Abovyan’s football veterans team in Glendale

Original: Armenian Version is here

The construction of the stadium opened a new page in sport life;

the well known Darani and Kotayk football teams were characterizing as the symbols of the Abovyan city. Each game-performance of Kotayk team made a special holiday for the citizens of the Abovyan city in the USSR period.

The team had become a best smithy also for Ararat. It had professional personnel and presented famous figures which had attached to the local sports. 

At the process of the time the generation has changed and moreover state crisis and very other natural and non natural conditions come out, so people moved to abroad. Now we are in the United States, in Glendale city with the trails of Kotayk and former football players. In the Wilson’s school field is going on a Sunday game basically are participating the former professional football players like as Jirair Saroukhanyan, Zarik Yessayan, Vahik Esayan, Mkrtich, Albert Khanlaryan, Raffik Madatyan,  over again Abovyan citizen Razmik and Edik, compatriots HOvnan , Vachik , Arsen , Petros and the others, full of young vigor, are at the game.

Named conditionally as the “Yellows” and the “Whites” are about 20-22 players being here every Sunday. At 08:00 o’clock in the morning they come, build their gates, one of the players admitted into authority is simultaneously leading the game. Today Albert has taken that responsibility.

They know each other for ages: one can hear so called complaints during the game filled with jokes.

They are shouting:

-Hey, guys what are you doing?

Goal-keeper Arsen takes the ball with jumping to the air which has been nominally transferred to Razmik.

– Arsen this ball was not directed to you! I was shouting, haven’t you heard?

The other scene.  

-The ball was directed to Edo, I can’t understand how Raz could get it.

Buryak known among the Saralanj players is here also, he has a problem of leg but he is playing as he is crazy of football.

The count of the game was forgotten, one of them said it is 4-4, the other one yelled.

 -It is 5-4.

-Why don’t you count the goal realized by Rafo, it will make 6-4?

And they continue to play.  

My memories took me to legendary game played among the Kotayk and Shirak teams. The Abovyan players had been cruelly admitted in Leninakan, now it was the revenge play; the stadium was inclined, the crowd was unforeseen which had come to worship its team. The serious Armenian difficulties were present but thanks God the game was finished with the victory of Kotayk team (No way).

-Vahik it wasn’t a shoot, it was a pass- said Jirair who was co-ordinating the “Yellows” game, one of the heroes above mentioned Kotayk-Shirak game.  

 -The professional shoot is done toward the gate.

– Well done, just like this Vahik jan.

– Oh yeh, I did it.

Claps and satisfied exclamations are heard.
The realized shoot is worth of.

The guys have their cares, the one has a meeting, the other wants to buy a house, the third has guests, all of them are aware of each other. They share happiness and sadness together and if they need a help, no problem for this point as well.

Here is the Abovyan veteran’s football team in Glendale. Good Luck to all of you my friends.