Football Phoenix: The Story of the Panhellenic Football Club

Abstract

In the history of ethnic supported football in Australia, the Panhellenic Football Club of Sydney, later known as Sydney Olympic Football Club has been out - standing in its support of Greek sport in the community. The club was formed in 1957, the first year of ethnic supported Federation football and ceased amid financial crisis in 1976 when, co-incidentally, Federation football also came to an end. From its ashes was born an instant phoenix, the Sydney Olympic Football Club which has flourished. The club’s formation involved the humble dreams of a few dedicated Greek migrants with a love of football. The club became a cultural and sporting icon for the Greek community of Sydney. The team, as its name suggests, took on a panhellenic character uniting the Greek community, which at the time was divided over an ecclesiastical split. The club also played a major role in the phenomena of ethnic-backed football clubs in New South Wales.