FIFA.COM: "The Black Eagles of the Bosporus"

Here is a nice article about Besiktas puplish on Fifa's web site.

The Black Eagles of the Bosporus



Besiktas, the oldest sports club in Turkey, traces its origins to the autumn of 1902, when a group of 22 young men began gathering for physical exercise on certain days of the week in the Istanbul suburb which gives the club its name. Football was not part of the equation to start with. The young men kept their bodies and souls in shape through gymnastics, wrestling and weight-lifting.

In spite of a general ban on sports clubs and severe restrictions on freedom of association under Sultan Abdulhamit the Second, Besiktas Jimnastik Kulübü - Besiktas Gymnastics Club – was officially founded under a special permit just a year later. The membership roll increased dramatically and rapidly, until the club was officially re-founded on 13 January 1910 as Besiktas Osmanli Jimnastik Kulubü on the repeal of the laws prohibiting clubs.

A few months later, football clubs Validecesme and Basiret merged with Besiktas, making football the most important discipline at the club in just a few short weeks. A curiosity dating from the early years is that Besiktas, as the only sports club in the country at the time, occasionally played as the Turkish national team, and are thus the only club to incorporate the national flag on their emblem.

The history of the Black Eagles
In the 1940s, Besiktas dominated the Turkish footballing scene. After back-to-back domestic league triumphs at the beginning of the decade, the club went into the 1940-41 campaign with a largely new and young team. The brilliantly skilled men in black and white were to become legends that year, after a series of breathtaking displays which also earned them their nickname, the Black Eagles.

The term first came into use on 19 January 1941, as the men from Istanbul took on Suleymaniye and ran up a crushing 6-0 victory. Midway through the second half, a fisherman by the name of Mehmet Galin struck up a previously unheard chant, which – so the legend goes – was rapidly taken up by the entire stadium. "Come on Black Eagles, attack Black Eagles!" was the cry from thousands of throats, and Besiktas had the nickname that persists to this day.

Success in the 90s
The period from 1957 to 1986 brought seven title triumphs, but that was merely the prelude to the 1990s, the truly golden age in Besiktas’ history. Under English coach Gordon Milne, the oldest club in Turkey recorded a title hat-trick from 1990 to 1992. Milne’s team featured an attacking trio of Metin Tekin, Ali Gultiken and Feyyaz Ucar, still considered by fans as the best forward line ever to represent the club.

The 1991-2 campaign brought not only the title but also a record, as Besiktas became the only club to win the Turkish championship without losing a match. Other records include a 10-0 victory over Adana Demirspor in 1989-90, the biggest margin of victory in Turkish league history, a run of 48 consecutive league matches without defeat, and a 13-game winning streak in the 1959-60 season. The same campaign brought a record total of 29 league wins.

Recent times
Compared to the glories of the past, Besiktas’ recent record in the Turkish championship has been patchy. Their twelfth and most recent Super Lig title came in 2003. This was followed by domestic knockout cup success in 2006 and 2007, but the championship trophy proved elusive. However, the current team under new coach Mustafa Denizli is undefeated so far this term and tops the Turkish standings eight games into the campaign.

Stadium
Besiktas’ home ground is the BJK Inonu stadium, located in the suburb of Besiktas and boasting a panoramic view over the Bosporus. The Black Eagles moved into their newly-constructed home in 1947, when the stadium was named after the second president of the Republic of Turkey, Ismet Inonu. The most recent renovation took place four years ago, with the removal of the running track and lowering of the pitch. The only stadium in the world offering a view of two continents (Europe and Asia) currently boasts a capacity of 32,086.

Honours
12 Turkish Championships: 1957, 1958, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1982, 1986, 1990-1992, 1995, 2003
7 Turkish Cups: 1975, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2007
1 Turkish Supercup: 2006

Legendary players
Metin Tekin (1982-1997), Feyyaz Uçar (1981-1994), Ali Gültiken (1985-1995), Eyjólfur Gjafar Sverrisson (1994-1995), Stefan Kuntz (1995-1996), Daniel Amokachi (1996-1999), Nihat Kaveci (1998-2001), Kleberson (2003-2005), Yordan Letchkov (1997-1998), Gökhan Zan (since 2003), John Carew (2004-2005), Rüstü Recber (since 2007)

Source:FIFA.com

TURKISH TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE WEEK 8,RESULTS AND STANDINGS!

ALL THE BIG GUNS IN THE LEAGUE BESIDES FENERBAHCE, LOST MATCHES OR POINTS!...

BESIKTAS, DRAW AT HOME AGAINST SIVASSPOR, TRABZONSPOR ALSO DRAW AT HOME IN FRONT OF THEIR FANS........ TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE BIGGEST SURPRISE CAME ON SUNDAY WHEN GALATASARAY LOST IN AWAY MATCH IN ESKISESHIR AGAINST ESKISEHIRSPOR WITH A HUGE SCORE 4-2. THE NEWCOMERS TO THE LEAGUE ESKISEHIRSPOR SURPRISE THE TURKISH GIANTS GALATASARAY TEAM!....

THIS WEEK'S BIGGEST MOVER ON THE LEAGUE LADDER WAS ANKARASPOR . THEY JUMPED TO THE THIRD PLACE ....

UNPREDICTABLE TURKISH TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE ,SAW SOME STRANGE GAMES THIS WEEKEND!....

THE MISTAKES BY REFEREES, WILL BE THE TALK OF THE TOWN ON THE TV AND RADIO SHOW THIS WEEK ,IN MY OPINION.

LASTLY, LAST WEEK'S MOST TALK TEAM FENERBAHCE AND THEIR COACH ARAGONES AT LEAST GOT OUT OF THE HOT SEAT FOR NOW!....

THEY ARE ONLY 2 POINTS BEHIND GALATASARAY AND 6 POINTS BEHIND THE LEAGUE LEADER..

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF THE WEEK FOR ME WAS, ON SATURDAY DURING THE FENERBAHCE SIVASPOR MATCH DEIVID'D COMEBACK FROM INJURIES AND SCORING HIS FIRST GOAL..

VERY EMOTIONAL DEIVID AFTER SCORING THE GOAL WENT TO ROBERTO CARLOS AND HUGGED HIM AND STARTED TO CRY.... AND HIS WIFE AT THE STANDS DID THE SAME THING...

THAT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL FOR ME AS A SOCCER FAN TOO!...

After the match this is what he said ,After my leg had got broken, I also lost my mother. It was a really hard time for me, so I am very very happy about being finally able to play again. I feel like my mother is still here with me. I think she watched my goal from where she is. As for scoring a goal, it was not unexpected, as I have been working and training really hard for the last couple of weeks. I knew that my comeback would be that fantastic. I also want to thank my friends and trainers for their endless support.',

HERE ARE THE RESULTS AND THE STANDINGS.....


Ankaragucu 1 Kayserispor 3
Antalyaspor 1 Hacettepe 1
Eskisehirspor 4 Galatasaray 2
Konyaspor 1 Buyuksehir Bld. Spor 2
Trabzonspor 1 Gaziantepspor 1

Played on Saturday
Ankaraspor 4 Kocaelispor 0
Denizlispor 2 Genclerbirligi 2
Fenerbahce 5 Bursaspor 2

Played on Friday
Besiktas 1 Sivasspor 1

Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Besiktas 8 5 3 0 15 6 18
2 Trabzonspor 8 5 2 1 12 9 17
3 Ankaraspor 8 5 1 2 15 7 16
4 Sivasspor 8 4 3 1 13 7 15
5 Bursaspor 8 5 0 3 14 14 15
6 Galatasaray 8 4 2 2 19 10 14
7 Kayserispor 8 4 2 2 10 5 14
8 Gaziantepspor 8 4 2 2 12 9 14
9 Fenerbahce 8 4 0 4 16 13 12
10 Eskisehirspor 8 3 3 2 11 10 12
11 Konyaspor 8 3 1 4 10 14 10
12 Buyuksehir Bld. Spor 8 2 3 3 7 9 9
13 Genclerbirligi 8 2 3 3 10 13 9
14 Denizlispor 8 2 2 4 10 14 8
15 Hacettepe 8 2 2 4 6 11 8
16 Ankaragucu 8 1 2 5 7 15 5
17 Antalyaspor 8 0 2 6 10 18 2
18 Kocaelispor 8 0 1 7 7 20 1

BESIKTAS JUST CAN'T WIN AGAINST SIVASSPOR

Besiktas might be the only undefeated team team in the Turkish Super league, but, They just can't beat Sivasspor in Istanbul.

BESIKTAS passed up the chance to go four points clear at the Turkcell Super League summit on Friday night but have extended their advantage to two points following a 1-1 home draw against Sivasspor.
Mehmet Yildiz opened the scoring for the visitors in the fourth minute, but Matias Delgado restored parity for the leaders just nine minutes later and that is how it remained.

Sivasspor climb a place to third courtesy of the draw, moving to within a point of second-spotted Trabzonspor

TURKEY'S TURKCELL SUPER LEAGUE "ROUND 8", WILL START WITH A BANG!.....

CLASH FOR THE TOP SPOT!.....

League leaders Besiktaş will be hosting 5th placed Sivasspor who has 14 points at İstanbul İnönü Stadium. Besiktas has 17 points going in to this match.

Besiktas has changed their coach during the national matches break. Manager Ertugrul Saglam is replaced by experienced coach Mustafa Denizli. Mustafa Denizli has declared that the team will play in a more offensive fashion and their aim will be scoring more than they concede. In his first match as Besiktas coach.

Sivasspor is also a very powerful team. They have started this season with a very nice form and proved that their success in the last season has nothing to do with luck. Especially their offensive line is great with the presence of powerhouse striker Mehmet Yildiz and pacey Israeli Pini Balili. Sivasspor has beaten Ankaragucu 3-0 at their last match.

Sivasspor will be playing without their first choice goalkeeper Petkovic. The replacement Akin is also a good keeper but the atmosphere at İstanbul may be too much for him.

Besiktas will also be missing Gökhan Zan, Batuhan Karadeniz, Aydın Karabulut and Seric.

Here is the round 8th fixture at TSL......( All Times are local Turkey times)

Follow all the Turkcell Super league matches live on www.turkishsoccer.com

Friday, 24 October 2008
Besiktas v Sivasspor, 20:00

Saturday, 25 October 2008
Ankaraspor v Kocaelispor, 14:00
Denizlispor v Genclerbirligi, 14:00
Fenerbahce v Bursaspor, 19:00

Sunday, 26 October 2008
Ankaragucu v Kayserispor, 14:00
Antalyaspor v Hacettepe, 14:00
Eskisehirspor v Galatasaray, 19:00
Konyaspor v Istanbul BB, 14:00
Trabzonspor v Gaziantepspor, 16:00

GALATASARAY MAKES A GOOD START IN UEFA CUP GROUP MATCHES!

Galatasaray's Harry Kewell (C) celebrates his goal against Olympiacos Piraeus with team mates Arda Turan (L) and Emre Asik (R) during their UEFA Cup soccer match at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul, October 23, 2008.
REUTERS/Fatih Saribas (TURKEY)





Galatasaray got their UEFA Cup group stage campaign off to a winning start with a narrow 1-0 victory over Olympiacos in a closely-contested clash in Istanbul.

Harry Kewell's glancing header was enough to give Michael Skibbe's Turkish champions all three points against Ernesto Valverde's Greek title-holders at a packed Ali Sami Yen Stadium.

Both teams went into the Group B fixture desperate to make amends for recent European disappointment - having lost in the Champions League qualifiers - and it was the hosts who took the early initiative, pressing and probing with former Leeds man Kewell prominent.

The first clear chance of the game came after 20 minutes when Arda Turan headed wide from Lincoln's left-wing corner. Then, two minutes later Kewell dragged a snapshot wide when well placed inside the penalty area.

The Turks continued to press and Sabri Sarioglu tested Nikopolidis with a powerful long-range drive which the visiting keeper parried for a corner.

The deadlock was then broken from the resulting corner in the 26th minute and Kewell was the man on target, evading his marker Didier Domi at the near post before glancing a downward header past Nikopolidis from another Lincoln corner.

Despite the occasional rampaging run from Vasilis Torosidis down the right, Olympiacos struggled to gain meaningful possession and Diogo looked an isolated figure with little service coming from Argentinian duo Luciano Galletti and Fernando Belluschi.

Galletti had a decent opportunity to get his team back into the game on the stroke of half-time but he fired his free-kick into the wall.

The hosts continued to threaten the Olympiacos goal in the second half, with Anastasios Pantos clearing off the line from Baros before Lincoln blasted the rebound over the crossbar from close range.

Lincoln should have added to the scoreline but was thwarted by Nikopolidis and then the crossbar.

Olympiacos substitute Darko Kovacevic had a golden chance to equalise for the Greeks but he headed Fernando Belluschi's free-kick inches wide.

It was then Diogo's turn to miss as the Brazilian headed agonisingly wide from a Torosidis long ball as Galatasaray held to to claim the win.

FATIH TERIM SIGNS A NEW DEAL!.....

Photo courtesy of TFF


Fatih Terim has signed a two-year extension to his contract as Turkey coach.

The deal had been agreed with former Turkish Football Federation (TFF) president Hasan Doğan on 2 July, but Dogan's untimely death three days later delayed its signing. Turkey enjoyed a surprise run to the semi-finals of EURO 2008 and are undefeated after four matches in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, though they trail Spain by four points in Group 5. "The Turkish national team has big aspirations to reach the finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and EURO 2012," TFF president Mahmut Ozgener said. "We think our coach Fatih Terim is the right person to help us reach those targets."

Ozgener also praised the efforts of Terim. "Thanks to their brilliant displays, courage and determination, Turkey were one of the most discussed teams of the tournament," he said. Terim began his second spell in charge of Turkey in 2005 having also led his country from 1993 to 1996.. The 55-year-old, who took Galatasaray to victory in the UEFA Cup in 2000 and has also coached ACF Fiorentina and AC Milan, has said he regards the post as a "national calling".

Galatasaray to face Olympiakos in UEFA cup group stage

Galatasaray are set face Greece's Olympiakos in their first game in UEFA Cup group stage campaign to start on Thursday.

The game will kick off at 9:15 p.m. local time(2:15 ET). Spanish Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez, Juan Carlos Yuste Jimenez and Jon Nunez Fernandez will referee the match.

Portugal's Benfica, Germany's Hertha Berlin and Ukraine's Metalist Kharkiv are Galatasaray's other rivals in Group B.

UEFA Cup group stage will end on December 18th. Three teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages.