Ankaragucu timeline of disaster

It was blushes for me today when a friend said that we are doing a great job on the blog in reporting the Ankaragucu chaos but that what we need is a sort of simplified timeline sort of explainer thingymijig to put the whole dogs breakfast into understandable form. So let me try.

11 Kasım 1997 - 2009: Cemal Aydin (left) led the club and presided over, well, pretty mediocre stuff. Towards the end there were constant calls from supporters for him to resign (sound familiar?) and on many occasions he promised to do so. As no one else put their hand up to take over he continued to run for chairman until...

2009: Ankara Municipality head honcho Melih Gokcek was the honourary chairman of Ankaraspor which had managed to get into the Turkish top flight. Gokcek's son, Ahmet, (pictured to the right of his father Melih) was chairman and the team played out in the wilderness of Yenikent. Despite Gokcek's ambitions, the club had few fans and the Gokceks decided to try and muscle in and grab one of the bigger Ankara clubs. There is still a court case running concerning the alleged movemnet of municipality funds into the Ankaraspor accounts, a crime in Turkey. The Gokceks deny the allegations.

Later in 2009: With Aydin wanting out and Gokcek wanting in, a deal was reached. At first it seemed as if the two clubs would merge but it all came down to a simple agreement for the Gokceks to take over Ankaragucu with Aydin seemingly happy to get out of the club.

August 2009: An Ankaragucu Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) is held and Ahmet Gokcek and his slate are elected. The Gokceks now control Ankaragucu. Ankaraspor was handed over to friends.

September 2009: The Turkish Football Federation looked at the changes and decided to kick Ankaraspor out of the top flight. With no supporters, practically no-one gave a damn. At the same time though, many commentators at the time said that legal justice demanded that Ankaragucu be kicked out. Ankaraspor started a legal proceedings against the TFF.

Sometime in 2010: Cemal Aydin wants some money back from Ankaragucu that he says he lent to the club. The Gokceks tell him where to go. Aydin sues.

A bit later in 2010: Cengiz Topal Yildirim (right) and other former directors and friends of Aydin launch a court case claiming that the original EGM should be declared null and void due to the fact that some 400 supporters of Gokcek were not legally entitled to vote.

August 2010: The Football Federation kicks Ankaraspor out of all football leagues (ie not just the senior team but every junior team as well) for the temerity of going to court to fight its forced relegation from the top flight the season before. Gokcek Snr issues "pissed off" statement. Again, no-one really cares.

Mid to late 2010: The Ankaragucu supporters, promised so much by the Gokceks, ie a champions trophy for Ankara in the centenary year of the club, start to get restless. Various supporter groups start to call for the management to resign. Pro-Gokcek and anti-Gokcek supporters start fighting at matches. It all starts to look ugly.

December 15, 2010: The bomb hits. Court rules that the EGM and a subsequent AGM were legally "null and void", ie Gokcek Jnr did not legally take over the club. Court decision not valid until "reasonings are published". The ruling can be appealed and as of today the Gokcek Jnr is still in charge.

What happens next?

In the very short term the problem is a monetary one. The club has to find the money to pay periodic transfer installments to various clubs. These are due in just a few days. Then there is the case of various players who are owed money, including former players like Darius Vassel. This is all very confusing with reports saying almost all of the squad could become free agents in the next couple of weeks. The amounts involved are 15 million TL at least and Gokcek Jnr has said he will not be asking any of the other directors for the money.

Short, short summary
Dear, oh dear, oh dear.