Accra, April 19, GNA - Glorious and indomitable Accra Great Olympics, the Wonder Club of Ghana is 52 years today, and the Patrons of the Club take this opportunity to salute the memory of the Founding Fathers, the Board, Management, Technical team, Playing body and myriad supporters on this occasion.

A statement released in Accra and signed by Mr Harry Mouzalas, Secretary to the Council of Patrons said "these 52 years have been a contradiction in the history of the Club. There have been periods of great achievements and varying moments of disappointments of near disastrous dimensions."

It said on the positive side, Olympics on many occasions provided the National team, the Black Stars with more players than any other team, to bring honour to Ghana.

Delving into the archives, the statement said Great Olympics was the first team to represent Ghana as a national side and indeed beat Togo 1-0 in that memorable match in1960. Also it was the first team in the history of Ghana football to have an unbeaten run of 38 matches, - a standing record - and the first to engage a foreign coach in the person of Lowenstein from Germany.

It recalled that the Wonder Club was also the first to score the highest number of goals in any African soccer competition, beating MMM of Madagascar 7-0 in 1971.

"The Wonder Club has during several seasons crowned its existence with laurels by winning the National League, Knockout and the Champion of Champions and in 1971, it participated in the Africa Clubs Championship, reaching the semi-final stage.

"However, on the flip-side, Olympics has emerged as perhaps the only team that has experienced more upheavals than any other club in Ghana."

It catalogued the bleak side as the saga of who went to Tema, the unresolved confrontation that drove a section of the Club's hierarchy to break away to revive Accra Standfast, as a rival of Olympics, and the internal squabbles that split the club in recent times, leading to the formation of Olympiakos, now defunct.

The statement said the greatest disaster ever, was the relegation of Olympics at the end of the 2004 football season, paradoxically to mark the Club's 50th (Golden Jubilee) Anniversary.

"It was an incredibly negative event in the history of the Club, and one that raised many unanswered questions. Yet, like the unquenchable Olympic Flame, the Wonder Club resurrected in unprecedented fashion."

It said, like a TITAN, incensed with defiance, Olympics went into that dreaded Valley of Death, only to confound all odds and bounce back to where it really belonged, to the chagrin of all.

"The Charge was simple - Play All, Win All - an objective fulfilled with unblemished style and pride.

"On this occasion, the Patrons wish to express their deepest gratitude to and congratulate the Board for their resolve, the Management for their determination, the Technical team and Playing body for their commitment and the entire supporters for their confidence and contributions, which propelled Olympics from relegation, triumphantly back to the elite Premiership of Ghana football."

The statement however, warned all and sundry that the way forward for the Club, from now onwards is total commitment to the growth and welfare of Olympics, since there will be no tolerance for rancour, confrontation, sabotage and disunity in the Club anymore.

"Today marks the dawn of a new era in the history of Accra Great Olympics, as we march forward under the banner of our Motto "Unity, Friendship and Love," to perform more WONDERS as indeed it is a day 'When Sadness Jubilates.'"