Fenerbahçe

The site where the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium now stands is actually a very important one in the history of Turkish football. Before the ground was built it was merely a field known as the Papazın Çayırı, or field of the priest. It became the country’s first ever football pitch and the location for numerous Istanbul Football League matches when the division was in its infancy. The land was leased from Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II to clubs wanting to play on it. It was initially named the Union Club Field because Union Club had donated the most money towards its upkeep. However it was used by many of the city’s most famous teams, including, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş and of course Fenerbahçe. In 1922 the Taksim Stadium was built and the ground lost its importance. It was leased to Fenerbahçe initially before they purchased it outright in 1933 when Şükrü Saracoğlu was the President of the club and also a member of the Republican People's Party.