The Bulldogs are the first attempt to create a fan club for a Cypriot team in the UK. By setting up this internet site we aim to provide a home for all the APOEL supporters in the UK by offering all the latest news relating to our club in English, while also other relevant information that is of interest to ‘the Bulldogs’ living abroad. For example, we have a separate page that lists all the venues in the UK which have Nova Cyprus and broadcast some of our team’s games live. Also we offer other audio and radio links on the internet that allow you to see game highlights or listen to the games live. Most importantly we aim in organising trips to go and see APOEL live and whenever we attend games of our team we make a strong presence with our fan-club t-shirts and banners. In addition, our members take part in various prize draws which include airline tickets from London to Cyprus in order to watch APOEL live in various crucial games, while in addition other prizes include the original kit of the team.

‘The Bulldogs’ APOEL UK Fan Club has been running for two years now and the response we have from APOEL fans in the UK, Cyprus and other countries abroad is impressive. Fans from all around the world (and not only APOEL fans) have visited our site and contacted us, either asking information about APOEL or simply expressing their support to our effort. From October 2004 until May 2006 we have exceeded 90,000 unique visits while over the past months we have averaged more than 7,000 unique visits each month. Furthermore, we have averaged more than 100 members each year and this year we expect to do even better!!!

The fan cub might have a short life of two years but the idea was initially born back in November 2002. Then APOEL had made an impressive ‘European tour’ playing ten consecutive games in Europe before being finally disqualified by Herta Berlin. APOEL’s last European game was played in Berlin and as a sign of gratitude to the immense effort put in by our players a heroic group of ten APOEL fans in the UK decided to travel to Germany and watch the game live (Many thanks go to Kikis Rigas for all the enthusiasm shown upon our rival and the all the help he provided in Berlin).

It was an unforgettable experience that provided the inspiration for creating an APOEL Fan Club in the UK, a Fan Club that would make our team known world-wide . The vision was that in the years ahead we would follow the team, as organised fans, in even more successful European excursions where APOEL would progress until the group stage of a European competition. With a time gap of one and a half years the fan club was established (‘the Bulldogs’) and we are determined to expand our activities even more each year.

Having set the foundations for our Fan Club and after a year of running the club independently we have contacted the Pan-Hellenic Fan Club (PAN.SY.FI) of APOEL and have asked to become the official representative of all APOEL fans in the UK. The PAN.SY.FI has welcomed the idea with much excitement as our club will lead the way once again and be the first to have an official fan club in the UK with a website in English. We invite you all to join the ‘the Bulldogs’ and contribute in any way possible to this effort being undertaken. By joining ‘the Bulldogs’ you become an official member of the PAN.SY.FI and you enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the members.

June, 2006