The Istanbul Sunday League was started in 1902 and was the first football league in Turkey. The first club in Turkey, Cadi Keuy FRC, was founded by James LaFontaine and Horace Armitage. The team was made up mostly of Englishmen and Greeks. Three other clubs, Moda FC, Imogene, and Elpis, were former soon after.
In 1904, the same year as Izmir started their first football league, James LaFontaine founded the Istanbul Football League. The matches between the four teams, Moda FC, Imogene, Elpis, and Cadi Keuy FRC were played on Sundays, leading to the name of the Istanbul Sunday League. Henry Pears, an Englishman, promised to give a cup to the club who had won the most championships in 10 years.
The first matches took place in Union Club, now Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.
Read more about Istanbul Sunday League: Champions, Past Winners
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