ANKARAGUCU AND THE PRESIDENT'S CUP

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

With all the league footie now closed down for the summer, I thought you might be interested in another of Eski Kanka’s `Blasts from the Past`.

The President’s Cup in Turkey is a prestigious competition along the same lines as the English Charity Shield.

It was first contested in 1965/66 season and is played between the Turkish League Champions and Turkish Cup winners each season. There was a name change in 1997/98 season when it became known as the Super Cup and it is still being contested each year under that name.

Looking at ANKARAGUCU’s involvement, they first played in this competition in 1972 and lost to Galatasaray. However, they did eventually win the President’s Cup in 1981 when they defeated Trabzon by
1-0. This was a significant achievement at the time because Trabzon had made this Cup their own, having won it for the past 5 years ! So, to break Trabzon’s stranglehold of the President’s Cup was an impressive coup.

Maniac Kanka Harun remembers the final well, having watched it in 19 Mayis Stadium sitting on top of his father’s shoulders as a 10 year old Mini-Maniac Kanka ! Unfortunately for him, when ANKARAGUCU scored the winning goal half way through the 2nd half, his father forgot his son was up-top and leaped around in excitement with all the surrounding supporters. Mini Maniac Kanka was therefore propelled forward into the celebrating crowd and landed head first into a sea of bodies.

Whether brain damage was caused to Maniac Kanka is a matter for debate……….. suffice to say that he is well named as Maniac Kanka !!!

Before closing, it would be churlish of me not to mention that Genclerbirligi has only contested the President’s Cup on one occasion in 1987. Needless to say they lost to….. yes, you guessed it……… Galatasaray (the team we all love to hate !!!).

Acknowledgement is made to Cem Pekin for some of the above facts.

All the best from The Stats Man, Eski Kanka Jim