YELLOW CANARIES, TURKEY

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3994718670252035536/2725186489267472998 

When Fenerbahce SK fans invaded a pre-season friendly against national rivals Ukraine's Shaktar Donetsk, of Istanbul (for those who are not familiar with Eastern Europe, get an Atlas) the clubs expected to be playing "behind closed doors" for a while, as a punishment, the Turkish FA ordered that the match must be played with NO MALES over the age of 12. On September 20th 2011, 41,000 women and children turned up to the club's league match with Manisaspor. Players from both clubs "flew" flowers before the match and there was no crowd trouble in a 1-1 draw.  

Fenerbache Sports Klub hosts a variety of sports (rowing, boxing, E Sports,  and many more) was founded in 1903.

They are nicknamed Sarı Kanaryalar, Turkish for "Yellow Canaries") and play their home games at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, their own traditional home ground in Kadikoy, Istanbul. The club's name translates as "Lighthouse in the Garden" and comes from the location of the clubdistrict in Istanbul near the Bosporus (for those not familiar with this area, look at map below-get magnifying glass? or Atlas)

Fenerbahçe holds the record for most national championship titles won. Fenerbahçe's longest-running and deepest rivalry is with their nearest major neighbours, Galatasary.

Fenerbahçe were founded in 1907 by local business men. This group 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 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 three men came together and concluded that Kadıköy was in desperate need of its own football club, where locals would get a chance to practise the game. 

The first team in 1908

The lighthouse situated on the Fenerbahçe cliff was a big influence on the design of the club's first crest, which sported the yellow and white colours of dafodills around the lighthouse. The kits were also designed with yellow and white stripes. Fenerbahçe's "activities" were kept in secret until a legislation reform in 1908, when, under a new law, all football clubs had to register to exist legally.

Fenerbahçe played against the staff of the Royal Navy that occupied Istanbul during the Turksh War of Independence. Some British soldiers formed football teams that were named after the players' speciality, for example Essex Engineers, Irish Guards, Grenadiers and Artillery These teams played against each other and against local football teams in Istanbul, including Fenerbahçe The most known match played against the British was the match that would determine the winner of the General Harrington Cup. Fenerbahçe won the match held on 29 June 1923.

At the end of World War 1, the Ottoman Empire's lands had been invaded by Italians, French, Greek and British troops. On 13 November 1918, British troops entered Istanbul and the invasion was official. During the course of invasion, British troops arranged football matches with local teams. Fenerbahce participated in many such games, winning 41, losing 5, and reaching a tie in 4 games.

General Harington (above) wanted to leave the Turks with a memory of a heavy defeat whilst the British left, so he called in the best players of the troops, along with four professional players called in from the homeland. 

On June 23rd 1923, the team was collected under the name Coldtream Guards and the British General issued an announcement in the newspapers: "Gardler Muhteliti Türk kulüplerine meydan okuyor. Galibine, Başkumandanın adını taşıyan büyük bir kupa verilecek bu maça Türk kulüpleri diledikleri gibi takviye de alabilirler." ("Guards Joint is challenging the Turkish clubs. The Turkish clubs can gather any reinforcements to their clubs for this game whose winner will be awarded a trophy which will be named after the Head Commander.") Fenerbahçe replied briefly, with another announcement which was printed in the newspapers the following days: "Fenerbahçe Kulübü yalnız kendi kadrosuyla bu maçı şartsız olarak kabul eder." ("Fenerbahçe Club accepts this proposal with only its own squad, unconditionally.")

The only Scot in the "British" team, was Willie Ferguson, who scored the only goal after 30 minutes. The rest of the team were English. The home side scored two goals in the second half and won 2-1.