Gate 4

Gate 4 (Greek: Θύρα 4), is the most popular organized supporters group of the Greek multi-sports club PAOK. The group has members all over the country and over the years played an important role in the club's course. They mostly wear black and white symbols and clothing, which are the club's colors.

Gate 4
TypeSupporters, Ultras group
HeadquartersThessaloniki, Greece
Years active1976–present
ClubPAOK
MottoEmeis mazi gia mia zoi
(Τogether for a lifetime)
Official Websitehttps://www.1926.gr/

History
PAOK fans in Gate 4 of the Toumba Stadium

Gate 4 officially founded on September 25, 1976, but operated unofficially from April of the same year. Also, it was not PAOK's first fan club. PAOK's first fan association was the fan club from Neapoli district of Thessaloniki, founded in 1963 and considered one of the oldest in Europe.[1] Also, one of the biggest banners in the world was created by Michaniona fan club.[2] The group has over 120 sub-groups in various parts of the world, in Greece, Cyprus, Australia, Belgium, United States, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The headquarters of the organization is the so-called "Low-ceilinged", located in the Palaion Patron Germanos street in Thessaloniki.

Toumba Stadium, home stadium of PAOK Football Club, is infamous for its hostile atmosphere, a factor that led to the attribution of the Stadium as "The Black Hell". On high-profile encounters, when the players walk out of the tunnel, the song Hells Bells by AC/DC is heard from the stadium's speakers.[3]

Over the years, Gate 4 has openly expressing opposition to some of the club's managements. The most famous was the dispute with former club's owner Thomas Voulinos.

No 12 jersey is dedicated to the fans, the symbolic 12th man on the pitch. It was permanently retired by the club on 16 August 2000.[4][5]

Vale of Tempe tragedy

Some 3,000 PAOK fans attended the Olympic Stadium of Athens for an away match against Panathinaikos on 3 October 1999. On its way back to Thessaloniki, the double-decker bus of the Kordelio fan club collided with a truck and fell into a ditch in the Vale of Tempe, Thessaly. The aftermath of the bus crash was devastating. Six people lost their lives (Kyriakos Lazaridis, Christina Tziova, Anastasios Themelis, Charalampos Zapounidis, Georgios Ganatsios, Dimitris Andreadakis) and many others were injured. A roadside memorial was erected at the site of the crash bearing the following inscription: "Their love for PAOK brought them here, left them here and went beyond".

Friendships

The group holds a very strong brotherhood with Grobari, the organized supporters group of the Serbian football club Partizan Belgrade. On many occasions, fans from both clubs traveled to watch each other's games. They also maintain good relations with the fans of Russian CSKA Moscow. [6][7]

PAOK fans also have good relations with the fans of OFI Crete, a friendship that started in October 1987 when OFI faced Atalanta for 1987–88 Cup Winners' Cup at Toumba Stadium and numerous PAOK fans supported the Cretans.[8][9]

Rivalries
PAOK 1–0 Olympiacos, 2009 Greek Cup quarter-final
Main articles: Olympiacos–PAOK rivalry, Derby of Thessaloniki, Panathinaikos–PAOK rivalry, and Double-headed eagles derby

The rivalry between Olympiacos and PAOK, is long-standing, emerging in the 1960s, when Olympiacos unsuccessfully tried to acquire Giorgos Koudas from PAOK, approaching him directly without going into a negotiation with his club.[10]

A long-time rivalry also exists between PAOK and local rivals Aris.[11]

Panathinaikos and AEK, Athens' two biggest clubs, are also considered major rivals.

References
  1. "Αφιέρωμα στον Σύνδεσμο Φίλων ΠΑΟΚ Νεάπολης "Μπέλλος"" [Neapoli fan club 'Mpellos']. paokmania.gr (in Greek). 21 June 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. "Το μεγαλύτερο πανό της Ευρώπης ανήκει στον ΠΑΟΚ!" [Europe's biggest banner belongs to PAOK!]. protothema.gr. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  3. Manos Tsalgatidis (5 October 2013). ""Welcome to the hell"". inpaok.com (in Greek). Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  4. "Ο 12ος… παίκτης του ΠΑΟΚ απέκτησε και φανέλα" [PAOK's 12th player got a jersey]. in.gr (in Greek). 16 August 2000. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  5. Michalis Koutsogiannis (16 August 2019). "Όταν αποσύρθηκε η φανέλα "12"" [When No 12 jersey was retired]. inpaok.com (in Greek). Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  6. "ΠΑΟΚ – Παρτιζάν: Έτσι ξεκίνησαν όλα" [How it all started]. thessnews.gr (in Greek). 20 February 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  7. Kostas Petrotos (6 October 2016). "ΠΑΟΚ - Παρτίζαν: Μία φιλία που συνεχώς δυναμώνει" [A friendship that continues to grow]. sport24.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  8. Manolis Sarris (10 October 2011). "Κάπως έτσι ξεκίνησε η φιλία ΟΦΗ–ΠΑΟΚ" [How OFI–PAOK friendship started]. gentikoule.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  9. Chrisanthos Dovletoglou (28 September 2013). "ΠΑΟΚ-ΟΦΗ, μία αληθινή φιλία" [A true friendship]. contra.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  10. Vasilis Nikolopoulos (22 October 2017). "Ολυμπιακός – ΠΑΟΚ: Ξετυλίγοντας το κουβάρι της κόντρας που κρατά πάνω από μισό αιώνα" [A rivalry enduring for over half a century]. eleftherostypos.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  11. "ΠΑΟΚ–Αρης. Μία διαμάχη χρόνων" [A longstanding conflict]. thesstoday.gr (in Greek). 8 May 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
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