It is historic fact that the Altay Soccer team beat the Italian team [1]Garibaldi 10-0 in 1918. The Italian Ambassador closed the soccer club for dishonoring the name of the national hero. Yet,
I bet you do not know that the Turkish team goalkeeper Adnan (Menderes) and player Evliyazade Nejat (Eczacibaşı) went on to become the prime minister and a major industrialist respectively. future President Celal Bayar also worked very hard in foundation of the club.
Altay Spor Kulübü (Altay Sports Club) is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of İzmir. Formed in 1914, Altay are nicknamed Büyük Altay (Great Altay). The club colours are black and white.Altay was founded in 1914 in İzmir as İstiklal. The initial aim of the club was to unite Turkish youth under sporting activities and to encourage them, because in the 1910s minorities dominated sporting activities in İzmir. Under Ottoman rule, Turkish footballers were unable to compete. Altay was supported by Turkish politicians of the era.
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A photo postcard from 1919 showing a football match between from the name clearly a Jewish team ‘Maccabi’ and the British Wanderer team that was the local Bornova team which boasted players from the La Fontaine and Whittall families. The playing field was by the Greek Orthodox cemetery of Michael Archon (Archangel) of Darağaç, as can the tombstones be seen in the distance. This field was at the time home to Panionios (the local Greek team) and is today’s Altay Alsancak stadium. Presumably this was used in other matches of the area as well as attested by the outline of the cypress trees in the background of the top photos. The chimney in the background belonged to Şark Sanayi, a major cotton thread manufacturer - information courtesy of Andrew Simes.
[1] Altay's record against other minority teams. October 9, 1914 vs. Pakser British Youth (4-3), November 1914 vs. American College(3-0) yendi. December 6, 1914 vs. Paniainios[*] (0-0), December 13, 1914 vs. Karşıyaka Greek team (0-0), December 27, 19141915 vs. Paniainios-Apollon united team (2-0).
[*] Panionios G.S.S. (Greek: Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης - Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis), the Pan-Ionian Gymnastic Association of Smyrna, is a Greek multi sport club founded in 1890. Originally based in Smyrna/Izmir, the club was uprooted in the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the Asia Minor Catastrophe in 1922. It is now based in the Athenian suburb of Nea Smyrni, (New Smyrna) in Greece, where many of the refugees from Smyrna settled.
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(pictured Apollon team 1919)
Apollon Smyrnis, officially known as GS Apollon Smyrnis (Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Απόλλων Σμύρνης - Gymnastikos Syllogos Apollon Smyrnis), the Gymnastic Club Apollon of Smyrna, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece was also founded in Izmir. The club competed in football matches with all the teams of Smyrni, as well as with teams of sailors on foreign navy ships. These were in the harbour of the Ionian capital. In 1911 Apollo accomplished a victory over the most powerful soccer team of the season. The team of the Austrian warship “Wirintous”! It is characteristic that the Austrian admiral sent a congratulations telegram to the presiding board of the Apollon Club Association. Important also is the victory achieved in 1918 against the almighty team of English warship “Minitor 19”, the first warship that had sailed into the harbour of Smyrni, after the defeat of Turkey in the first world war.
I bet you do not know that the Turkish team goalkeeper Adnan (Menderes) and player Evliyazade Nejat (Eczacibaşı) went on to become the prime minister and a major industrialist respectively. future President Celal Bayar also worked very hard in foundation of the club.
Altay Spor Kulübü (Altay Sports Club) is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of İzmir. Formed in 1914, Altay are nicknamed Büyük Altay (Great Altay). The club colours are black and white.Altay was founded in 1914 in İzmir as İstiklal. The initial aim of the club was to unite Turkish youth under sporting activities and to encourage them, because in the 1910s minorities dominated sporting activities in İzmir. Under Ottoman rule, Turkish footballers were unable to compete. Altay was supported by Turkish politicians of the era.
A photo postcard from 1919 showing a football match between from the name clearly a Jewish team ‘Maccabi’ and the British Wanderer team that was the local Bornova team which boasted players from the La Fontaine and Whittall families. The playing field was by the Greek Orthodox cemetery of Michael Archon (Archangel) of Darağaç, as can the tombstones be seen in the distance. This field was at the time home to Panionios (the local Greek team) and is today’s Altay Alsancak stadium. Presumably this was used in other matches of the area as well as attested by the outline of the cypress trees in the background of the top photos. The chimney in the background belonged to Şark Sanayi, a major cotton thread manufacturer - information courtesy of Andrew Simes.
[1] Altay's record against other minority teams. October 9, 1914 vs. Pakser British Youth (4-3), November 1914 vs. American College(3-0) yendi. December 6, 1914 vs. Paniainios[*] (0-0), December 13, 1914 vs. Karşıyaka Greek team (0-0), December 27, 19141915 vs. Paniainios-Apollon united team (2-0).
[*] Panionios G.S.S. (Greek: Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης - Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis), the Pan-Ionian Gymnastic Association of Smyrna, is a Greek multi sport club founded in 1890. Originally based in Smyrna/Izmir, the club was uprooted in the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the Asia Minor Catastrophe in 1922. It is now based in the Athenian suburb of Nea Smyrni, (New Smyrna) in Greece, where many of the refugees from Smyrna settled.
(pictured Apollon team 1919)Apollon Smyrnis, officially known as GS Apollon Smyrnis (Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Απόλλων Σμύρνης - Gymnastikos Syllogos Apollon Smyrnis), the Gymnastic Club Apollon of Smyrna, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece was also founded in Izmir. The club competed in football matches with all the teams of Smyrni, as well as with teams of sailors on foreign navy ships. These were in the harbour of the Ionian capital. In 1911 Apollo accomplished a victory over the most powerful soccer team of the season. The team of the Austrian warship “Wirintous”! It is characteristic that the Austrian admiral sent a congratulations telegram to the presiding board of the Apollon Club Association. Important also is the victory achieved in 1918 against the almighty team of English warship “Minitor 19”, the first warship that had sailed into the harbour of Smyrni, after the defeat of Turkey in the first world war.