Team History and Information
The King of Donair Soccer Team was founded in 1983 by businessmen George
Athanasiou, Nick Garonis and Takis Mitropoulos and modeled on the simple
premise that hard work, perseverance and commitment brings success, it
has proven to be Atlantic Canada's premier soccer team in its 18 year existence.
No team can match King of Donair's on the field performance or its commitment
to developing young talent. The team has reached the Nova Scotia
Provincial “Challenge Cup” final in every year of it’s 18 year existence,
winning nine times, including an unprecedented five in a row from 1992
through 1996. The team’s record speaks for itself:
18 consecutive years as Provincial “Challenge Cup” Finalist
9 time Provincial Champions
Has finished in 4th Place at Nationals 3 times - 83, 92, 95
National Bronze Medal - 1994
National Silver Medal - 1995
King of Donair has on four occasions finished the regular season and
regional playoffs with an undefeated record, a feat no other team in Atlantic
Canada has ever accomplished.
The team has experienced great success at the National Championships.
Twice the club has come home with medals - a bronze in 1994 and a silver
in 1995. Only a heart-breaking overtime goal in 1995 stopped the club from
becoming the first Nova Scotia team to win the Air Canada Challenge Cup
awarded to Canada’s top amateur men’s senior soccer team.
Individually, past and current King of Donair players have received
a multitude of awards. In May 1998, Ante Jazic became the fifth member
from the team to wear Canada’s National Team jersey when he played against
Macedonia in Toronto. In doing so, he joined Craig Janc, Lewis Page, Tony
Pignatiello and Neil Sedgwick as King of Donair players who have represented
Canada in international competitions. Stephen Hart, king of Donair’s Head
Coach has also earned an international cap having suited up for Trinidad
and Tobago in World Cup qualifying.
King of Donair players have also made their mark in professional soccer.
Jazic currently plays for HNK Hajduk Split, a powerhouse team in the Croatian
Premier League and George Kyreakakos has played professionally in Greece.
In 1992, six members - Stewart Galloway, Phil Ruiz, George Kyreakakos,
Lewis Page, Tony Pignatiello and Neil Sedgwick - spent the season with
the Nova Scotia Clippers of the Canadian Soccer League.
Closer to home, Mike Hasiuk and Mike Dunphy and most recently, this
year, Robbie Dow have received soccer scholarships to American universities
and, in the past twelve years, Soccer Nova Scotia's player of the year
was a member of King of Donair on eight occasions - Costa Elles, Doug Hadley,
Trevor Chisholm, Craig Janc, Ante Jazic, George Kyreakakos, Lewis Page
and Neil Sedgwick. This award traditionally goes to an up-and-coming player
and is perhaps the best indicator of King of Donair's commitment to youth
development.
The team had a very successful campaign in 1999, winning three Maritime
Major Indoor Soccer Tournaments, and the NSSL Provincial Indoor title.
During the 1999 outdoor Season, the team completed it’s regular twenty
game NSSL season with a record of 17 wins, 0 defeats, and 3 draws scoring
96 goals and having only 9 scored against it. This past winter, the team
won the 2000 NSSL Indoor Provincial title and the inaugural Soccer
Nova Scotia 2000 Invitational Indoor Tournament.
The team ended it’s 2000 outdoor NSSL campaign with it’s second
consecutive undefeated regular season and had a record of 16 wins, 0 defeats,
and 2 draws, scoring 78 goals and having only 10 scored against it. (10
Shutouts). KOD currently carries a 48 game regular season undefeated streak,
the last time the team was defeated in regular season play by a score of
1 - 0 was June 20, 1998. At the conclusion of the 2000 outdoor season KOD
had 4 of it’s players in the top 10 in league scoring. KOD players and
it’s Head Coach swept all of the NSSL individual awards for 2000. 4 KOD
players were selected as NSSL All-stars.
King of Donair defeated Halifax Dunbrack (4 - 2) on aggregate in a two
game total goal Provincial Championship Series and wins the right to represent
the province of Nova Scotia for a record 9th time at the National
Senior Club Championships which will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
October 3 - 9, 2000.
Gray Zurheide - 26 Goals (New League Record) - 2000 NSSL “GOLDEN BOOT
AWARD” - 2000 NSSL ALL-STAR
Trevor Reddick - 18 Goals (2nd place in league scoring) - 2000 NSSL
“MOST VALUABLE PLAYER” - 2000 NSSL ALL-STAR
Stephen Hart - 2000 NSSL “COACH OF THE YEAR”
Ian Clark - 2000 NSSL “FAIR PLAY AWARD”
Jay Robinson - 2000 NSSL ALL-STAR
Mike Hasiuk - 2000 NSSL ALL-STAR
The Coaching Staff is headed by Stephen Hart, he is assisted by Mourad
Farid and George Iatrou. For more information about the team and it’s players,
contact Mourad Farid at 902-443-7274 |
