Interview with Che Guevara Club (Panserraikos)

Present to your attention an interview with a representative of Greece ultras. Here we will focus on the team from a simple provincial town of Serres.

- What the standings at Panserraikos this season? How many people keep coming to the games?

- Panserraikos has a bad season until now, but we are still in the middle of the season. We are 11th in points and there are 21 teams in the second division of Greek Football. In our ground we have about 2.000-3.000 fans in every game. In one game we had about 4.500.

- Which clubs have friendly relations? What fans hate? How about the teams from Thessaloniki?

- There are some fans in Greece that have the same ideas about football, as we do. Green Ghetto of Agrotikos Asteras, Sick Boys of AO Xanthi, Alternatives of Ergotelis. We have excellent relations with them. We don't hate any particular team, there is no big hate about some team. Thessaloniki is an hour away from our city, the teams of Thessaloniki have fans in nearby areas, but we try to show the young kids of our city how cool it is to support the team of your city. As time goes on, more and more youngsters support Panserraikos.

- You stayed with Agrotikos Asteras?

- They went from the fourth division to the third division and we went to their final match to celebrate with them. Antifascism, antiracism and supporting our local teams, are the things that unite us. Whenever it's possible, especially in important matches we try to be there.

- Even heard that you have a good relationship with Omonia Nicosia

- We have a good relationship with Omonia Nicosia. They have a club in our city, with people from Cyprus who study at the University of our city. We go to the matches of Panserraikos together, and we went to one of their matches against APOEL in Cyprus.

- You are friends with AEl Kallony?

- We are friends with AEL KALLONIS fans. Their name is Blue Sardines. AEL Kallonis don't belong to Fa or Antifa, as far as i know.

- Did you ever have conflicts with the police and neo-Nazis?

- We are against neo-Nazis and we prove it all the time with banners and chants inside and outside the football ground. With the police we didn't have a serious conflict.

- Is there some sort of Serres is a football club? Did you ever have the city derby?

- There is no city derby! Panserraikos is the only big club in the city.

- Ethnikos Gazoros a club of Serres?

- Of a village near Serres. But because their stadium isn't good enough, they play in the city of Serres. Ethnikos Gazorou has a few fans.

- Is there anyone among fans Panserraikos Anarchists? Or only the Communists?

- We prefer to be united under the label of anti-fascists and anti-nazists. This is something that unites is in Che Guevara Club. What each person votes, is his own personal decision.

- How do you feel about homophobia?

- We are against homophobia, in the same way that we are against any other kind of racism.

- How often do drive to matches in other cities? Attendance of other sports: basketball, volleyball?

- We go to every away match, no matter how far. Sometimes we are a few, sometimes we are many. We go to other sports too. Panserraikos has football, basketball, handball, swimming, and ice hockey. We have gone to all these sports to support our team. Today we went to a basketball match of kids about 15 years old and we had coreo etc.

- In Serres many Nazis? Chrisi avgi example.

- Not so many. They have a local organisation here, but with not many people.

- Do you participate in any public protests and social projects?

- We have participated in many protests. Against the war in Palestine, against the closing of the University of Serres. We played a football game with some famous Greek singers and actors and the main message of this game was that some military camps that have stopped being used, to be made parks with trees, for the children.

- What are the achievements and titles at Panserraikos?

- Panserraikos has no big achievements or titles. And that's we are singin in a chant. "We don't mind if we didn't go to a final or something else, we keep singing for Panserraikos."

- What's the story with your fan club?

- Che Guevara Club started by some friends who went with their cars to every game, in and out. As the time passed, more and more people were joining. Since 2007 we have a building where the club members are gathering during the week and before the match. We have 550 members.

- What choreography usually does your group? How do you organize everything? For example, songs, pyrotechnics?

- We have many flags in our games. We also create new banners in nearly every game. We had very good pyroshows in the past, but they are reduced now because of the strict laws. A pyro is considered a crime here in Greece.

- What are the laws in Greece against the fans? Whether for interior searched before entering the stadium?

- The laws against the fans are very strict the last years. Pyrotechnics can take you to prison. Fan clubs need the signature of the president ot the team to be considered legal. The search before entering the stadium is ok, not anything too much.

- What are your fan club relationship with the president of the club and the players?

- This time there are huge problems between the fans and the president of the team. With most of the players we have good relations, but there are a few of them who don't respect the team.

- Tell me about the town of Serres. As residents of the city are Panserraikos?

- Serres is a city of about 100.000 people. It has a University with 10.000 students and its near the borders with Bulgaria. A good percentage of residents support Panserraikos. Especially in the very old and the very young, Panserraikos has many fans.

- What are some interesting places for tourists in Serres?

- Kerkini Lake is 25 km away. It's a big lake with many beautiful and rare species of birds etc. Alistrati cave 45 km from Serres. Lailias for ski, 20 km from Serres. In the city there are museums, university and there is a place just outside the city, where you can enjoy your coffee or food in the summer, with bars etc in one side of the road and trees and river in the other side.

- Are there any other cities of Greece Panserraikos fans? 

- There are many Panserraikos fans in Athens and Thessaloniki, the two biggest cities in Greece. They are meeting each other for the matches.

- Are there many in Greece with fans of other teams fascists?

- There are some teams that have fascists in their stadiums. They just try to pass their silly messages with stupid banners.

- What are your plans for the future and plans for your group on the Greek scene?

- All we are planning, is to stay loyal to our basic beliefs. 1) To support our football team in every match in our stadium and away 2)To support the other sports teams of Panserraikos. 3) To keep fighting against modern football. 4) To keep fighting against fascism and racism. 5)To continue demanding a better treatment for the fans by the law.

- Your wishes our readers Russian antifascists

- We are happy to have talked to you and we wish to all your readers to keep fighting against this modern plague, the fascism.

February 2013