is an Indoor Hall.When it was constructed in 1959, it was the first indoor hall in Greece. It has a capacity of 1.500 and it is famous for the hot atmosphere Panathinaikos fans create in it. It's known by its nickname: "The Indian's TombThe Indian Tomb (1959 film)
The Indian Tomb aka. Journey to the Lost City, or in original German, Das indische Grabmal, is a 1959 German adventure drama film directed by Fritz Lang...
". It was called like that by a journalist during its inauguration ceremony, as the claustrophobic feeling it created reminded him of the namesake film by Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
that was featured in cinemas during the same time.
This nickname was so successful, that it was immediately adopted and is used until today to -informally- distinguish the indoor hall from the other facilities of the stadium.
Other facilities
Gates
Fan seating in Greece is segregated by team allegiance. Gate 13, the subject of much graffiti in Athens, is where the most enthusiastic Panathinaikos FCPanathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
supporters sit in the stadium.
Links
- "Apostolos Nikolaidis" stadium History and photos at stadia.gr (in English)