Zur Info: (engl.)
Bit of an open ended question where the actual history dates back to even before the teams were formed!!
The first Turkish football team was formed way back in 1899 in the form Black Stockings FC. Due to the Ottoman rule, men playing sport was only something the Ottomans watched and not participated in as it was seen "immoral". However, despite this restriction many Ottomans had taken interest in this Brittish sport that hit their shores. They often turned up in their thousands to watch matches between the British and Greek labourers. In 1899, some of the Ottoman enthusiasts decided to bypass authorities and legal boundaries and set up Black Stockings as an underground operation... and football had finally arrived in Turkiye!
The above team played a few matches before it had to fold due to legal reasons. However, when the laws relaxed a few years later a Gymnastics club was formed to help bring sport to Ottomans. This club was set up Istanbul"s Besiktas district 100 years ago and became known as Besiktas Jimnastik Kulubu (BJK). Despite pionerring sport in the country, the club never participated in football until 1911.
In the meantime a college football team was formed in 1905. This team was given the name of the educational establishment - Galatasaray. Backed by rich ambassadors and strong European contacts, Galatasaray played a series of matches against teams of other countries. Legend has it that one of the first signings was known to the spectators simply as Cim (Jim), he was an English forward who often popped up on the scoresheet. Due to his prolific goalscoring record the crowd would chant for him, singing "Cim Bom Bom", Bom Bom meaning the bombing affect of his goals. The club have since adopted that chant to be their very own nickname.....
After a couple of years Galatasaray thought it to be too mundane playing foreign teams all the time. So they assigned a few members of their board to set up another team to become their rivals. In 1907, Fenerbahce was formed. However, unlike Galatasaray, Fenerbahce were from a poorer part of the city and located in the Asian side. Due to the difficaulties that faced this new club and it"s hardship which mirrored the majority soon made this team the peoples choice...
These three clubs are the foundations of Turkish football and played an amazing part in bringing the sport to the country. They are all older than the republic and therefore crucial to the country"s economic welfare among other things. Istanbulspor came about quite a few years later and never managed to make up the ground that the "big 3" had ahead of them.
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