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.

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

^[1]^[2]^[3]

Istanbul Sunday League (İstanbul Pazar Ligi)

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)

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)

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

Performance by club

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

Top Scorers

Records

Titles

Most titles: 16
- Fenerbahçe SK

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

Biggest wins

20–0, Galatasaray SK vs Vefa SK, 1925–26
16–0, Fenerbahçe SK vs Anadolu Üsküdar 1908, 1930–31
14–0, Fenerbahçe SK vs Topkapı SK, 1938–39
14–0, Fenerbahçe SK vs Topkapı SK, 1939–40
14–1, Galatasaray SK vs Anadolu Üsküdar 1908, 1914–15
13–0, Fenerbahçe SK vs Süleymaniye SK, 1930–31
13–0, Beşiktaş JK vs Hilal SK, 1939–40
13–1, Fenerbahçe SK vs Davutpaşa SK, 1942–43
12–0, Fenerbahçe SK vs Süleymaniye SK, 1915–16
12–0, Beşiktaş JK vs Topkapı SK, 1939–40
12–1, Galatasaray SK vs Topkapı SK, 1936–37
12–1, Beşiktaş JK vs Taksim SK, 1941–42
11–0, Galatasaray SK vs Moda-Imogene Muhteliti, 1909–10
10–0, Galatasaray SK vs Süleymaniye SK, 1934–35
11–2, Beşiktaş JK vs Eyüp SK, 1936–37
11–2, Galatasaray SK vs Eyüp SK, 1937–38
11–2, Beşiktaş JK vs Eyüp SK, 1937–38
11–2, Beşiktaş JK vs Kasımpaşa SK, 1943–44
11–2, Beşiktaş JK vs İstanbulspor, 1943–44

References

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

Sources

Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü Tarihi 1907–1957, Dr. Rüştü Dağlaroğlu
Yüce, Mehmet (2015). İdmancı Ruhlar: Futbol Tarihimizin Klasik Devreleri: 1923–1952. Türkiye Futbol Tarihi (in Turkish). Vol. 2. Istanbul: İletişim Yayınları. ISBN 9789750516955.
Arıpınar, Erdoğan; et al. (June 1992). Türk Futbol Tarihi 1904–1991 (in Turkish). Vol. 1. Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu Yayınları.