ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base
1947–48 Cypriot First Division
First Category of Cyprus Men's Football 1947-48
The first category of Cyprus men's football in the 1947-48 season was the eleventh edition of the top Cypriot league. The championship was won by APOEL for the seventh time in its history, marking a significant milestone in the club's illustrious career.
In this inaugural season, five teams participated in the competition, with all teams competing against each other twice - once at home and once away. The team that accumulated the most points was declared the champion. Notably, graduation to the second category was not applied during this period, as it had been previously introduced for the 1946-47 season.
The scoring system in place awarded two points for a win and one point for a tie, while defeats resulted in no ranking. This unique format allowed teams to accumulate points based on their performance, rather than relying solely on wins.
Compared to the previous season's championship, AYMA Nicosia participated in the 1947-48 competition, marking a notable change in team participation. Conversely, Uplifting, PSC, and Hiking - three teams that had left the Cyprus Football Federation (COP) due to disagreements over constitutional changes - did not participate.
These teams had previously called for equal treatment and rotating presidency of the COP across cities, citing favoritism towards Nicosia-based teams. Their proposal was discussed at a general federation assembly on August 27, 1947, but ultimately rejected by the majority vote. Following this decision, the three teams left the COP and formed their own federation, the "Football Sports Federation of Cyprus" (PAOK), based in Larnaca.
The league standings for the 1947-48 season were as follows:
| Team | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| APOEL Nicosia | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
The final championship score was determined by the accumulation of points, with APOEL emerging as the champion.
In conclusion, the first category of Cyprus men's football in the 1947-48 season marked a significant milestone for APOEL, which won its seventh title. The unique scoring system and team participation format added an extra layer of complexity to the competition, but ultimately led to APOEL's triumphant victory.