We proudly wish to announce the formation of our soccer club – Famagusta F.C. of NYC.  This organization was founded in August of 1999, through the hard efforts and dedication of Andrew Parperides.  Our purpose is to educate, enlighten and promote the traditional beliefs and heritage of Cyprus to the Greek-American community.  Through athletics, we want to establish a tradition of excellence, discipline and respect for Hellenism.

Our glorious roots cultivated from the town of Famagusta, Cyprus.  It is a homeland rich in Greek education, dance, music and sports.  Famagusta is a beautiful city in Southeast Cyprus.  The city has been occupied by Turkish troops since the 1974 invasion.  Half of the city is now a ghost town completely deserted and unflourished.  Famagusta has been utilized as a negotiating point between Cyprus and Turkey, regarding their efforts and talks to come up with a resolution to this on-going Cyprus tragedy, abuse and demoralization.

" I grew up following Nea Salamina of Cyprus in my boyhood years before the war of 1974. I always had great memories of those days. This team remained my passion for all these years. I wanted to give something back to my country by making this team possible even fromthis far away. The mission of our club is to keep the Greek Cypriot legacy alive in this part of the world that still doesn't know enough about the culture and history of Cyprus and establish a successful organization for the years to come."

Mr. Parperides says.
We have named our soccer team – Salamina – in honor of the ancient city.  Salamina is situated approximately four miles east of Famagusta and is also in the occupied area.  Salamina was a prospering city during the Golden Age of Greece; however it is still a great landmark that should and will be shared by the rest of the world – one day.

Through the commitment of our prestigious committee, it is now possible that our younger players can and have received scholarships through our outreach program.  Furthermore, we have assisted players with job opportunities and apartment placements.  Lastly, we continue our fundraising efforts and will host our first annual awards dinner, concluding with a raffle drawing, this upcoming May 2000.

We are a highly motivated organization with many achievable goals.  Firstly, by the start of the 2000 season – we will have 150 paid and active members.  Secondly, we will be starting our own Soccer Scholarship Program.  Thirdly, we will accumulate grants and funds for maintaining the expenses of NY Salamina, such as:  league membership dues; home field expenses; practice field permits; trainer salary; equipment costs; registration fees and injury insurance for all our players.

We are  ecstatic to be a part of the Hellenic American Soccer League – Division A.  This federation includes outstanding teams such as:  Apollon, Hermes, Pancyprian and Greek American Atlas.  Our league games are played on Sundays in a  season that runs from September to November and March to May.  Please join us, cheer us on and be a part of the excitement.
 

The Club committee is as follows:

DEMETRIS PARPERIDES                       Club President

ANDREAS PARPERIDES                        General Manager/Head Coach

SOFOKLIS KOTROFOS                          Vice President

GEORGIA PARPERIDES                          Club Treasurer

SOTIRIS VRONTIS                                   Club Consultant