Wikipedia

Istanbul Football League

The Istanbul Football League (Turkish: İstanbul Futbol Ligi) was founded as a regional football league under the name Constantinople Football Association League by James La Fontaine and Henry Pears in Istanbul, the capital of the former Ottoman Empire, in 1904. The Istanbul League was the first football organization ever in the Ottoman Empire and later Turkey. In the inaugural 1904–05 season the matches between the four teams, Moda FC, HMS Imogene, Elpis FC, and Cadi-Keuy FC were played on Sundays, leading to the name of the league, Istanbul Sunday League. Henry Pears, an Englishman and one of the three founders, promised to ultimately award the shield to the club with the most championships won during the initial 10 years.

Istanbul Football League
Founded1904
Folded1959
CountryTurkey
Number of teamsvarious
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Istanbul Shield
(1929–39)
Istanbul Football Cup
(1942–47)
Last championsFenerbahçe (16th title)
(1958–59)
Most championshipsFenerbahçe (16 titles)
One of the founders of the league, James Lafontaine
Founder Henry Pears

The Istanbul Friday League was founded in 1915 and replaced the Istanbul Sunday League. Seven teams participated in its inaugural 1915–16 season. From 1923–24 to 1950–51 the league was called Istanbul League. The name was later changed and became Istanbul Professional League in the 1952 season, as professionalism was introduced by the Turkish Football Federation in 1951.

Fenerbahçe are the most successful club, having won the league a record 16 times in total.

Champions edit

[1][2][3]

Season Winners (number of titles) Runners-up
1904–05 HMS Imogene FC (1) Moda FC
1905–06 Cadi-Keuy FC (1) HMS Imogene FC
1906–07 Cadi-Keuy FC (2) Moda FC
1907–08 Moda FC (1) Cadi-Keuy FC
1908–09 Galatasaray SK (1) Moda FC
1909–10 Galatasaray SK (2) Strugglers FC
1910–11 Galatasaray SK (3) Progress FC
1911–12 Fenerbahçe SK (1) Rumblers FC
1912–13 Unaccomplished due to the Balkan Wars
1913–14 Fenerbahçe SK (2) Altınordu İdman Yurdu
1914–15 Galatasaray SK (4) Üsküdar Anadolu SK
1914–15 Fenerbahçe SK (3) Türk İdman Ocağı
1915–16 Galatasaray SK (5) Fenerbahçe SK
1916–17 Altınordu İdman Yurdu (1) Üsküdar Anadolu SK
1917–18 Altınordu İdman Yurdu (2) Fenerbahçe SK
1918–19 Unaccomplished due to Armistice of Mudros
1919–20 Cancelled
1920–21 Fenerbahçe SK (4) Galatasaray SK
1921–22 Galatasaray SK (6) Fenerbahçe SK
1922–23 Fenerbahçe SK (5) Altınordu İdman Yurdu
1923–24 Beşiktaş JK (1) Galatasaray SK
1924–25 Galatasaray SK(7) Vefa SK
1925–26 Galatasaray SK(8) Fenerbahçe SK
1926–27 Galatasaray SK(9) Fenerbahçe SK
1927–28 Cancelled due to the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam
1928–29 Galatasaray SK (10) Fenerbahçe SK
1929–30 Fenerbahçe SK (6) Galatasaray SK
1930–31 Galatasaray SK (11) Fenerbahçe SK
1931–32 İstanbulspor (1) Süleymaniye FC
1932–33 Fenerbahçe SK (7) Beşiktaş JK
1933–34 Beşiktaş JK (2) Fenerbahçe SK
1934–35 Fenerbahçe SK (8) Galatasaray SK
1935–36 Fenerbahçe SK (9) Galatasaray SK
1936–37 Fenerbahçe SK (10) Güneş SK
1937–38 Güneş SK (1) Fenerbahçe SK
1938–39 Beşiktaş JK (3) Fenerbahçe SK
1939–40 Beşiktaş JK (4) Fenerbahçe SK
1940–41 Beşiktaş JK (5) Fenerbahçe SK
1941–42 Beşiktaş JK (6) Galatasaray SK
1942–43 Beşiktaş JK (7) Fenerbahçe SK
1943–44 Fenerbahçe SK (11) Beşiktaş JK
1944–45 Beşiktaş JK (8) Fenerbahçe SK
1945–46 Beşiktaş JK (9) Fenerbahçe SK
1946–47 Fenerbahçe SK (12) Vefa SK
1947–48 Fenerbahçe SK (13) Beşiktaş JK
1948–49 Galatasaray SK (12) Beşiktaş JK
1949–50 Beşiktaş JK (10) Fenerbahçe SK
1950–51 Beşiktaş JK (11) Galatasaray SK
1952 Beşiktaş JK (12) Galatasaray SK
1952–53 Fenerbahçe SK (14) Beşiktaş JK
1953–54 Beşiktaş JK (13) Galatasaray SK
1954–55 Galatasaray SK (13) Beşiktaş JK
1955–56 Galatasaray SK (14) Fenerbahçe SK
1956–57 Fenerbahçe SK (15) Galatasaray SK
1957–58 Galatasaray SK (15) Fenerbahçe SK
1958–59 Fenerbahçe SK (16) Galatasaray SK

Istanbul Sunday League (İstanbul Pazar Ligi) edit

  •  
    Cadikeuy Football Club 1905-06 Champion
  •  
    Moda FC 1907-08 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1908-09 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1909-10 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1910-11 Champion
  •  
    Fenerbahçe SK 1911-12 Champion
  •  
    Fenerbahçe SK 1913-14 Champion

Istanbul Friday League (İstanbul Cuma Ligi) edit

  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1915-16 Champion
  •  
    Altınordu İdman Yurdu 1916-17 and 1917-18 Champion
  •  
    Fenerbahçe SK 1920-21 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1921-22 Champion
  •  
    Fenerbahçe SK 1922-23 Champion

Istanbul League (İstanbul Ligi) edit

  •  
    Beşiktaş JK 1923-24 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1924-25 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1925-26 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1926-27 Champion
  •  
    Galatasaray SK 1930-31 Champion
  •  
    Istanbulspor 1931-32 Champion
  •  
    Besiktas JK 1938-39 Champion

Istanbul Professional League edit

Performance by club edit

Club Titles Runners-up Seasons won
Fenerbahçe SK
16
18
 1912, 1914, 1915*, 1921, 1923, 1930, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1957, 1959
Galatasaray SK
15
13
 1909, 1910, 1911, 1915*, 1916, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1949, 1955, 1956, 1958
Beşiktaş JK
13
6
 1924, 1934, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954
Altınordu İdman Yurdu
2
3
 1917, 1918
Cadi-Keuy FC
2
1
 1906, 1907
Moda FC
1
3
 1908
HMS Imogene
1
1
 1905
Güneş SK
1
1
 1938
İstanbulspor
1
–
 1932
Üsküdar Anadolu SK
–
2
 –
Vefa SK
–
2
 –
Rumblers FC
–
1
 –
Strugglers FC
–
1
 –
Küçükçekmece SK
–
1
 –

*Galatasaray in the Istanbul Football Union League and Fenerbahçe in the Istanbul Champions League became champions.

Top Scorers edit

Season Club Top scorer Goals Matches Rate
1928–29 Fenerbahçe SK   Zeki Rıza Sporel (1)
10
9
1.11
1929–30 Fenerbahçe SK   Zeki Rıza Sporel (2)
13
10
1.3
1930–31 Fenerbahçe SK   Zeki Rıza Sporel (3)
17
13
1.31
Fenerbahçe SK   Fikret Arıcan (1)
17
14
1.21
1931–32 Beşiktaş JK   Hakkı Yeten (1)
8
5
1.60
1932–33 Beşiktaş JK   Hakkı Yeten (2)
10
11
0.91
1933–34 Beşiktaş JK   Hakkı Yeten (3)
10
12
0.83
1934–35 Fenerbahçe SK   Namık Erbay (1)
13
11
1.18
1935–36 Fenerbahçe SK   Ali Rıza Tansı (1)
19
21
0.90
Fenerbahçe SK   Naci Bastoncu (1)
19
21
0.90
1936–37 Fenerbahçe SK   Esat Kaner (1)
14
10
1.40
1937–38 Beşiktaş JK   Şeref Görkey (1)
16
9
1.78
1938–39 Fenerbahçe SK   Fikret Arıcan (2)
25
15
1.67
1939–40 Galatasaray SK   Cemil Gürgen Erlertürk (1)
30
16
1.88
1940–41 Beşiktaş JK   Şeref Görkey (2)
22
15
1.47
1941–42 Fenerbahçe SK   Melih Kotanca (1)
23
14
1.64
1942–43 Galatasaray SK   Cemil Gürgen Erlertürk (2)
22
11
2.00
1943–44 Beşiktaş JK   Şükrü Gülesin (1)
27
17
1.59
Fenerbahçe SK   Müzdat Yetkiner[4] (1)
27
16
1.69
1944–45 Beşiktaş JK   Kemal Gülçelik (1)
27
18
1.50
1945–46 Beşiktaş JK   Şükrü Gülesin (2)
11
13
0.85
1946–47 Beşiktaş JK   Şükrü Gülesin (3)
9
14
0.64
Galatasaray SK   Reha Eken (1)
9
12
0.75
1947–48 Fenerbahçe SK   Halit Deringör (1)
12
13
0.92
Fenerbahçe SK   Lefter Küçükandonyadis (1)
12
14
0.86
1948–49 Beşiktaş JK   Şükrü Gülesin (4)
13
12
1.08
1949–50 Beşiktaş JK   Bülent Esel (1)
19
14
1.36
1950–51 Beşiktaş JK   Recep Adanır (1)
13
14
1.36
1952 Beşiktaş JK   Şevket Yorulmaz (1)
19
14
1.36
1952–53 Beşiktaş JK   Şevket Yorulmaz (2)
17
18
0.94
1953–54 Fenerbahçe SK   Lefter Küçükandonyadis (2)
14
14
1.00
1954–55 Galatasaray SK   Ali Beratlıgil (1)
14
18
0.78
1955–56 Galatasaray SK   Metin Oktay (1)
19
17
1.12
1956–57 Galatasaray SK   Metin Oktay (2)
17
16
1.06
1957–58 Galatasaray SK   Metin Oktay (3)
19
17
1.12
1958–59 Galatasaray SK   Metin Oktay (4)
22
16
1.38

Records edit

Titles edit

  • Most consecutive titles: 5
    • Beşiktaş JK (1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43)

Biggest wins edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Turkey - Istanbul League 1904–1918". RSSSF. RSSSF. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  2. ^ "İstanbul Ligi Tarihi" (in Turkish). Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. ^ "İstanbul Futbol Ligleri" (in Turkish). TFAB. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Müzdat Yetkiner arşivleri".
Sources
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