Laying of the foundation of Konya Ataturk Stadium. 1949

Konya which takes an important part with its population in Turkiye, is also the biggest city by its area on which it is located.

The sportive activities have started during Selcuk Imperial, capital city of which was Konya.*According to the historical records; the record 'Ser'i Sicil' which is in 'The Konya Etnografya Museum' includes the events between 970 and 971, 'Kuyud-i Hakkaniye' archive in Ankara and 'Ministery Archives' in Istanbul , there had been a special part of the city in which the wrestlers had lived. But unfortunately the ruins of that part haven't been found till today.

The 'Wrestlers' Building' made with sun-dried brick, stands as a ruin, walls and roof of which are destroyed partly, is in Haci Fettah graveyard in Aksinne, in Konya.

In 1939 the manager of Konya Library Mesut Koman found a very valuable rock related with History of Turkish Sports in this building and gave it to the library.

One side of that rock had been carved like a half sphere, some slits had been made in the middle part and a place had been made so as to be handled. The word 'wrestler' can easily be read on the rock on which there are some writings in Persian language ornamented in Selcuk style.That rock had been used as dumbbell by the head-wrestlers.The Mat-Wrestling had first initiated in the 1930's in Konya with Ihsan Cicimula (Emre) have been continuing till today.The first sport club 'Sanatkarlargucu' was founded imformally, and after the foundation of 'Genclerbirligi' in 1922, the whole sportsmen of Sanatkarlargucu had joined to this club. At first Genclerbirligi had some activities like athletics, football, and wrestling. Then Konya Idmanyurdu was founded in 1923 and Selcukspor was founded in 1927 after Genclerbirligi.

Football in Konya is said to be played during the national struggle in Ataturk's Speech (Speech 2nd book p:462-463 TDK publications). Before Ataturk had initiated the Independence War, to discuss the plans and the preperation of the national struggle and not to be perceived by the enemies, he invited the commanders of the army to Aksehir as if to watch the football match played in July 28th,1922.

One of the oldest footballers Kazim Ozbay tells the foundations of the first football clubs:
'....During The National Independence War, I heard the foundation of an illegal club named 'Matbuat', by the editors Nazim Bey and Huseyin Bey, Selim Bey a machinist from Istanbul, Gazazzade Kadir Bey, and Munir Bey who was an accountacy officer in PTT, with the encouragement of Halit Bey-the Administrative Manager of Babalik Newspaper.

Once a day with one of my school friends we saw 12 people playing football -wearing yellow and red coloured sports uniforms-in an empty area on which today's Marriage Bureau stands on Alaattin Hill on which there was no trees in that old period. That team rarely played football against Sanat Okulu Team. A short time later, as I remembered; the founders of 'Matbuat Club' at this time, founded 'Genclerbirligi Sport Club' with the colours black and white, under the leadership of the Physical Training teacher of 'Erkek Lisesi' Sureyya Bey, and this club was formally approved by 'Idman Cemiyetleri Ittifaki'. The first footballers of this club were; Nuri Yenal, Daci Selahattin, Refik, Cevdet, Mehmet, Veysel, Kazim Ozbay, Ethem, Mustafa, Hilmi, Ekrem, Suavi, Sekip, Arif, Zeki, Sadik, Hasan, Sukru, Nevzat, Hicazi, Nizamettin and Ahmet. One year later, Konya Idmanyurdu was founded by jeweller Necati and his brother Sirri, Selahattin and Seyfi-sons of Ismail Hakki Bey; one of the inspectors of 'Halk Partisi', Kasikci Necati, and colonel Rafet Caglar and was registered with its colours 'green-white' under the management of one of the officers of Ziraat Bankasi.

The first fottballers of this club were; Mustafa, Asim, Telat, Halim, Mahmut, Semsi, Adnan, Hasan Dayi, Rifki, Sait and Hayri. After them in 1927, Selcukspor was founded with the colours 'yellow-purple' by Enver Bey a teacher of Gazi Ilkokulu, Shoemaker Altin Cizme Vehbi, manager of fire brigade Ahmet Tosun and Celal Bey from Sanat Okulu under the management of Osman Fatih Kursun, has been in activity since today. The first footballers were; Enver, Cevdet, Tugrul, Mercan, Halil, Nebi, Hamdi, Fuat, Nihat, Zeki, Resat, Ihsan, Muammer, Nuri, Selim and Recai.

All this clubs had been in activity since the year 1939 in which The Second World War was started. With a command came from Ankara the activities of these clubs were postponed and continued their activities as 'regional mix'. With a second command they were left free in continuing their activities in 1943.
The first football matches in Konya were held in the area surrounded with sun-dried brick, and mostly destroyed walls, on which todays Horozluhan and Konevi buildings stands. Our first federation football match was held in this area. 'Takviyeli Idmanyurdu' played against Eskisehir Mix.

But a little time later, because of the disapproval of the area owners, the matches were started to be played in a very huge area on which there were no buildings, near the road passing near by todays 'Hava Hastanesi'. But the in the years 1926 and 1927, because of Meram Municipality which was on the aim of opening a new road passing through this area, it also became impossible to play in this area. Later from 1928 to 1929 fottball matches had been continued to be played in the area located between the places of today's Konya Emniyet Mudurlugu and Musalla Mezarligi. Konya Idmanyurdu bought the area which was used by gendarmerie as a training area in 1934, and which Imam Hatip Lisesi is located. Today. As a result of that the football matches had been played there from 1934 to 1951. After this area was sold to Imam Hatip Lisesi by Idmanyurdu, the football in Konya again became deprived of an area. At last the governer of Konya Refik Sefik Soyer, in that period, gave the place on which Ataturk Stadium is located and which belongs to 'Genclik ve Spor Genel Mudurlugu' today, as a present to the youth of Konya.

*( History of Konya by Ibrahim Hakki Konyali, p:611,612)