The PAOK passion under siege

[by Gustavo CARDOSO] - Walking around Thessaloniki or even riding the bus down the margins of the Aegean sea on the way to Halkidiki (on the west side), and towards the Olympus (on the west), all you see are PAOK graffitis on the guard rails, and concrete blocks, on the side of the road.

Unfortunately, the historical monuments end up getting their share of spray paint.

Passion, though, can be expressed in a different way.

Vassilis, a young fella who works on his family’s fruit shop near the Ataturk’s home on the Ano Polis (high city) tells me that his love for PAOK was passed on from his father.

Vassilis, keeping the PAOK tradition

From an early age he had been used to visit the “Tumba” (the club’s football stadium), as well as the basketball arena where PAOK hosts its games (today they are playing at a 8.000 + seats arena near the airport).

But Vassilis notes that, lately, kids have been hooting for Athens’ clubs, and in a worst case scenario, for foreign institutions, as young aged parents do not follow the tradition, and seldomly take their kids to the games.

Aware that local sports success depend on good results, and talented athletes, Vassilis seems disappointed with the future of his Thessaloniki club.

Down in Litohoro, I also ran into another PAOK fan. Barry, a hostel owner, and hardcore mountaineer, even played basketball for Iraklis Katala (up to the U21 stage), and one season for the Greek Church of Denver, where he was the MVP in the 1997 season.

Despite more upbeat than Vassilis, Barry is also aware that the financial strength of Athens clubs, specially Panathinaikos, and Olympiakos, makes it difficult for all other Greek clubs to compete head to head. Even Aris, PAOK’s greatest local rival, has its hard times doing it.

Basketball has been following the footsteps of football, where money, and media, dictate the “passion”. In football we are already schooled by the fact that there won’t be any more Zicos, who wore the same jersey for decades.

In basketball the long lasting tradition, passed from father to son is one of the only hopes that basketball can stay strong regionally. What is the point of living in Thessaloniki while supporting Real Madrid, Barcelona, or even the New York Knicks?

Losing or winning, the important thing is to chant your team on.

I just hope Vassilis, and Barry have lots of kids...