The Youth Union named ‘Enosis Neon’ and the creation of the football field:

The first club in the Community of Evrychou was founded in about the end of 1952 after initiative was taken by the teachers of the Greek School, Socrates Georgiades and Xenophontas Koumparides. The club, which was named ‘Enosis Neon’, embraced all the youngsters of the village. The conditions back then were really difficult and primitive, without a football field and without any infrastructure or sports equipment. Threshes were the only areas where athletes could exercise. The finding of a practise area for the youth and the students of the School was an imperative need. Therefore, the decision was made for the construction of the football field and the selected construction site was an area with slopes, outside the village, at the place where the Gymnasium and Lyceum of the Solea region is now built. Construction works for this audacious, for the circumstances of those years, project began in October 1930. Volunteers, young children and grown-ups, with the use of pickaxes and shovels levelled the slopes and created the football field. A helper in this effort was the company that owned the mine of Skouriotissa, K.M.E, which disposed the necessary technical equipment. While the work for the creation of the football field was being carried on, the known to us ‘Octovriana’ began, which was an outbreak of Cypriots against the British occupation and which resulted to the dissolution of the club ‘Enosis Neon’.

Athletic Club ‘Kinyras’:

In 1932, the same persons, the same notables, teachers, stewards and youth of the village founded a new athletic club under the naming ‘Kinyras’. According to some people, the name was given in honour of Dr Michalis Kinyras from Temvria, who had offered in a fund-raising the respectable, for that time, amount of £25 for the creation of the football field. Others support that the name was given in honour of the first king of Cyprus, ‘Kinyras’. Construction works continued with the same zeal and eventually, in 1934, the first football matches against teams from the area were conducted in it. Gradually, the village began to develop from all aspects, sides and fields. The Greek School and the football field ‘kept’ the Youth whereas the company of Skouriotissa ‘offered work to grown-ups.

‘Agricultural – Athletic’ Club ‘Triptolemos’:

In July 1937, the decision was made to establish the ‘Agricultural- Athletic’ club ‘Triptolemos’ due to the relation of the area and its inhabitants with the developing at the time agriculture. Naturally, people who dealt with farming began to become interested in the club. According to mythology, Triptolemos was the archon of Elefsina, god of King Keleos and Metaneiras. At some time, Demetra, the goddess of agriculture was hosted at the King’s palace and in exchange of this hospitality, the goddess taught the King’s son Triptolemos how to cultivate land. She gave him a tank, which was pulled by dragons, a baton and ears of wheat in order to move around the area and teach people how to cultivate land. Another version suggests that Triptolemos was the adopted son of goddess Demetra and that he was the first one to seed wheat. His emblem is a wagon pulled by two snakes.

Therefore, the clubs of Kinyras and Triptolemos coexist and become a ‘seed bed’ of talents. Lykourgos Archontides, Takis Lympouris, Loukis Petrides, Andreas Riris, Leandros Rodikis, Nicos Andronikou had played for these two clubs, studied and fought, this way giving a special note. Construction works for the football field were completed in about 1938-39.

In 1964, a part of the stands was constructed and their construction was completed in 1978. The fencing was made in 1986 and this way the induction of the club to bigger football associations such as S.T.O.K. and the Cyprus Football Association became an easier task. The lighting was installed with expenditure covered by the Cyprus Sports Organization (K.O.A) in 1999.

Club ‘Anagennisi’ – The ‘detached’:

In October 1945, the club ‘Anagennisi’ was founded by a group of left wing fans, who were detached from Triptolemos. This club had developed rich cultural action. However, after six years, due to isolation, the club was dissoluted.

‘Triptolemos’ today:
The building where the club is housed today is its own property and it constitutes a meeting centre for all villagers. In 1996 – 99, the building was expanded, this way contributing to its projection and operation as well as in the organising of assemblies and gatherings. Moreover, the action and contribution of ‘Triptolemos’ in developing and improving the social and cultural life of the Community is enormous. It is well known that the club played a primary role in establishing the spiritual ‘lung’ of the Solea region, the Gymnasium of Solea.

The club consists of approximately 80 members and it is administered by a board of eleven members which is elected every year. It deservedly represents Evrychou and the entire Solea region in the Fourth Division championship of the CFA.

The club’s offer and contribution allow no room for doubt of the necessity for its existence and operation. Despite the financial problems it faces from time to time, the residents of Evrychou support it, always for the good and preservation of this historic club.

Some of the clubs achievements are:

  • 1981- 82:   Champion
  • 1984:         Cup winner
  • 1986:         Champion
  • 1994:         Cup winner
  • 1996 –  97: Champion
  • 1997 –  98: Champion
  • 1999 – 00: Champions’ Super-cup winner

‘Pansoleios Sports Academy’

In the beginning of summer 2003, the club ‘Triptolemos’ of Evrychou had set as its goal to organize and operate a football academy for children of the ages between six and fifteen years old, on a Regional basis.

Having as its most basic goals to occupy children healthily, to have them exercise, to teach them how to play football, to improve the children’s behaviour, to help them develop a team and cooperative spirit and finally to select and exploit talented children, the Academy began its operation in October 2003 with 35 children. Soon, it was embraced by all the clubs and communities of the area, this way ‘forcing’ the ‘Pansoleios’ Sports Federation to include it under its auspice. Therefore, it was named ‘Pansoleios Academy’ and its emblem and colours were the ones of the ‘Pansoleios Sports Federation’. The foundation of the club took place in July 2005 and right afterwards the necessary actions were taken towards the competent services to approve the memorandum and to register the club under the name ‘Pansoleios Sports Academy’.
The children organize several events such as Christmas and carnival celebrations, on the one hand for the financial support of the club and on the other hand in order to honour people who support and help their efforts and they constitute a paradigm to be copied. The peak of these activities is the operation of a summer school in cooperation with Celtic F.C. of Scotland in the village of Kakopetria. This event gave for the first time the chance to the young talents of our area to go through trials and receive training by professionals, in the standards of this great club. This event also assisted the projection of our area, helped us acquire experiences and to develop the relations of the Academy with the aforementioned club. The Academy and its coaches are already working in order to organize similar events in the area during the summer periods.

The Academy’s presence in the championship as well as its children’s participation in forming the teams of other clubs will soon regenerate the interest for football in our area and consequently will have a much better championship from all respects.

Sources:
Evrychou Community Council
Study of Minas Nicolaou