DJ’S JOTTINGS – NUMBER 22 (Turkey)

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The opportunity arose for a February mini-break to Turkey and was enthusiastically gobbled up. Flying with Turkish Airlines from Heathrow to Istanbul’s Ataturk airport took just short of 4 hours. The 12-kilometre journey from the airport was negotiated via metro train and tram. Our base was the Hotel Seres, a good quality and very reasonably priced establishment located in Sirceci, in the heart of the old city.

With no match on the Friday, we had time to sightsee and get our bearings. The hustle and bustle of the place and constant haranguing from various vendors takes a little getting used to. The Grand Bazaar and Blue Mosque are particularly impressive and the Roman built Basilica Cistern is worth a look as well. Later we cross the Bosphorus and get an underground funicular railway up to the new city centred on Taksim Square. The main pedestrianised shopping street emanates from here and a stroll into one of its many back streets and alleys provides plenty of bars and restaurants. One arcade type alley has wall-to-wall restaurants with musicians moving from one to the other to add to the atmosphere.

On the Saturday morning, after a fine breakfast in the hotel’s top floor panoramic restaurant, we are ready for some football action. Our first match is at the fairly new national stadium, located fairly remotely on top of a hill at Kitelli, on the northwest edge of the city. Travel requires a suburban train for 4 stops to Yenikapi, a 45-minute bus ride and a bit of a walk at the end. Most public transport journeys seem to cost 1.30 TYL (Turkish Lira), the equivalent of 60p, though the bus journey was about 70p.

The three main Istanbul clubs: Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas, were all formed between 1903 and 1907. The Ottoman Empire feared foreign influenced organisations and ‘the British game’ of football and wee very hostile to the sport. The early clubs developed in areas of the city which had large Christian or Jewish populations, or foreign schools, non-Turkish citizens being exempt from the Sultan’s clampdown. Some locals did sneak into the ex-pat. sides however.

Following the Balkan War and World War I a new Turkish Republic was established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923. He was a Fenerbahce fan and football soon began to thrive, particularly in Istanbul. Play-offs with sides from the regions were introduced in 1937 although it was not until 1959 that a national league was formed. Ankara may be Turkey’s capital, but Istanbul is still its football centre. Games are generally chaotic, lively and passionate. Most fans arrive extremely early for games and indulge in various pre-match rituals, including the ‘buraya’, where each player is welcomed in turn and has to come over and acknowledge the crowd.

This afternoon’s game does not involve one of the big clubs. Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor, or Istanbul BB to simplify things, represents the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and is basically the Istanbul Council team. On achieving promotion to the top flight this season they moved from their previous 12,000 capacity venue to the 80,597 capacity Ataturk Olimpiyat national stadium. Today’s crowd of about 900 make it much like watching Queens Park at Hampden.

The ground is a large modern all seated concrete bowl around a running track. It has a continuous lower tier with further tiers on the two sides, rising towards the centre. Large concrete pillars at one end suggest that further development may be planned. Admission is 10 TYL (£4.50). There is no programme. The ground rules are helpfully translated into ‘English’ and make interesting reading e.g. ‘Persons nestucled by law com not enter the stadium’ and ‘The walking passages in front of the tribunes must remain unmowpied’. Other things that are not allowed include ‘comfettis’, ‘cams’, ‘pet bootles’ and ‘inleractive bad behaviouz’.

A reasonable game sees the visitors Caykur Rizespor, take the lead with a goal that seems blatantly offside, but Istanbul BB come back well to win 2-1. During the game anyone identified as an away fan is moved from the comfort of the main stand to the open section at one end. Maybe this is why they try to fight with the police after the match.

For our second game of the day a bus, tram, funicular and further tram take us to the notorious Ali Sami Yen Stadium, just north of the city centre and home to Galatasaray. Hemmed in by buildings and a motorway flyover, it is not a pretty ground from the outside and it is easy to believe that visiting English fans would believe they are being welcomed to Hell. Once inside it seems much nicer. Although old and tatty in places, it is full of character and atmosphere. Capacity is 23,785 and it is supposed to be all-seated. As everyone stands on their seats for the entire match this may not be readily apparent. Three sides of the ground have two continuous tiers, with cover along the touchlines where all seats are good and close to the pitch. The stands curve round the ends with the one separate end having a single tier of seats. Almost everything is in the club colours of red and yellow. 50 TYL (£22.50) gains entry and programmes, a rare commodity in Turkey, are available free of charge. A new ground is planned, not far from the Ali Sami Yen and a model of it is on display in the club shop.

‘Gala’ was formed by former pupils of the Galatasaray High School, are the largest sports club in the country and have won numerous Turkish league and cup trophies. They were the first Turkish side to play abroad and have generally been the most successful in Europe since, with a European Cup semi-final appearance in 1989 and several qualifications for the group stage of the Champions League. Graham Souness had a spell as manager in the 1990’s.

Once we have worked out the complicated seat numbering system, we find we are unable to get to our allocated places anyway, so find the best spot available and stand on the seats with the rest of crowd, estimated at 18,400, for a cracking game in a tremendous atmosphere. Galatasaray are top of the table, Vestel Manisaspor near the bottom and for a while the game looks like a forgone conclusion. The home team display some sparkling moves and are 4-0 up early in the second half. Vestel, who had been playing pretty well themselves, get one back only for ‘Gala’ to score once more. Selcuk then scores his second long range thunderbolt, Yilmaz gets another and Vestel have several chances to further narrow the gap. Six minutes from time their comeback hopes are finally dashed with Galatasaray making it 6-3. The scorer is the 37-year old Hakan Sukur, completing a hat-trick and a superb all-round performance. 

Sunday provides us with another double and the novelty of the two games being on different continents. A tram and a metro take us to Yemiposna for our first match. Istanbulspor Marmara AS were at the 16,000 capacity Zeytinburnu Stadium in 2006-07 but following relegation to Lig II they play at the much smaller Bahcelilievler Il Ozelidore stadium. It is basically a one-sided ground with a single 4,000 seater covered stand. Most of the estimated 2,500 crowd for today’s game support the away side, Ordusspor Kulubu. Many fans who have gained entry throw their tickets down to their mates outside for them to re-use. Once the local police chief realises this, he makes everyone leave the stadium and come in again, so that tickets can be checked then ripped up, but the bulk of the away fans charge through regardless and the police don’t seem too bothered. Those that don’t get in, stand on walls or in trees outside despite attempts to move them on.

Istanbulspor generally yo-yo between the top two divisions although for a while in the 1990’s a club President who owned a TV company promised better things, but this did not last and they are now in danger of slipping to the third level. They create a few chances in our game, but Ordusspor are clearly the better side and a single goal is enough to settle it in their favour.

Having returned to the centre after the game, we need to catch a ferry for our second match. The 25-minute crossing of the Bosphorus from Eminonu to Kadikoy takes us from Europe into Asia. A tunnel is under construction that will be the first to link two continents. From the ferry port it is only a 15-minute walk to the home ground of Fenerbahce. Find a bar where we are allowed to buy a beer, but by local law have to drink it at least 5 metres away from the bar! Another point we note is that the local Burgerking has a blue and white logo, their normal colours being those of Fenerbahce’s bitter rivals Galatasaray.

The Sukru Saracoglu is now a smart modern 50,509 capacity all-seated, all-covered stadium with two steeply raked continuous tiers all round. Heaters and lights are attached to the cantilevered roof and the wide concourses have tables and chairs set out by the refreshment areas. Entrance costs 60TYL (£28) and although there is no programme the club do produce a regular magazine. One word of warning: Coins, lighters and other seemingly innocent items are liable to be confiscated on entry. One of our party had about £10 worth of loose coins which he was obviously reluctant to part with. Playing the diplomatic card I persuaded the police to let him go to a vendor just inside and change it for a note. Meanwhile, I was not searched at all and most of the hard core fans seemed to have plenty of ammunition at the ready.

2nd plays 6th and Fenerbahce win a decent match against Genclerbirligi Oftas SK, from Ankara, 3-1. The visitors play their part, hitting the woodwork twice, in addition to the one goal. Three of the home side’s best known players: Alex, Mateja Kezman and Roberto Carlos, are on target.

The only one of the big Istanbul clubs that we did not see was Besiktas, but I had been fortunate enough to catch a game there on a previous trip. Their 3-sided ground, with open end to preserve views down to the river, is very pleasant. For atmosphere alone Turkey is a delight, even if a little scary at times, and the football is generally of a very good standard. An evening of kebabs and gassy beer rounds off the trip before flying home on the Monday morning.

contributed by Dave DJ Johnston on 02/09