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Sydney Olympic FC is an icon of Australian football who some refer to as the Manchester United of Australia. (The club played Manchester United in a friendly match at Old Trafford in the ’80s.)
The club itself has won two national cups and two national league titles, plus state league glory prior to the establishment of a national competition in 1977, in which Olympic was a founding member.
But Olympic was and is more than a football club, a place whereby friendships for life were built, a social outing for many football fans and members of local communities and to top it off, a place where many marriages were started.
A great story takes us back to the ’70s when at Wentworth Park a groom, bride and bridal party had just been married at a local church in Redfern.
Immediately following the ceremony they went to watch Olympic do battle before the reception, in wedding gowns and all.
Characters of the club are too many to name and to talk about but one who stands out is Andrew Hatziannou, known to all in the football world as a mad Sydney Olympic supporter, and by the name ‘Andrea’.
His chants of “O-LYM-PIC” echoed through the crowd at Olympic games and he is a gentleman as well as an asset to the sport.
The return of Mark Bosnich to the Australian football scene was due to the work of Sydney Olympic.
The greatest goalkeeper that Australia has ever produced went to the heights of the world’s biggest football clubs but in recent years had gone through some lows.
Bosnich returned to competitive football in 2009, in a massive media conference held at one of Jim Kospestas hotels (a former Sydney Olympic President) in the Sydney’s CBD.
The Bosnich signing saw just over 3,000 at Belmore for his debut and over 6,000 Olympic fans for a friendly with Sydney FC in 2009.
Sydney Olympic are starting a revolution, a campaign that began in 2010 by the club’s board of directors who want nothing more than to see Sydney Olympic FC in the A-League.
While some have not supported the bid, it continues to grow.
The new board, led by President George Giannaros and fellow Directors Peter Phillips, Graham Athanaseris, Arthur Balayannis, Peter Englezos and Chris Tsioulos, have a team of fans, supporters, sponsors and staff who stand by the revolution.
The club has built new offices inside Belmore Sports Ground with boardrooms, video rooms, physio rooms, technical director and coaches offices, trophy rooms and the like to a cost of $150,000.
President Giannaros has said in the past that Olympic is building foundations for the club because anything that is going to last needs a solid footing.
With the club was desperate to shake the ‘gypsie’ tag picked up in the NSL and wanting a permanent home, in late 2010 the board announced a 25 year lease at Belmore Sports Ground, and in conjunction with the NRL Bulldogs, a $10 million redevelopment upgrade of the complex.
Olympic has parks in the St George, Canterbury and Bankstown areas for more than 500 elite footballers who play at the club.
Over the years, Olympic have produced over 60 Socceroos with the aim to produce more into the future.
Technical Director ‘Aussie Tom’ Tom Alexakis is UEFA A licensed coach, having spent time with Arsene Wenger and Wolverhampton Wolves football club and he believes that more Socceroos are in the making at Olympic.
In 2010 the call for sponsors was made and in four weeks the club raised over $200,000, with sponsors backing the club as it sought to win back fans.
Crowds had fallen, with the Olympic faithful not used to being in a second-tier competition.
The club wanted larger average crowds and with a growing newsletter database, over 500 life members and an increase in members, the revolution has support.
Fans love a winner, and the club appointed former player and Olyroo Peter Tsekenis and his assistant and another former player Peter ‘Flea’ Papoythis to take the reins in 2011.
What came about was a season of four trophies and a squad that would arguably challenge A-League sides.
The 2011 side won the Steve Christoforidis Cup, the 2011 NSW Premier League Championship and Premiership and the Brett Emerton Cup beating Sydney FC 1-0.
This year saw the club play 11 home games straight which was hard on the fans, but the last four games of the season saw crowds of 2348 , 3884, 4212 and 10,138.
The Olympic revolution has done wonders in bringing life to the club. New offices, a permanent world class ground, willing sponsors, a winning team, and a focus on crowds in 2012 has many wondering when the club may apply for an A-League license.
Playing in the NSW Premier League is a disadvantage, as media is nonexistent and the onus is on the clubs to do all the work.
But with a focus on fans in 2012, Olympic will send a message to the A-League: let us join, for the benefit of the Sydney football market.
December the 11th marks the next clash for the club, with South Melbourne FC v Sydney Olympic at the new Lakeside Stadium. We should see a full house for this grudge match and historical derby of Australian football.
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