TOTTENHAMHOTSPUR.COM(^49)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V APOEL FC
o date, Athletikos
Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon
Lefkosias Football Club –
APOEL FC for short - have
been served by seven different
British managers during their
91-year history.
Former England internationals Neil
Franklin and Ray Wood are among those
to have held the top job at the Nicosia-based
club while other English-born managers of
the Cypriot side include Keith Spurgeon,
Jesse Carver and Mike Ferguson. Welshman
Mike Walker – father of our former
goalkeeper Ian –had a spell in charge of
APOEL between 2000 and 2001 meanwhile.
Ex-Northern Ireland international Tommy
Cassidy ranks as the most successful British
manager of APOEL, having won the Cypriot
First Division title during his time at the
helm. The Belfast-born midfielder originally
joined the club as a player towards the end
of a career that had seen him turn out for
the likes of Glentoran, Newcastle United
and Burnley. Cassidy – who won 24 caps and
scored once for Northern Ireland between
1971 and 1982 – played 44 league matches
and netted seven times for APOEL between
1983 to 1985.
After retiring from playing in 1985,
Cassidy became their manager. He followed
up the Cypriot Cup success he had enjoyed
as a player with APOEL in 1984 by guiding
them to the league title in 1986. He also
won the LTV Super Cup as both a player
and manager.
Tommy still looks out for their results
even now and spoke of his memories at
APOEL, not least recalling the passion of
their supporters.
"It was the idea of the lifestyle on this
little holiday island that I went for, expecting
a few hundred people at the games,” he said.
“But the football fanaticism was unreal. It
just took over everything.
“We lost about 10 games in five years
and after every one of those games I had a
police escort home. My wife always knew
Andy Greeves profiles the numerous Britons to have
played for or managed APOEL FC over the years.
APOEL’S
BRITISH LEGION
Terry
McDermott