Süleyman Seba
Encyclopedia
Süleyman Seba is a former Turkish
football
player and was the longest presiding Chairman of the Istanbul
based multisports club Beşiktaş J.K.
.
name Tsyba) was born on April 5, 1926 in Soğuksulu
, a village in the Sakarya Province
of Turkey
.
Sent to Istanbul
by his father for education, Seba attended the prestigious Galatasaray High School in the Beyoğlu
district for a while, but later went to Kabataş High School
on the Bosphorus, another prestigious historic Turkish high school, in the Beşiktaş
district.
Seba later enrolled into Istanbul University
's Faculty of Literature, but due to his football career he never graduated.
and admitted to its junior team. With his contribution, the junior team became the champions of that season, and Seba was promoted to the rank of team captain a short time later. In 1945, he was called to become a member of the A-team.
Seba went down in Turkish football history when he scored the first ever goal in BJK İnönü Stadium
against the Swedish
side Allmänna Idrottsklubben
during the inauguration match of the venue in 1947.
In 1954, he was forced to retire from his career as a footballer due to a meniscus
injury. During his entire professional career he played only for Beşiktaş J.K.
.
.
.
Six years later, in 1963, he became a member of the club's Presidential Council.
In 1984 Seba took the helm of the club, gaining more votes in the presidential election than Mehmet Üstünkaya (Club President, 1981–1984). During this election Seba received the support of the all-time Beşiktaş legend "Baba" (Father) Hakkı Yeten
.
In his second year as Chairman, Beşiktaş won the Turkish Super League championship for the first time in 4 years. Beşiktaş immediately became the dominant team in Turkey and in the 1986–1987 season reached the quarter-finals of the European Champion Clubs' Cup (known as the UEFA Champions League
today) but lost to Dinamo Kiev.
When Seba brought British
coach Gordon Milne
, no one knew that Beşiktaş was set for years of dominance in the Turkish Super League. With a strong team of young players like "Atom Karınca" (Atom Ant) Rıza Çalımbay
(team captain), Feyyaz Uçar
, "Sarı Fırtına" (Blonde Storm) Metin Tekin
, Ali Gültiken
, Gökhan Keskin
, Mehmet Özdilek
and Sergen Yalçın
, Beşiktaş won three League titles in a row between 1989–1992. Beşiktaş later became the League Champions in 1994–1995, but then went on for years to finish behind Fatih Terim
's Galatasaray SK
.
Seba went on for a 16-year presidency as club Chairman of Beşiktaş J.K.
. During the elections of 2000, Seba declared that he would not run for another term. Elections were held without his candidacy and Serdar Bilgili
became his successor.
Seba is still one of the most respected figures (and the Honorary Chairman) of Beşiktaş J.K.
which became a financially strong club thanks to his efforts – far stronger than the practically bankrupt club which he took over in 1984.
, where the club's HQ is located, has been renamed as Süleyman Seba Avenue in his honour.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and was the longest presiding Chairman of the Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
based multisports club Beşiktaş J.K.
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
.
Biography
Süleyman Seba (AbkhazAbkhaz language
Abkhaz is a Northwest Caucasian language spoken mainly by the Abkhaz people. It is the official language of Abkhazia where around 100,000 people speak it. Furthermore, it is spoken by thousands of members of the Abkhazian diaspora in Turkey, Georgia's autonomous republic of Adjara, Syria, Jordan...
name Tsyba) was born on April 5, 1926 in Soğuksulu
Hendek
Hendek is a town and a district of Sakarya Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The municipality was founded in 1907. The mayor of the city is Ali İnci ....
, a village in the Sakarya Province
Sakarya Province
Sakarya Province is a province in Turkey, located on the coast of Black Sea. The river Sakarya creates a webbing of estuaries in the province....
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Sent to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
by his father for education, Seba attended the prestigious Galatasaray High School in the Beyoğlu
Beyoglu
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...
district for a while, but later went to Kabataş High School
Kabatas Erkek Lisesi
Kabataş Erkek Lisesi or Kabataş High School is one of the oldest and the most prominent high schools in Turkey. It is located in Ortaköy at Bosphorus in Istanbul. It is famed for its rich history and legendary teachers.- History :...
on the Bosphorus, another prestigious historic Turkish high school, in the Beşiktaş
Besiktas
Beşiktaş is a municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and on the east by the Bosphorus...
district.
Seba later enrolled into Istanbul University
Istanbul University
Istanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...
's Faculty of Literature, but due to his football career he never graduated.
Football player
Seba started to play football in the Kabataş High School team. The promising player was soon discovered by the local football club Beşiktaş J.K.Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
and admitted to its junior team. With his contribution, the junior team became the champions of that season, and Seba was promoted to the rank of team captain a short time later. In 1945, he was called to become a member of the A-team.
Seba went down in Turkish football history when he scored the first ever goal in BJK İnönü Stadium
BJK Inonu Stadium
Fiyapı İnönü Stadium is a football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey and is the home ground of the football club Beşiktaş J.K.. Previously the ground has aso been shared with Galatasaray S.K. and Fenerbahce S.K.. The ground is located in Dolmabahçe, close to the Dolmabahçe Palace in the district of...
against the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
side Allmänna Idrottsklubben
Allmänna Idrottsklubben
Allmänna Idrottsklubben , currently located in Solna, north of Stockholm, is one of the largest and one of the oldest sports clubs in Scandinavia. AIK was founded in 1891 in central Stockholm, at the downtown address of Biblioteksgatan 8...
during the inauguration match of the venue in 1947.
In 1954, he was forced to retire from his career as a footballer due to a meniscus
Meniscus (anatomy)
In anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
injury. During his entire professional career he played only for Beşiktaş J.K.
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
.
Career after retiring from football
There is not much information on Seba's years after retiring from active sports. However, it is known that he served for some time in the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and rose to the rank of colonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
Club President
In 1957, Seba became an active member of Beşiktaş J.K.Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
.
Six years later, in 1963, he became a member of the club's Presidential Council.
In 1984 Seba took the helm of the club, gaining more votes in the presidential election than Mehmet Üstünkaya (Club President, 1981–1984). During this election Seba received the support of the all-time Beşiktaş legend "Baba" (Father) Hakkı Yeten
Hakki Yeten
Hakkı Yeten, was a Turkish football player and president of the İstanbul-based football club Beşiktaş J.K., which he also coached....
.
In his second year as Chairman, Beşiktaş won the Turkish Super League championship for the first time in 4 years. Beşiktaş immediately became the dominant team in Turkey and in the 1986–1987 season reached the quarter-finals of the European Champion Clubs' Cup (known as the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
today) but lost to Dinamo Kiev.
When Seba brought British
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
coach Gordon Milne
Gordon Milne
Gordon Milne is an English former footballer and football manager.-Personal life:Gordon Milne, was born in Preston, Lancashire, England and is the son of the former Preston player Jimmy Milne, and son to Jesse Milne...
, no one knew that Beşiktaş was set for years of dominance in the Turkish Super League. With a strong team of young players like "Atom Karınca" (Atom Ant) Rıza Çalımbay
Riza Çalimbay
Rıza Çalımbay, is a former prominent Turkish international football player, and currently coach of Turkish side Sivasspor. He was one of the symbol names of Beşiktaş J.K. and was among the best players of his time...
(team captain), Feyyaz Uçar
Feyyaz Uçar
Feyyaz Uçar is a former footballer, as a striker, and more recently a coach.Uçar started to play football at Avcılar Spor Klübü. Attracted various scouts, he has been added to Beşiktaş juvenile team costing for just new outfits for Avcılar...
, "Sarı Fırtına" (Blonde Storm) Metin Tekin
Metin Tekin
Metin Tekin is a retired Turkish professional football player. His parents are Tarık and İnci Tekin. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business. He married to Şevval Sam in 1993...
, Ali Gültiken
Ali Gültiken
Ali Kurtuluş Gültiken is a former footballer and a football manager and scout. He is a part of the most famous trio of the Turkish football team Beşiktaş history alongside Metin Tekin and Feyyaz Uçar in early 90's.-Playing career:...
, Gökhan Keskin
Gökhan Keskin
Gökhan Keskin is a retired Turkish professional footballer. He played for Beşiktaş J.K. and İstanbulspor A.Ş..-Club career:Keskin spent two seasons in the Turkish Super Lig with Beşiktaş J.K. and İstanbulspor A.Ş....
, Mehmet Özdilek
Mehmet Özdilek
Mehmet Özdilek Nicknamed Şifo Mehmet. He began his football life at Ladikspor from Samsun. He is of Georgian descent by his family.-Playing career:...
and Sergen Yalçın
Sergen Yalçin
Ali Rıza Sergen Yalçın is a former Turkish footballer. The Turkish player who is recognised as one of the greatest footballers to play for Turkey....
, Beşiktaş won three League titles in a row between 1989–1992. Beşiktaş later became the League Champions in 1994–1995, but then went on for years to finish behind Fatih Terim
Fatih Terim
Fatih Terim, Commendatore OSSI, is a Turkish football former player and manager. Terim was born in Adana, Turkey to Nuriye and Talat Terim. His father, Talat, is a Turkish Cypriot who emigrated to Turkey....
's Galatasaray SK
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
.
Seba went on for a 16-year presidency as club Chairman of Beşiktaş J.K.
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
. During the elections of 2000, Seba declared that he would not run for another term. Elections were held without his candidacy and Serdar Bilgili
Serdar Bilgili
Serdar Bilgili, born in 1963 in Istanbul, Turkey, served as the president of the Istanbul based football club Beşiktaş J.K..His family was from the Kahramanmaraş Province in Turkey. After graduating from Robert College in Turkey, he studied Business Administration in the University of Redlands in...
became his successor.
Seba is still one of the most respected figures (and the Honorary Chairman) of Beşiktaş J.K.
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
which became a financially strong club thanks to his efforts – far stronger than the practically bankrupt club which he took over in 1984.
Honours
The famous historic avenue in the Akaretler quarter of BeşiktaşBesiktas
Beşiktaş is a municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and on the east by the Bosphorus...
, where the club's HQ is located, has been renamed as Süleyman Seba Avenue in his honour.