maffia

[George]

That's got to be worth a long weekend!

george g...

[Peter&Dawn]

We had some fun on Sunday afternoon.  The local football team, Finikas, were playing Zoniana and posters appeared locally asking for support for the game.  Zoniana are near the top of the division and Finikas about 10 places behind them.

There was a good size crowd of all ages and a generally party atmosphere.  Zoniana unfortunately scored in the first half and everyone on the pitch was getting very rattled, both sides.  During the second half Finikas scored and the crowd went wild, fire crackers and flares being let off all over the places to the extent that you couldn't see the pitch.  At this point Zoniana 'lost it' and started arguing amongst themselves.  Finikas were looking promising for getting a second goal when one of the Zoniana players was given a yellow card which he took exception to and pushed the ref, surprise surpise he then got a red.  At this point the ref had obviously had enough and blew the whistle for the end of game, well early.  The teams headed back to their changing rooms where a full scale fight broke out between the Zoniana players and some of their 'supporters'.

Saw some of the Finikas players and management later they were really happy to come away with a draw.  

Bring on the return game!!!

Sounds like a great game
Peter&Dawn

[Chas]

We had some fun on Sunday afternoon.  The local football team, Finikas, were playing Zoniana and posters appeared locally asking for support for the game.  Zoniana are near the top of the division and Finikas about 10 places behind them.

There was a good size crowd of all ages and a generally party atmosphere.  Zoniana unfortunately scored in the first half and everyone on the pitch was getting very rattled, both sides.  During the second half Finikas scored and the crowd went wild, fire crackers and flares being let off all over the places to the extent that you couldn't see the pitch.  At this point Zoniana 'lost it' and started arguing amongst themselves.  Finikas were looking promising for getting a second goal when one of the Zoniana players was given a yellow card which he took exception to and pushed the ref, surprise surpise he then got a red.  At this point the ref had obviously had enough and blew the whistle for the end of game, well early.  The teams headed back to their changing rooms where a full scale fight broke out between the Zoniana players and some of their 'supporters'.

Saw some of the Finikas players and management later they were really happy to come away with a draw.  

Bring on the return game!!!

So, is the Finikas manager out finding somebody to sponsor team flack-jackets?

[Chris H.]

Another incident:

Hash-growers Shot Policemen

Kalaznikof Attack
23 June 2008 08:13:0

By Anna Kourti

Sources: ΑNA-ΜPA

Greek Police have launched a manhunt on the island of Crete to arrest the hash-growers who shot and wounded three policemen on Sunday. Athens police forces as well as EKAM and a Hellas helicopter have joined in the police operation. The three policemen were transferred to Eraklio University Hospital while one of them shot in the head is in critical condition. The incident, which reminds of Zogiana case last autumn, occurred when hash growers opened fire with Kalaznikof guns against the policemen

One Policeman Seriously Wounded

Another bloody incident involving hash growers on the island of Crete and policemen raises questions regarding effectiveness of administrative authorities.
The three policemen shot by Malades hash growers shortly before 21:00, on Sunday are Theodoros Genitsaridis, 38 , who underwent operation in the head, is in critical condition, George Poulinakis, 31, underwent surgery in the leg and his condition is serious and George Tsiminakis, 47 who is in good condition. Hash growers opened fire at them with what is believed Kalaznikof guns
Police special force rapidly arrived in the region and launched a manhunt to arrest the culprits. Hellas Police chief ordered the dispatch of forces from Athens to carry out an operation similar to Zoniana last autumn.
On the occasion of the fresh bloody incident in Crete, Interior Minister, Prokopis Pavlopoulos and undersecretary Panagiotis Hinofotis issued a joint communiqué underlining: "Brutal representatives of organized crime must realize that the crime ring on the island of Crete has been broken up. Law and order will take effect. The blood of Hellas Police forces, who defend society and legality under aggravating circumstances will not go in vain".

Translated by John Crystallidis

Chris H.

[Ali & Dave]

This is a bit worrying.  It had been suggested that maybe some people had started operating from another area when an ATM got pulled out of a wall (previously three stolen found in Zoniana).  It's of great concern the way they seem to have such willingness to shot people.

What worries me is that some reporting i.e. BBC World, make it sound as though the whole island is run by mafia when it is actually a relatively small number of people with in isolated places.

Ali