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The Battle for Leoforos
The land on Patision St was starting to get smaller and smaller from all the sports PPAO was practicing, so Kalafatis went out to find a new piece of land. He found "Perivola" at Leoforos Alexandras, but there were problems since the council would not allow PPAO o use it. The disagreements went on for a while and solution was finally given by Prince Nicholas, who gave PPAO the "OK" to carry on. Trouble then arose with refugees from Asia Minor, who wanted to squat there. The PPAO athletes with Kalafatis would give daily battles to save their ground and after a while PPAO won the "fight" and the refugees where moved elsewhere.
Fourth Name Change
Two things occurred in 1924. First was, Leoforos been awarded to PAO to use On a regular basis and secondly, the club changes its name to Panathinaikos Athliticos Omilos (PAO), the name it is known by, today world-wide.
The same season, PAO won the league of Athens (5 games, 5 wins) and then for the National title beat both teams from the league of Salonika.
That season was the one in which PAO played it's first ever game against a foreign team. PAO lost in front of 7.000 fans (record at that time) 5-1 to Yugoslavian club, Beogradski. A season later, PAO together with Olympiakos and AEK Athens fell out with EPO (Greek football Federation) and where banned from playing other Greek teams. PAO then went on a tour abroad playing against Gradjanski (Yug) losing 2-1, but a few days later would register its first victory against Lefski Sofia by 2-1. PAO invited and played another 3 teams. Arsenal of Egypt (3-5), Harvatski of Hungary (2-4) and Bitok (Yug) (1-0).
With Hungarian Style
In the summer of 1928, PAO was to participate in it's first official Greek league and looks for someone in Europe to coach them. The Hungarian Milko Forner was chosen. But the league was to fall apart again and not be held. Forner worked very hard at that time scouting and signing the best Greek players. He had an injury and retired, giving his place to Joseph Kinsler, a compatriot of his. The following in year (1929) PAO was unplayable and won the league unbeaten.
The "Eternal Enemies"
The intense rivalry between PAO and Olympiakos had began a couple of years earlier, mainly due to decisions of both trying to manipulate EPO in their favor. But these differences had more to do with administration than on a competitive basis. In 1930, on the 1st of June, PAO were to play Olympiakos at Leoforos. A week earlier, Greece had been thrashed by Romania 8-1 in the Balkan Cup, where the team was totally comprised by Olympiakos players apart from two that were playing for Salonica clubs. When the team returned from Bucharest the PAO fans assaulted the Greek team officials for the reason that they did not include PAO players and secondly for the shame they had brought to the nation. The game was to start at 5:30 p.m., but the stadium was packed 4 hours before play. 10,000 fans had been packed like sardines in the tiny Leoforos to watch this game with great interest because of the build up of what had happened with the Greek NT's arrival.
Before the game, the PAO fans where taunting their counterparts continuously by collectively counting from 1 to 8. Italian referee Barlascina, was called to referee the game as neither side trusted Greek referees, whom they thought could easily be "influenced". PAO went on to thrash Olympiakos 8-2, with legendary Angelos Messaris leading the team with 2 goals and 4 assists. The PAO fans celebrated all evening and even the Mayor of Athens, gave order for the city to be luminated for this great victory over Piraeus. PAO had just drawn 1st blood.
A week later PAO travelled to Salonika to play Aris. 3,000 PAO fans followed the team to Salonica via steamboat and another 2.000 Olympiakos fans also travelled with a different boat to support Aris. PAO wins 4-1 and on the way back to Piraeus, the two boats docked next to each other and fights broke out between the two parties for the first time in the history of the clubs. On the 15th of June the return game was to be played in the Velodrome of Piraeus but the game was postponed twice since the Police Commissioner of Piraeus could not guarantee the safety of the fans. It was finally decided for the game to be played in Salonica in order to avoid the fans from fighting. Fights were not avoided though. PAO won 2-1. After the end of the game fights took place in Salonika, in the trains the fans were traveling with and on the boats.
After that, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos ties were to become the "Salt and Pepper" of Greek football  |