2013/14 · Home

Nike designed the commemorative shirt with restraint: classic hoops, the golden 65 years seal under the shamrock, the flag of Cyprus beside the swoosh, the Cytamobile Vodafone pairing on the chest and PrimeTel on the back. At the hem, in small letters, the phrase the season would fill with meaning: A team above all.

The 65th anniversary caught the Queen in survival mode. In 2013, with the club on the edge of the financial abyss, fans and players together raised 3.5 million euros to keep it alive. On the pitch, the answer was worthy: European qualification secured and a 6-0 away win at Doxa, while the eternal rival collected another title across the city.

Here at Hoopster this piece matters for what it celebrates and for what it kept quiet: 65 years of a club born of an expulsion and saved, that very year, by the pockets of those who love it.