Fenerbahçe History

Foundation Year: 1907
Established in: Ground floor of the house at Beşbıyık Street, Moda.
Founders: Nurizade Ziya Songülen Bey, Ayetullah Bey (an employee of the Ottoman Bank), Necip Okaner Bey (a student at the Naval School), Asaf Beşpınar Bey (known as the Indian), and Enver Yetkiner.
First President: Nurizade Ziya Songülen

History of Fenerbahçe Sports Club

Fenerbahçe Sports Club, with a history spanning over a century, was founded in 1907.

Located in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Fenerbahçe was secretly established by Nurizade Ziya Songülen, Şevkipaşazade Ayetullah, and Samipaşazade Necip Okaner. The oppressive regime of Sultan Abdulhamid II made it challenging for Turkish youth not only to form clubs but even to play football, which was forbidden, even if played by English families. The gathering of Turkish youth, even for sports, was considered highly undesirable by the regime. During the founding meeting of the club, Nurizade Ziya Songülen Bey was elected as the first president, Şevkipaşazade Ayetullah Bey as the first general secretary, and Samipaşazade Necip Okaner as the first general captain.

The founders chose the lighthouse at Fenerbahçe Point as the emblem and the yellow-white colors of the daisies on the Fenerbahçe Peninsula as the club’s colors. The club logo was drawn by Topuz Hikmet, who played left winger in the football team, in 1910, and the colors were changed to yellow and navy blue.

Until the declaration of the 1908 Constitution, Fenerbahçe had to carry out its activities secretly. Afterward, with the enactment of the Associations Law, it was officially registered, taking its place as one of the leading communities in Turkish sports.

Fenerbahçe’s first football team, consisting of players such as Asaf, Ziya Hasan, Sami, Ayetullah, Mazhar, Necip, Fethi, Galip, Hüseyin, Hasan, and Nevzat, joined the Istanbul League in the fall of 1909. However, it did not achieve success in its first two years. In the 1911-1912 season, the team, including players like Ali Said, Galip, Arif, İzzi, Hüseyin, Sabri, Hikmet, Said, Hasan Kamil, Nuri, and Miço, won its first championship. This victory marked an important milestone in Fenerbahçe’s illustrious history, being the first championship written in the club’s history, and it was significant for being achieved without a single defeat.