Kallithea F.C.
Kallithea Football Club () is a Greek professional football club based in Kallithea, Athens, Greece, which competes in the Super League 2, the second tier of the Greek football league system. Background. The club's full name is "Gymnastikos Syllogos Kallithea" (), meaning "Gymnastic Club of Kallithea," which is shortened to G.S. Kallithea (). The club was founded on 18 August 1966, from the merger of five local clubs: Esperos, Iraklis, AE Kallitheas, Kallithaikos, and Pyrsos. The five stars in Kallithea's club logo represent the five founding clubs. History. League. Kallithea's first season of competitive football was in 1966–67  in the third tier of Greek football. In 1969, the club earned promotion to the second division, for the first time. In 2002 Kallithea achieved promotion to top flight, for the first time. The first match there in the club's history was a 1–0 loss to Olympiacos at Georgios Kamaras Stadium, on 25 August 2002. The club's first win in the competition came on 14 September, a 3–2 upset of PAOK F.C. at Toumba Stadium, thanks to two goals from Theofanis Gekas. After a 9th-place finish in 2004–05, Kallithea was relegated back the following season. In 2006–07  and 2007–08, the club finished 7th and 6th in the second level, respectively. Cup. Kallithea has reached as far as the quarterfinal stage of the Greek Cup on five occasions: in 1969–70 (eliminated by Aris Thessaloniki), in 1978–79 (eliminated by Panachaiki FC), in 1986–87 (by OFI Crete, who won the competition that year),in 2001–02 (ousted by Olympiacos) and in 2009–10 (eliminated by Panathinaikos, who won the double that year). Crest and colours. Crest. The first emblem of Kallithea consisted of four circles representing the four groups of the merger of 1966. With the addition of Pyrsos in 1967 the circles  became five, which caused problems with the Hellenic Olympic Committee. So a new mark was introduced: the shield of an ancient Greek warrior and the five stars in a diagonal line. The emblem of Kallithea reflects the unification of five clubs in the region in 1966, from which the current team emerged. The five teams were Esperos Kallitheas, Iraklis Kallitheas, SA Kallithea, Kallithaikos and Pyrsos Kallitheas. Their twinning and portrayal of the team signifies the peaceful coexistence of all groups but also the tranquility in the area. The glitter of stars adds strength and glamor to the team's effort . Colours. As far as the selection of colours is concerned, they could not be anything other than white and blue, the Greek colours, since the initial movement of the local clubs aimed at the dynamic presence, which was easier to do under the blue-white flag. Of course, it is worth noting that both the white and the blue were the colors of the two main groups of the merger, ie Esperos Kallitheas and Iraklis Kallitheas. Stadium. Kallithea plays its home matches at Grigoris Lambrakis Stadium in Kallithea. The stadium was built in 1970, and currently has a seating capacity  of 6,300. The ground is commonly referred to by its nickname, "El Paso." The site of the stadium used to be a quarry, explaining the tall rock lining the north end of the stadium. When the stadium was being built in the 1960s, Clint Eastwood's Spaghetti Westerns were very popular in Greece, and the stadium's nickname is a reference to Eastwood's 1965 film "For a Few Dollars More" (which had the Greek title "Duel in El Paso"), as the stadium's backdrop reminded people of the scenery in the movie. Season to season. Sources: