Fenerbahçe is one of the oldest and most successful multi-sport clubs in Turkey, having won as much as 13 international titles, including 12 major European titles, 1 World championship and 3 regional Balkan titles in 5 sports (Football, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Table tennis).[2] They have won 10 European titles with 6 of their sports departments (men's and women's basketball, wheelchair basketball, men's and women's volleyball, and women's table tennis), being one of two sports clubs in Turkey and one of a few in Europe to have achieved this rare feat.[2]
Fenerbahçe is one of the most supported Turkish clubs with millions of fans inside Turkey and all over the world[3] The club has 309,026 paid members as of 16 September 2012.[4]
In its 101st year of 2008; with a market value of $2 billion, it surpassed Manchester United to become the world's most valuable club.[5][6] Also, in March 2008, Fenerbahçe's record application was accepted by Guinness World Records, which envisages Fenerbahçe to have the highest number of medal and trophy achievements on the planet with its 9 departments entirely, a total of 1134 cups and medals.[7][8]
Fenerbahçe was founded as a football club in 1907 in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, by Ziya Songülen (then Nurizade Ziya Bey), Ayetullah Bey, and Necip Okaner (then Enver Necip Bey). This group of individuals founded the club secretly in order to keep a low profile and not get into any trouble with the strict Ottoman rule. So strict that the Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, forbade the Turkish youth to set up a club or engage in the game of football played by the English families that was watched in envy. The club's name comes from Fenerbahçe, a neighbourhood in Istanbul. The name literally means "lighthouse garden" in Turkish (from fener, meaning "lighthouse", and bahçe, meaning "garden"), referring to a historic lighthouse located at Fenerbahçe Cape.
Ziya Songülen was elected the first President of the club, Ayetullah Bey became the first General Secretary, and Enver Necip Okaner was given the post of the General Captain.[9] The lighthouse situated on the Fenerbahçe Cape was a big influence on the design of the club's first crest, which sported the yellow and white colours of daffodils around the lighthouse. The kits were also designed with yellow and white stripes.[9] The crest and the colours of the club were changed in 1910 when Hikmet Topuzer redesigned the badge and Ziya Songülen changed the colours to yellow and navy, from then on the iconic colours of the club. Fenerbahçe's activities were kept in secrecy until a legislation reform in 1908, when, under a new law, all football clubs had to register to exist legally.[9]
Fenerbahçe joined the Istanbul League in 1909, finishing fifth in their first year. The founding line-up included Ziya Songülen, Ayetullah Bey, Necip Okaner, Galip Kulaksızoğlu, Hassan Sami Kocamemi, Asaf Beşpınar, Enver Yetiker, Şevkati Hulusi Bey, Fuat Hüsnü Kayacan, Hamit Hüsnü Kayacan, and Nasuhi Baydar.[10] Fenerbahçe played against the staff of the Royal Navy that occupied Istanbul during the Turkish War of Independence. Some British soldiers formed football teams that were named after the players' speciality, for example EssexEngineers, Irish Guards, Grenadiers, and Artillery. These teams played against each other and against local football teams in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe won many of these matches.[11]General Harrington Cup is a football tournament held in Istanbul in 1923. This tournament is one of the most important football events held in British-occupied Istanbul. General Sir Charles Harrington, who gave his name to the cup, was the commander of the British occupation forces in Istanbul at that time. Local football teams in Istanbul and teams formed by the occupying forces participated in the tournament. The final match was played at Taksim Stadium on 1923. In this final match, Fenerbahçe and the British occupation forces team, faced each other. Fenerbahçe won this match 2-1 and won the cup.
The men's basketball team is one of the most successful in Turkey and is the first team in Turkish basketball history to have won the EuroLeague. They became European champions in the 2016–17 season and runners-up in 2015–16 and 2017–18.[15] The club have played in five consecutive EuroLeague Final Fours (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) so far, which is also a Turkish record. Another additional F4 in 2023.
In 2023, the women's basketball team won the EuroLeague by defeating ÇBK Mersin Yenişehir 99–60 in the all-Turkish final. By achieving this feat, Fener became the first and only sports club in history to be crowned European champions in both men's and women's basketball. Eventually in the same year, Fenerbahçe became the first and only Turkish club to date to win the FIBA Europe SuperCup by crushing France's LDLC ASVEL Féminin on their own homeground with a dominating victory and a point differential of 57, a record in the SuperCup's history.
The men's volleyball team won the CEV Challenge Cup, also in the 2013–14 season, thus writing volleyball history as the women's team won another continental title, the aforementioned CEV Cup, the very same day.[18][19][20] By achieving this unparalleled feat, Fenerbahçe became the only sports club in Turkey and one of few in Europe with European titles won in both the men's and women's volleyball departments. They also became Balkan Champions in 2009 and 2013.
The table tennis department of Fenerbahçe is the best in Turkey and one of the best in Europe, with the women's team having won the ETTU Cup two times in a row, in the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons, which is a Turkish record.[21][22] They became the only Turkish team that played in a European Champions League Final, and they won the Champions League title in 2015 undefeated, thus achieving the only Triple Crown ever for a Turkish table tennis team.[23][24] The men's team reached the final of the ETTU Cup in 2008, which is the best result for any Turkish team to date.
The first mens's football team in 1907-08 season.
Women's volleyball in 1950.
Club crest and colours
Former crest of Fenerbahçe (1907–1928)
Since the club's foundation, Fenerbahçe has used the same badge, which has only undergone minor alterations.
It was designed by Hikmet Topuzer, nicknamed Topuz Hikmet, who played as left winger, in 1910, and had made as lapel pins by Tevfik Haccar Taşçı (then Tevfik Haccar) in London. The crest consists of five colours. The white section which includes the writing Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü ★ 1907 ★ represents purity and open-heartedness, the red section represents love and attachment to the club and symbolises the Turkish flag. The yellow section symbolises other ones' envy and jealousy about Fenerbahçe, while the navy symbolises nobility. The oak leaf which rises from the navy and yellow section shows the force and the power of being a member of Fenerbahçe. The green colour of the leaf shows the success of Fenerbahçe is imperative.[25]Hikmet Topuzer describes the story of the emblem as below:
After the change of the club's colours from yellow and white to yellow and navy, it was an issue to create an emblem with our new colours. My friends left the design of this emblem to me. Firstly, I brought together the colours of our national flag, red and white. Then drew a heart shape over the red and gave it a yellow and navy colour, adding an acorn leaf that represents resistance, power and strength. I wrote the club name and foundation date on the white section. When drawing our emblem, I tried to give this meaning: Serving the club with dependence from heart. The design was favored by my friends and our new emblem was made through the guidance of Tevfik Haccar, who was in Germany at time. After the new alphabet was approved, the design was protected, but the club name on the emblem was changed to Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü ★ 1907 ★.[25]
Newspaper news about a match played by Fenerbahçe in the regional tournament on 1 March 1908
The club were founded as a football club in 1907, hence the men's football department are the first and oldest of the club. They have won a record 28 Turkish championship titles over the course of their history, including 19 Super League titles, 6 National Division titles, and 3 former Turkish Football Championship titles.[13][12] Fenerbahçe have also won the Balkans Cup in 1968, which is marked as the first ever international trophy won by a Turkish football club.
Originally founded in 1995 and re-founded in 2021, the women's football department of Fenerbahçe competes in the Turkish Women's Football Super League.
Initially founded in 1913, the men's basketball department could not persist due to the Balkan Wars and WWI. Eventually, under the initiative of Muhtar Sencer and Cem Atabeyoğlu, they were founded in their current permanent form in 1944. Fenerbahçe are one of the most successful clubs in Turkish basketball history, having won the EuroLeague as the first Turkish team, as well as 14 championship titles (11 in the Basketball Super League and 3 in the former Turkish Basketball Championship), 8 Turkish Cups, and 7 Turkish Super Cups, among others. They have also played in five consecutive EuroLeague Final Fours (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) so far, a record in Turkish basketball.
In 1954, Fenerbahçe founded the first women's basketball team in Turkey. They became the most successful in Turkey, and achieved considerable success in European competitions. They became EuroLeague runners-up on three occasions, in the 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2016–17 seasons, and reached the third place twice in 2016 and 2021. The club also became fourth in the 2011–12 and 2014–15 seasons. Furthermore, Fenerbahçe became runners-up in the EuroCup in 2005. Overall, Fener played in four major European finals and managed to be among the best four European clubs seven times. In 2023, Fenerbahçe finally won the EuroLeague by defeating ÇBK Mersin Yenişehir 99–60 in the all-Turkish final.[26] By achieving this feat, Fener became the first sports club in history to be crowned European champions in both men's and women's basketball.[27] Eventually in the same year, Fenerbahçe became the first and only Turkish club to date to win the FIBA Europe SuperCup by crushing France's LDLC ASVEL Féminin on their own homeground with a dominating victory and a point differential of 57, a record in the SuperCup's history.[28] in 2024 Fenerbahçe successfully defended their crown by defeating first-time finalists Villeneuve d'Ascq LM to become back-to-back champions in EuroLeague.[29][30]
Domestically, Fenerbahçe won 21 Turkish championship titles (3 in the former Turkish Women's Basketball Championship and 18 in the Turkish Super League), 14 Turkish Cups, and 12 Turkish Super Cups, all of them records.
The team became champion in the Wheelchair Basketball Super League under the name of 'Engelli Yıldızlar SK' in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons, and in the 2018-19 season under the name of '1907 Fenerbahçe Engelli Yıldızlar SK'. In Europe the team came second in the Andre Vergauwen Cup in 2006-2007 and the Willi Brinkmann Cup in 2005-2006, and became the champion in EuroLeague 3 in the 2018-19 season under the name of 1907 Fenerbahce Disabled Stars SK. In the 2022-2023 season, Fenerbahçe Göksel Çelik Wheelchair Basketball team became the champion in EuroCup II. The team also beat the Bidaideak Bilbao BSR and became the 2024 EuroCup 1 champions in 2023-24 season.[31]
Sabiha Rıfat Gürayman with her male teammates from Fenerbahçe's volleyball team in 1929.
Founded in 1928 by Sabiha Gürayman who also became captain of the team, the women's volleyball department of Fenerbahçe was the first in Turkey and was closed the same year due to a lack of opponents.[32] As a young woman, Sabiha Gürayman also played for the club's men's volleyball team, being the first female athlete to play in a men's team in Turkish sports history.[33][34] Refounded in their current form in 1954, they became one of the best volleyball teams in Turkey and in the world. They were crowned World Champions by winning the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship undefeated in 2010, thus achieving the first Intercontinental Quadruple ever in Turkish volleyball history, after having won the Turkish League, Turkish Cup, and the Turkish Super Cup in 2010.[16] Fenerbahçe became the first Turkish team to claim a World Championship title. After being runners-up in the European Champions League in 2010, Fenerbahçe were eventually crowned European Champions in the 2011–12 season after defeating French powerhouse RC Cannes in three straight sets (25–14, 25–22, and 25–20) in the final game.[17] The club also reached the third place of the Champions League twice, in the 2010–11 and 2015–16 seasons.
Fenerbahçe also won the CEV Cup by defeating Russia's Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg 3–0 (25-11, 28–26, 25-22) in the 2014 finals in front of their passionate home crowd, thus writing volleyball history as the men's team won another continental title, the CEV Challenge Cup, the very same day.[18][19] By achieving this unparalleled feat, Fenerbahçe became the first and only sports club in Turkey and one of a few in Europe with European titles won in both the men's and women's volleyball departments.
Founded in 1928, the table tennis department of Fenerbahçe became the most successful in Turkey. The men's team won the Turkish Super League 5 times, the Turkish Cup a record 11 times and the Istanbul Championship a record 23 times. They also reached the final of the ETTU Cup in 2008, which is the best result for any Turkish team so far.
The women's team is the most successful in Turkey and one of the most successful in Europe, having won the Turkish Championship a record 13 times, the Turkish Cup a record 14 times, the ETTU Cup 2 times in a row in 2012 and 2013, and the European Champions League as the first and only Turkish club in the 2014–15 season.
The department was founded in 1913 and is one of the most successful in Turkey, with the men's team having won a record 20 championships in the Turkish Men's Athletics League, amongst others. The women's team won 8 championships in the Women's Athletics League and became runners-up in the European Champion Clubs Cup in 2015.
Founded in 1914, they are the most successful boxing department in Turkey. Overall, Fenerbahçe Boxing has nurtured some of the greatest boxers in Turkish boxing history, with numerous Mediterranean, European, Olympic, and Worldwide honours won for Turkish sports and the club itself.
The club's athletes have won 9 gold, 4 silver, 9 bronze medals in world championships whilst winning 5 silver and 2 bronze medals in Olympics and securing 9 gold, one silver and 9 bronze medals in European championships. Athletes have also won 7 gold medals in Mediterranean games and 8 gold medals in Balkan games.
Founded in 1910. Fenerbahçe Rowers use the Dereağzı Facilities as homeground. Founded in 1914, both the men's and women's rowing teams are the most successful in Turkey, having won the Turkish Men's Rowing Championship a record 35 times and the Women's Rowing Championship a record 18 times, amongst others. Fenerbahçe has been the club that has provided the most athletes to the national team since Tonguç Türsan, who achieved Turkey's first official success in the international arena by winning the silver medal in single sculls at the 1955 Mediterranean Games.
Founded in 1913, the swimming department of Fenerbahçe is the most successful in Turkey, with the men's team having won 23 national championships and the women's team a record 33 national championships altogether. In the combined category, they won a total of 23 national championships, which is also a Turkish record.
Gymnastics activities began when former president Hamit Hüsnü Kayacan purchased a chin-up bar and parallel bars and set them up next to the club in 1914. The activities were led by İlhami Polater, air pilot (later Lieutenant General) Asım Uçar, General Nuri Bey and Colonel Kadri Bey, and the activities were increased by the fact that famous physical education experts of the period Faik Üstünidman and Mazhar Kazancıoğlu occasionally gave lessons to young Fenerbahçe fans. However, this sport was neglected after 1924 and became disbanded in 1930.[37] It was later reactivated under 'Fenerbahçe Spor Okulları' (Fenerbahçe Sports Schools).[38]
Chess
Although not being directly a branch of the club, several Fenerbahçe affiliated organizations competed in national championships in 2023[39] and 2024[40][41] The club also has a semi-professional presence under 'Fenerbahçe Spor Okulları' (Fenerbahçe Sports Schools).[42]
Inactive Departments
Bicycle and Triathlon
In cycling, which has been active since 1912, Fenerbahçe athletes won their first period championships, while Vecdi Çağatay, who came first in the 1912 and 1913 Fenerbahçe Sports Festivals and the 1914 Friday Union Festivals, stood out as the first champion.[43] The first Turkish cyclists to participate in the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics were the brothers Cavit Cav and Galip Cav.[44] In 1924, Cavit Cav became both the speed and endurance champion in the Turkish Cycling Championships, which were first held in Ankara.[45] He maintained this success until 1932. Galip and Cavit Cav brothers became the first Turkish athletes to complete the long-distance race by completing the İzmir-Bandırma leg in 50.5 hours, starting on July 10, 1926.[46] Tayyar Güner, who completed the 3,500-kilometer Anatolian tour starting from Istanbul in 1956[47] and Sadık Yalım, who helped Fenerbahçe win the Istanbul championship in 1959, were the last notable cyclists to achieve success in the yellow-navy blue jersey.[48] The activity in the Triathlon branch in the early 1990s, although there were some isolated successes, was not long-lasting.
Cricket
At the beginning of the century, Fenerbahçe was the only Turkish club to show interest in cricket activities in Beykoz and Moda and a team was established in the yellow-navy club in 1911.[49] The team, consisting of a complete team of athletes such as Sait Selahattin Cihanoğlu, Galip Kulaksızoğlu, Tevfik Taşçı, Fahri Ayad, competed against English teams between 1911 and 1914. With the end of World War I and the British leaving Turkey, it was left without a rival and disbanded.[50]
Tennis
The tennis team, founded in 1914 with the efforts of former president Sabri Toprak, won its first İstanbul, Turkey and Challenge Cup championships in 1922, also defeating the British. In 1923, it became the team that brought the first female tennis players of Turkey to the courts.[51] 3 The national team, consisting of Fenerbahçe tennis players Suat Subay, Sedat Erkoğlu and Vahram Şirinyan, became champions in the 1930 Balkan Championship in Athens by defeating their Greek, Bulgarian and Romanian opponents, and in 1931 they won third place in Istanbul.[52] The Turkish and Challenge Cup championships, which were held by Fenerbahçe tennis players in the men's singles and doubles until 1937, were passed on to the Tennis, Fencing and Mountaineering Sports Club, which was founded in 1936, due to the club's financial difficulties restricting its activities to football, athletics and rowing. The tennis branch, which gained momentum with the reopening of the Fernerbahçe courts to sports in 1942, performed its last important activity in 1949 with matches against the visiting Cercle de la Jeunesse team from Syria; although it was invited to Lebanon in 1950, it became history in the 1950s.
Wrestling
In wrestling, which was taken into operation in 1914, Seyfi Cenap Berksoy and Dürrü Sade (who also served as presidents of the Wrestling Federation) represented Turkey as athletes in the 1924 Summer Olympics[53] and İlhami Polater (1922), the first Greco-Roman style champion in Turkey, became the most important Fenerbahçe athletes of the classical period.[54] Fenerbahçe wrestling team, which was reactivated in 1959 under the supervision of coach Mustafa Çakmak. The team won its first Istanbul championship in Greco-Roman in 1961. The captain of the Fenerbahçe Greco-Roman team, which was the Istanbul champion for three years in a row between 1966 and 1968, Sırrı Acar won the European championship in 1967 and 1968, and the World championship in 1967.[55][56] Fenerbahçe wrestling team, which was re-established in 1981 and continued its activities until 1987, reached the second places in Istanbul and Turkey.[57]
Field hockey
The team, which was formed in 1914 with the efforts of the founding director Mustafa Elkatipzade, came first in the Istanbul Championship organized by the Hockey Association, which was founded by six Istanbul teams in 1915.[58] In 1923, the Turkish Sports Association Alliance also took up this sport, and Fenerbahçe became the club with the most first-place finishes, winning 4 championships in the 8 Istanbul Leagues organized between 1915 and 1926.[59] The match in which the yellow-navy team won 3-1 against the English on April 14, 1926 was the last match of the Fenerbahçe field hockey team due to lack of competition and was the last competition seen in this sport in Turkey until the 2000s.[60]
Skating and Roller Hockey
Former presidents first practiced it in a 16x30 meter concrete skating rink built next to the club's premises, which was moved to Kuşdili in 1914, and these activities formed the basis for the establishment of the roller hockey team in 1923. In the 1923-24 season, Fenerbahçe, which was included in the Istanbul 2nd League in which Galatasaray, Vefa and Nişantaşı clubs competed, beat Nişantaşı 6-4 and then beat Vefa 20-3 on March 7, 1924, establishing the current points record in this sport.[61] Galatasaray's withdrawal and the league remaining unfinished, which was accepted as a demonstration sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics,[62] caused this sport to become history in Turkey in 1924, and forced Fenerbahçe, which had focused on this sport by establishing two young teams, to end its activities.[61]
Scouting
Men's scouts in 1914.
Fenerbahçe turned to this field in 1915 upon the application of the Minister of War Enver Pasha, who wanted to revive the scouting activities that started under the leadership of the Ottoman Scouts Society, which was founded in 1912, and after the Balkan War, Fenerbahçe established its first scouting team under the leadership of Mustafa Elkatipzade with the equipment sent by the government. As a result of the defeats in the Balkan and Tripoli Wars, the government of the period focused on the Scouting Club system, which was aimed at accustoming Muslim, Turkish youth to war conditions and mobilizations. In accordance with this understanding, Fenerbahçe Club first established the Keşşaflık Ocağı team in 1913 to train scouts consisting of youth players in all branches of sports. During the National Struggle years, the branch, which was content with camping and travel activities due to the seizure of equipment by the occupying forces, was reorganized in 1923 with the efforts of football player Alaattin Baydar. The activities that were performed in Bursa and Istanbul, which had just been liberated from enemy occupation, and were appreciated at the highest level, were eliminated in 1932 when the scouting equipment was completely reduced to ashes in the fire of Fenerbahçe Museum.[63]
Fencing
Air pilot Asım Uçar and Sait Bey epee, Sedat and Feyzi Beys distinguished themselves in the foil branch of this Olympic sport, which was taken into operation in 1917. [64] The yellow-navy team, coached by Colonel Grodetski, one of the White Russians who fled the 1917 Revolution and settled in Istanbul, performed at the Himaye-i Etfal Festival on June 20, 1920 and at the Fenerbahçe Festival in 1921 Although they had successful competitions, they lost their vitality when Asım Uçar left Istanbul to join the National Struggle.[65]
Fikir ve Sahne
Fenerbahçe's 1918 bylaws state that "The club is divided into Sports and Intellectual Training Branches. The idea and stage branch, founded in the spring of 1919 by the then president (also a playwright and former wrestler) Refik Ahmet Nuri Sekizinci in accordance with the 4th article of the ruling that "Each branch has separate statutes", carried out efforts to raise awareness among the public and members during the National Struggle years through conferences, theater plays and concerts led by Muhittin Sadak and Münir Nurettin Selçuk, and the Fenerbahçe magazine was published every 15 days. The branch was forced to end its activities on March 16, 1920, when the Occupation Army Command declared a ban on meetings after the occupation of Istanbul.[66]
Baseball
The activities of the team, which was formed in July 1919 under the supervision of an American coach and consisting of leading Fenerbahçe football players of the period, primarily Galip Kulaksızoğlu, Zeki Rıza Sporel, İsmet Uluğ, Alaattin Baydar and Sabih Arca, were limited to competitions with American teams when other Turkish clubs did not show interest in this sport, and it ended in a short time.[67]
Billiards
Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş athletes showed interest in this sport in the early years of the Republic In the Istanbul Championship held in 1924, yellow-navy athlete Major Fuat Bey became the champion with 183 points.[68] A year later, Beşiktaş's Nafi Bey came first with 187 shots[69] and the Prime Minister of the period İsmet İnönü showed great interest in this sport, but over the years it has become an activity specific to coffeehouses, and this has also extinguished the clubs' early interest.
Motor Sports
Automobile races, which started with the establishment of the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association in 1923, Fenerbahçe drivers Ziya Koşar (1927, Veliefendi) and Atatürk watched the races in which Samiye Burhan Cahit Morkaya (1931, İstinye-Maslak) won their first championships.[70] While Morkaya became the first female champion,[71] The Castrol and Turing Club cups were also won by the aforementioned Fenerbahçe racers and the cups were donated to the Fenerbahçe Museum.[72] The successes of the first generation Fenerbahçe racers were also left in history as this sport was neglected from the World War II years to the 1970s.
Weightlifting
The first championship of the yellow-navy colors in weightlifting, which was launched in 1925, was the Istanbul lightweight championship won by the famous master of description and rower of the 1940s and 50s Kenan Dinçman on October 8, 1926.[73] The weightlifting branch, which was revived after 1957, became the Istanbul champion and second in Turkey in the youth category in 1968, and reached the Istanbul championship in 1969.[74] Fenerbahçe, which won individual championships until 1976, won its last team success with the Istanbul championship on March 19, 1972 became.[75]
Hunting
The work that Galip Kulaksızoğlu and Sait Selahattin Cihanoğlu first started in 1913 became more organized with the establishment of the hunting branch in 1925. The activities, which are particularly concentrated in the Kayışdağı Forest, Katırlı and Alemdağ forests in Istanbul,[76] Cihanoğlu's Kenya, Tanzania and South Sudan regions The branch reached its peak with the hunting party in 1925-1926, which included the hunting party of 1925-1926. Cihanoğlu donated the heads of 22 game animals he hunted, including a lion, to the Fenerbahçe Museum. This branch, which experienced its most active period in the 1930s, lost its popularity as the club's activities focused on Olympic sports and became history with Cihanoğlu's death in 1975.[77]
Tower and Trampoline Diving
While Fenerbahçe athletes Fahri Ayad and Kemal Bey stand out as pioneers in both the tower and trampoline diving categories, Mısırlı Şefik, Mahir Canbakan and Suat Erler became the first champions, especially after 1925.[78] Fenerbahçe was represented in this sport by Kiryako Şakir in the 1930s, Mustafa Keskin in the 1940s and Muammer Çolpan after 1950, and all three athletes held the Istanbul and Turkish championships for a long time. Having also played for the national team from 1966 to 1971[79] and winning his last championship in the pole vault at the Turkish Swimming and Diving Championship held in Adana on August 25, 1969[80] Çolpan also said goodbye to this sport and the diving branch ended at Fenerbahçe.
Water Polo
Waterpolo team in 1913.
Although the initial activities of the water polo team captained by Galip Kulaksızoğlu and Said Salahaddin Cihanoğlu on the shores of Moda and Kalamış in 1912 stopped due to lack of competition, activities that were activated with the opening of the Büyükdere pool in 1931 were resumed by Fenerbahçe with the team founded in 1932 under the leadership of Rüştü Dağlaroğlu re-joined.[81] The team, which closed the Vakit Newspaper and Haliç tournaments as champions, finished third in the 1932 İstanbul League and became a rival to Galatasaray in 1933.[82] After a controversial match, Istanbul lost to its opponent 3-2 in overtime and came second. After disbanding in 1936, the teams that were re-established in the 1940s and 1953 were also short-lived.[83]
Water Skiing
This sport, which was first practiced in USA in 1922, was pioneered in Turkey in 1937 by Fenerbahçe's all-around athlete Galip Kulaksızoğlu and sailors Faruk Hızer and Semih Arıcan.[84] On July 25, 1937, on the Maritime Day of Modaspor The cup that Faruk Hızer won and received from Prime Minister İsmet İnönü is one of the most interesting awards exhibited in the Fenerbahçe Museum even in 2024.
Handball
The handball team, which was formed in 1942 as a result of the joint effort with Haydarpaşa High School, participated in the Istanbul Handball League that started the same year and became the Istanbul champion in the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons.[85] The spectator record for handball of the period, which was played in open fields due to insufficient halls, was approximately The record was broken in the match played on April 8, 1945 with 12,000 people before the Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray football match, which Fenerbahçe won 7-4 and secured the championship.[86] The team came second in the first Turkish Handball Championship in 1945, losing 7-5 to Harbokulu in the finals on July 1, 1945. After becoming the champion of Istanbul in 1945-46, it protested the arrangements against it and withdrew from the league as of the 1946-47 season.[87]
Rugby
Under the leadership of Reşat Ersü, who also played in the national match against France with the Italian national team, and in cooperation with Haydarpaşa High School, a rugby team was formed in Fenerbahçe in 1945 and beat the high school team 8-7 on 12 May 1945 at the Haydarpaşa High School Sports Day.[88] Before the football match in which Fenerbahçe beat Beşiktaş 4-0 at Fenerbahçe Stadium on 18 May 1947, Fenerbahçe's rugby team's 12-0 win over Galatasaray in front of approximately 18,000 spectators caused the red-yellow club to disband the team, and this match went down in history as the last rugby match until the Turkish League was founded in 2007.[89]
Archery
Archery began operating in Fenerbahçe in 1966 and achieved various successes in the short period until 1971. Fenerbahçe archer Sadık Öğretir, who held Turkish records for a long time, brought Fenerbahçe the Istanbul championship on September 19, 1966[90] On January 18, 1968, he also came first in the Turkish Archery Championship held in Mersin with 1003 points, which is a Turkish record.[91] Öğretir was also on the national team that participated in the World Archery Championship held in Amersfoort, Netherlands on July 23-29, 1967.
Judo
Fenerbahçe Club first included judo in its field of study in 1967. Despite the hopeful statements in the Board of Directors report presented to the Fenerbahçe Sports Club Congress held on March 17, 1968, the activities carried out for the youth did not receive the expected attention and this sport was bid farewell in 1971.[92]
Bridge
A bridge team was established in Fenerbahçe in 1984 with the initiative of former athlete and basketball player Orhan Zeren.[92] The team came third among 44 club and institution teams in the Institutions and Inter-Clubs Turkey Bridge Championship organized by the Turkish Bridge Federation on April 14-15, 1984, behind Seydişehirspor and Turkish Airlines.[93] The team that became the champions of Istanbul in 1986 earned the right to go to the European Champion Clubs' Cup, but since Fenerbahçe Sports Club did not grant the team the right to represent, Ankara champion Ankara Bridge Club participated in the Cup instead of Fenerbahçe.[92] The bridge team, which was re-established in 1999, came third once again among 44 teams in the Turkish Championship held in Burdur on 16-17 October 1999.[94]
Shooting
Although shooting activities that started in 1986 were successful in a short time, this sport had a short life at Fenerbahçe and activities ended in 1988. The Trap-Skeet Competitions Prime Ministry Cup, Fenerbahçe's greatest success in this sport, is currently exhibited in the Fenerbahçe Museum.
Mountaineering
A mountaineering team consisting of Tunç Fındık and Mustafa Kalaycı was formed in 2007 as part of the Fenerbahçe World Summits project, which was part of the club's 100th anniversary celebrations during the term of President Yıldırım. Within the scope of the project, the team climbed Mount Ararat, Aconcagua Summit in Argentina, Somoni Summit in Tajikistan, Mont Blanc Summit in France and Kilimanjaro Summit in Tanzania while waving the Turkish and Fenerbahçe flags.[95] They reached the summit of the world's highest mountain Everest on May 21, 2007 and planted the Turkish and Fenerbahçe flags.[96]
The football team of Fenerbahçe play their home games at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium (simply known as Kadıköy or Mabet ("shrine" in Turkish) among supporters)[97] in Kızıltoprak, Kadıköy, Istanbul. The stadium was opened in 1908 and most recently renovated between 1999 and 2006. Its seating capacity is 50,509.[98] The stadium does not have a running track around the pitch, which is unusual for a typical Turkish stadium.
The Ülker Sports Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Ataşehir, Istanbul, with a capacity of 13,800 seats. The arena completed and opened in January 2012 after over two years of construction. Fenerbahçe's basketball team play their home games at the Ülker Sports Arena.
The Can Bartu Training Facilities are a training complex located in Samandıra, Sancaktepe, Istanbul. The construction for this training complex began in 1997 during former president Ali Şen's presidency. The construction was completed in 2000. The football department of Fenerbahçe use the facilities.
The Topuk Yaylası Facilities are a training complex near a forest and a lake, located in the Topuk Plateau in Kaynaşlı, Düzce Province. The construction began in 2010 and was completed in 2011. All departments of the club use the complex for their pre-season trainings.
The Türk Telekom Ankara Facilities are a complex located in İncek in the suburbs of Ankara. The complex hosts Fenerbahçe's all departments that visit Ankara or a nearby locality for their games as well as other clubs.
The Samim Göreç Basketball Hall is a basketball hall with a training facility, located in the Lefter Küçükandonyadis Training Facilities in Dereağzı. First opened in 1982 and refurbished on 24 February 2001. The men's basketball and women's basketball departments of Fenerbahçe use the hall and the training facility for their trainings.
The Muhtar Sencer Volleyball Hall is a volleyball hall located in the Lefter Küçükandonyadis Training Facilities in Dereağzı. Fenerbahçe's men's volleyball and women's volleyball teams use the hall for their trainings.
The Vefa Küçük Swimming Pool is a semi-Olympic-sized swimming pool on the Fenerbahçe Isle. The pool was built by the former vice-president Vefa Küçük and opened on 16 July 1999, and serves the swimming department. There is also an Olympic-sized swimming pool located on the Fenerbahçe Isle, which was opened in 2004. The pool is also used by the swimming department of the club.
The Fikirtepe Facilities are located in Fikirtepe, Kadıköy. They opened on 1 July 1998 and serve the development of the youth football departments.
Fenerbahçe Museum
Old kits in the museum.
The Fenerbahçe Museum (Turkish: Fenerbahçe Müzesi) is devoted to the history of the club. Founded in 1908 by Ali Rıza Bey, the museum is housed in the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. Many of the trophies won by the club are on display there. There are 426 trophies on exhibition out of approximately 3.000 trophies won.[99]
Also, Turkey's first basketball museum, "Fenerbahçe Basketball Museum", was opened at Ülker Sports and Event Hall.[100]
Other facilities
The club's headquarters were initially located on the Fenerbahçe Isle near to the stadium. In 2006, the headquarters moved into the stadium to gather all the sections under one roof.
The Faruk Ilgaz Social Facilities are a social complex with an indoor hall, a restaurant, a patisserie, and an Olympic swimming pool, located next to the club's headquarters. They were initially opened on 15 May 1969 but rebuilt during the presidency of former president Aziz Yıldırım as a modern complex and re-opened on 21 January 2004.
The Fenerbahçe Guesthouse is an inn with a capacity of 60 guests. The inn also hosts new transfers. The Todori Facility is a restaurant owned and operated by the club, located in Kalamış, Kadıköy. The Entertainment and Recreation Center is located in the Faruk Ilgaz Social Facilities. The swimming pool is located in the Lefter Küçükandonyadis Training Facilities and hosts the club members and their families.
Fenerbahçe TV (FB TV) is the first television channel of a sports club in Turkey.[101] The channel launched in 2004 over satellite (Free-To-Air on Turksat 3A located 42° East, 11957 V 27500 5/6), D-Smart 82. Canal satellite network services and cable service.[102]
Fenerbahçe Radyo (FB Radyo)[103] is a nationwide FM radio network broadcasting from Istanbul. It is the first sports club radio station in Turkey. Broadcasting Pop Music in Turkish and other languages, FB Radyo can be listened to via terrestrial broadcast, Free-To-Air on Turksat 3A Satellite (located 42° East, 11804 V 24444 5/6, VPID: 516, APID:690, SPID:5), BlackBerry and iPhone applications.[citation needed]
Fenerium is the club's own company which markets licensed products and sponsors some of the club's departments and teams. The company was established in 2000. The headquarter is located in the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul.[104]
It has been estimated that; of the 30 million people interested in football in Turkey, 8 million 580 thousand are Fenerbahçe fans[105] while another research suggests 32% of football fans in Turkey support Fener. The club has a strong following worldwide, both by the Turkish diaspora and non-Turks.[106]
In the 1988–89 season, Fenerbahçe set a record for the highest goals scored in a single season with 103 goals scored in 36 matches of the regular season.
Fenerbahçe is the biggest contributor among Turkish teams regarding the UEFA coefficient.[110]
1909 First March: Composed by the Ottoman Armenian musician Krikor Sinanyan, the founding conductor of the first orchestra in Istanbul, at the request of Fenerbahçe's founder and first president Nurizade Ziya Songülen, this anthem is the first anthem composed for a team in the history of Turkish football.[111]
As part of the club's 100th anniversary celebrations, mountain climbers Tunç Fındık and Mustafa Kalaycı in the last leg of the "Fenerbahçe at World Summits" project, planted the Fenerbahçe flag on the summit of Everest.[112]
Notes
↑ Although it is known that the club was founded in the spring of 1907, the day and month are unknown, 3 May was chosen to honor Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s visit of the club in 1918.[citation needed]
↑ Fenerbahçe have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents.
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Yüce, Mehmet (2014). Osmanlı Melekleri: Futbol Tarihimizin Kadim Devreleri Türkiye Futbol Tarihi - Birinci Cilt (in Turkish). Istanbul: İletişim Yayınları. ISBN9789750515804.
Yüce, Mehmet (2015). İdmancı Ruhlar: Futbol Tarihimizin Klasik Devreleri: 1923-1952 Türkiye Futbol Tarihi - 2. Cilt (in Turkish). Istanbul: İletişim Yayınları. ISBN9789750516955.
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