Thursday, December 12, 2013

Metin Özbaskıcı Selaniksport 24/02/2010

Sward area behind Teneke Mahalle was a natural football field. Youth who came from newspaper delivering or shoe-shining used to play football there in each afternoon. It was their greatest pleasure. They were improving their football as they play football everyday. They were playing better day by day. They were playing football matches with the other neighbourhoods of the city. There was a great interest in our matches.


Samsunsport, Yolsport, Demirsport, Fenersport were official teams of Samsun in those years. They were desirous of playing football with us. Our residents were ready to support us in matches played on the sward. While our children were playing with rubbers and undershirt, Gadjes had refulgent uniforms and crampons. However we were still winning matches running much and fighting. Our participation was always wanted in tournaments organized in Samsun. They weren't asking us participation fee. Because our participation were making tournaments much more popular.

We were favourite in each tournament. Each of our matches were exciment as final matches. Opponent teams were playing more rough against us. Overcoming us was an important issue for them. This situation sometimes caused discussions and fights. If we were playing in Kumluk, Koren or Fuar, our boys were used to be beaten by the supporters of opponent team. It was incredible for them that we, as poor Gypsies, overcome elit teams of Samsun. Everything was free for hindering us even to beat if it was needed.

Our matched got great attention. Audiences who know football very well were impatient to watch our matches. People living in Samsun were calling us as brazilians due to our ambitious, combatant, aesthetic football and our dark skin. We also accepted that name and became fun of Brazilia team.
Audiences and footballers attacked us in a match played in Koren when Aydın the Pele threw a last-minute goal. We, as small children, run to our neighbourhood. Our captain Yaşar the crazy tried to save us and his arm was broken. Koçali's head splitted open.All members of the team turned to the neighbourhood injured. We loved to play football. Aydın the Pele became professional later. He also made money playing football.

Neighbourhood teams were trying to be registered as official teams. There was an excitement in the neighbourhood. Fikret Gökçen, who subsist on newspaper delivering, decided to establish a sport club with support of Koçali, Kerim, Şuşut and Ramazan. They named the club as Selaniksport. They asked me to prepare needed documents. We made a conversation about the issue. We discussed about the colours of the team. It had to be yellow-green. We were playing football very well. People were calling us as Brazilian referring to our aesthetic football and dark skin. So we decided to use the colours of Brazilia. Fikret offered symbol of the house in where Atatürk borned in Salonica. It was a very interesting idea. We accepted. We completed the process one week later and send our establishing documents to Ankara Football Federation.

We would participate the league. We had to prepare for it. We gathered money from the residents. We bought uniforms and shoes. Football coach is decided to be Aydın the Pele. Allmost everybody had crampon. Then the league started. We were playing on amateur football fields near the New Samsun Stadium. The best advantage of us was that the fields were close our neighbourhoods. So we were able to play football without fear of being beaten.

We benefited from municipality with the addings of deceased mayor Muzaffer Önder in following years. We had beautifull uniforms, crampons... We had great successes and championships in amateur league. However we weren't able to improve our team. Beacuse youth didn't have enough empty time as they were obligated to work as peddlars in bazaars or stuff portars. Most of the teams established in Samsun at that time had to close down due to similar problems.

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