History

THE LEGEND of BLACK EAGLES

The title holder of the past two seasons, Beşiktaş started the 1940-41 season with a young and renewed team. As weeks went by, the Black and White had built up a sizeable lead over the other teams and were sitting alone atop the league table. Five weeks remaining to the end of season, the opponent was Süleymaniye. Beşiktaş had started the match, which was played at Şeref Stadium on Sunday January 19, 1941and refereed by Semih Turansoy with a lineup consisting of   Faruk, Yavuz, İbrahim, Rıfat, Halil, Hüseyin, Şakir, Hakkı, Şükrü, Şeref, and Eşref. As in all games of that season, our team played magnificently. Half way through the second half, despite being comfortably ahead, Beşiktaş attacked endlessly from both flanks to the delight of their fans. Then, a voice was heard from the section of Şeref Stadium towards which Beşiktaş was attacking, “Come on Black Eagles… Attack Black Eagles...” Thousands of fans and journalists following the game that filled the Şeref Stadium were frozen by the echoing sound. Everyon had agreed that the observation was right on target.  It was not possible to describe the Beşiktaş players who crushed over their opponents that season as nothing other than “Black Eagles,” and the type of football they played as nothing other than “Attacking Black Eagles.” The owner of the voice coming from the stands was a fisherman called Mehmet Galin.

Beşiktaş won the game 6-0 lead with 3 volley goals from Şeref Görkey, who was known as “Şeref the Volleyer” and one goal each from Captain Hakkı, Şakir and Şükrü.

After this game, Beşiktaş’s symbol has become “Black Eagles.”