The 2008–09 Gamma Ethniki was the 26th season since the official establishment of the third tier of Greek football in 1983. It started on September 14, 2008 and finished on May 3, 2009. 36 teams contest the league, divided into two groups of 18 clubs each, using certain geographical criteria. 23 of the participant clubs have contested in the 2007-08 season, 3 of them have been relegated from Beta Ethniki, while 10 of them have been promoted from Delta Ethniki. Last season's champions of North Group were Kavala, and Diagoras of South Group.
Participant clubs
Following clubs were relegated from Beta Ethniki last season:
Egaleo Chaidari Agios Dimitrios
Following clubs secured a place in Gamma Ethniki by avoiding relegation or by failing to win promotion:
Aias Salamina Aiolikos (withdrew) Neos Asteras Rethymno Atsalenios Fostiras Ilioupoli Korinthos Koropi Panachaiki Rodos Vyzas Alexandroupoli Enosi (dismissed) Anagennisi Arta (withdrew) Anagennisi Giannitsa Doxa Drama (taking the place of Ethnikos Olympiacos Volos after the two Olympiacos Volos clubs' merger in summer 2008) Eordaikos 2007 Ethnikos Katerini Lamia Neoi Epivates Niki Volos Panetolikos Preveza Thermaikos
Following clubs were promoted to Gamma Ethniki as champions of their respective Delta Ethniki groups:
Odysseas Anagennisi Makedonikos Neapoli Pyrsos Ethnikos Filippiada Fokikos Zakynthos Panargiakos Agia Paraskevi Keravnos Keratea Olympiakos Hersonissos
Separation into groups The afore mentioned clubs were divided into two groups depending on their geographical origin. Most of the clubs that come from the southern part of the country (including Attica, Peloponnesus, Crete, the Aegean Islands and half Sterea Ellada) will enter South Group 1, while clubs from Central and Northern Greece (including Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, the Ionian Islands and part of Sterea Ellada) will take part in North Group 2.
Southern Group
League table
Results
Top scorers
RankNameClubGoals1 Giorgos ZacharopoulosFostiras242 Georgios TrichiasRodos18 Κimonas EvaggelatosAgios Dimitrios4 Michalis NikolopoulosIlioupoli155 Mario GurmaPanachaiki12
Northern Group
League table
Results
Top scorers
RankNameClubGoals1 Ioannis KatsarosMakedonikos112 Lazaros MouratidisDoxa Drama103 Petros ZouroudisPanetolikos9 Christos KaragiannisEordaikos Konstantinos AggosDoxa Drama Panagiotis BrisFokikos Stavros TsoukalasDoxa Drama
Play-off match
RODOS: GK 99 Antonis PanagiotopoulosDF 5 Theopistos Papadopoulos (c) DF 30 Georgios ZacharatosDF 2 Nikitas Maliakas DF 37 Kostas Meresiotis MF 22 Dimitrios Chaloulos MF 23 Bartoz Romanczouk MF 20 Paulos Gigani MF 11 Nikitaras PelekisFW 31 Georgios TrichiasFW 10 Dionisis LiosatosSubstitutes:DF 47 Nikos Antoniou MF 27 Reisis Mailis DF 4 Thomas Bibiris Manager: Dimitris Spanos
PANETOLIKOS: GK 89 Nikos BabaniotisDF 30 Christos Naintos (c) DF 33 Theodosis Theodosiadis DF 77 Michalis Bakakis DF 16 Periklis Papapostolou MF 7 Makis Belevonis MF 19 Thanasis Paleologos MF 20 Tasos Dentsas MF 81 Stathis KaramalikisMF 6 Hussein Mumin FW 38 Chiquinho DelgadoSubstitutes:FW 9 Petros Zouroudis DF 32 Charalabos Charalabakis FW 18 Panagiotis Zorbas Manager: Vasilis Delaperas
References