High times for the Pafiako stadium in Cyprus

AEP Paphos' ground

The Pafiako Athletic Centre in Paphos, western Cyprus, is hosting top-flight football this season as AEP Paphos seek to consolidate themselves as one of the nation's strongest teams.

The club was formed in 2000 following the merger of Evagoras and APOP, two team that constantly switched between the Cypriot First and Second Division. Due to the contrast between other cities in the nation (Paphos is the fifth largest in the country), who were able to maintain top-level clubs, the two sides were merged in the hope of becoming stable.

They have been unsuccessful so far. AEP have been promoted and relegated three times each since 2005, most recently following a third-place finish last year which sees them compete among the elite this time. The Pafiako Stadium, which holds just under 10,000 people following a 2003 renovation and hosted three matches in the 1992 Under-16 European Championship, is used for athletics tournaments throughout the year and has hosted international rugby since 2007.

Photo taken by Alan Wilson at wsc.footballfans.eu