The first weekend of the year found me ticking off one of Athens' historical clubs in yet another cool ground.

Apollon Smyrnis is one of the oldest clubs in Greece. They were founded in 1891 in Izmir and moved to Athens in 1922 after the Burning of Smyrna. Since then, and up until the late 90s, they spent almost every season in the top division and produced some of the country’s top players. In recent years, however, they have faced financial difficulties which have led to consecutive relegations. The club currently plays in Athens' first amateur division, the lowest point in their history.

Today they are playing away at Kipoupoli, a club from the west side of the city which I don't know much about apart from the fact that their home turf has nice views. It’s one of those grounds on the edge of the city, at the foothills of the mountain. We set off by car and reached the stadium just in time for kick-off. We were the last to arrive and walked through the only stand to sit among the visiting fans.

The game started, and Kipoupoli opened the scoring early on with an incredible free kick that first hit the crossbar and then went in. But that would pretty much be the only chance they’d create for a while. The away side fully dominated the game and scored once in each half. The match finished 1-2, and Apollon’s players celebrated with the ultras, who had given their all.