The World's First Football Club

Football among sports branches It is an indisputable fact that the interest in football in Turkey and in many countries of the world is in the first place compared to other branches. Although the historical name of football was called differently at that time, it goes back centuries in terms of the way it plays with the feet. It was established in England, which is known as the cradle of football, which has the title of the first club officially established in the world.

It dates back exactly 161 years from now. The first football team in history started on October 24, 1857 in Sheffield, England, when two friends came together and formed a team called Sheffield FC. One of the biggest problems of this club was that there was no rival to play football since there was no other club. The situation was so dire that it even came to the point that one day, the players of the team played the married players with the single players. Fortunately, when Hallam FC was founded in 1860, Sheffield FC's rivalry problem was over and the first match between two teams from the same town was naturally the first derby in history. The two Yorkshire clubs played the matches according to the so-called Sheffield rules of the game, later the Derby Rules. There was no requirement for a uniform during this period. There were modern rules such as corners, crowns and free kicks in the game. For 20 years these rules were applied. Sheffield FC won the first derby 4-1. Both clubs continue to exist today. At this point, the following immediately comes to mind, who is the first club established in Turkey?

Towards the end of the 1800s, the football movement began to spread almost all over Europe. In the 1890s, this wind reached Turkey. However, the administration of the period certainly did not want the Turks to play football. The Turks, who were affected by this fast-spreading enjoyable game, started playing football secretly, despite the ban. Actually, it wouldn't even be called playing football. They were kind of training with a soccer ball.

The first football match in Turkey was played in Izmir in 1890. Both team players were Brits trading in Bornova. Football Club Smyrna, founded in Izmir in 1894, participated in the 1906 Intermediate Olympics. Izmir team came second in the tournament. One of the pioneers of football that developed in Izmir was James La Fontaine. English football player Fontaine settled in Istanbul in 1899. Thus, Fontaine continued his football activities in Istanbul. James La Fontaine founded Cadi-Keuy Football Club in Kadıköy in 1902. The club was dissolved in 1912. The English football player founded the Istanbul Football League in 1904 with the help of Armitage and Henry Pears.

The first Turkish sports club was founded in 1903 by the sons of Palace Minister Osman Pasha, Hüseyin Bereket, Mehmet Şamil, Ahmet and Mehmet Ali Fetgeri, Nazım Nazif Ander, Fethi Bey, Behçet Bey, Şevket Cenani Bey, Mahmut Naci Bey, Cami Baykurt and Şerafettin Bey bjk "Beşiktaş. It is a club established under the name of "Bereket Gymnastics Club". The club was first established with red and white colors, then the colors of the jerseys were changed to black and white due to the state of the country at that time.