Rise of the Light Brigade

Aris Limassol is not exactly a household name. Few people outside of Cyprus may even have heard of the country’s brand-new champions. Yet on the island they are so popular that, when Yannick Gomis lashed in a match- winning penalty against Omonia Nicosia in the penultimate game of the season, even supporters of their opponents celebrated

- CYPRUS

It turned out to be a title-winning goal once their closest challengers and record champions APOEL lost to Aris’ city rivals Apollon a day later. Cue the kind of celebration most Aris supporters could never have imagined as recently as two years ago.

“It was unbelievable,” croaks supporter Stelios Philippides. “Even in our dreams, we didn’t dream it.

“You saw so many crying faces. A lot of the older generation, they know the club better than us. You saw a lot of ex-players in their 60s or 70s. They never thought this would happen in their lifetimes. It was a spectacular show from the club, a dream come true.”

The day after the season ended, over 6,000 people packed into the brandnew Alphamega Stadium – which hosts all three of the city’s teams – to enjoy a free award ceremony/concert that featured a star-studded line-up. “My family have supported Aris through everything. My grandmother knitted this scarf,” smiles Stelios, pointing to the faded white and green material around his neck.

Stelios has been an Aris Limassol fan since before he was born. It is said that every supporter of the city’s third-largest team (behind Apollon and AEL) must have some sort of family connection. After all, there used to be no obvious reason for a Cypriot schoolchild to voluntarily join the Light Brigade, as the club is known.