Eskişehirspor: Never give up
Words: Tuncay Yavuz
Scottish club St. Johnstone being friends with Turkish side Eskisehirspor seems an unlikely occurrence but that is the case.
The tie-in goes back to 2012 when the two teams played each other in European competition and has lasted to the current day.
So, when in 2022, the team from Anatolia suffered a severe financial crisis, the Saints fans from Perth held a bucket collection to donate to the Eskisehirspor cause
The Eskisehirspor story has many ups and downs. After relegation from the top flight of Turkish football in 2016, they fought to return but could not succeed.
Then, as is typical in Turkish football, income did not cover costs and payments and Eskisehirspor eventually faced a transfer ban.
After losing all their experienced and top players, relegation became inevitable. The youngsters were not good enough to keep them at a professional level, and Es-Es found themselves in non-league football in the fifth tier of the Turkish football system.
Let’s start with the basics. Eskisehir is a city in the middle of Anatolia, situated between Istanbul and Ankara.
With a population close to a million people, it holds enormous potential both economically and socially. The universities in the city make it special and a very lively place to live, having been so for many years.
The last 20 years have seen the city reach another level, with a fast-growing social life, thanks to the vision of the legendary mayor. Eskisehir is probably the most "non-beach" popular city in the country, with thousands of people visiting every month!
However, the city’s fame started long before that, around the 1960s. Turkish football was dominated by Istanbul clubs until the early sixties, when the Turkish Football Federation’s new mission encouraged other cities in Turkey to mobilize and create their own teams.
The Summer of 1965 was a special time for Eskisehir. Three founding amateur teams—Idman Yurdu, Akademi Gençlik, and Yildiztepe—joined forces to form the club, and the three stars on the crest serve as a reminder of them.
Stade Rennais of France was the cup champion that year, and their striped kit inspired Es-Es' founding board to choose the colours: black and red.
It only took one season to get promoted. Es-Es was in the top division by 1967 and, in their second attempt, finished second in the league, just three points behind Galatasaray.
It was a tremendous success, and quite unexpected for the country. Their attacking style of play, with young and talented players, automatically won the hearts of millions.
The fans were incredibly special too! Every match was played in front of a sellout crowd, and one man made it even better: Amigo Orhan!
He is known as the first true tribune leader of Turkish football, and his hand movements were enough to make 30,000 fans sing the same song or switch to the next cheer. He was so popular that Istanbul clubs tried to sign him to lead their fans.
Though they couldn’t, they were honoured when he led their supporters during important European football nights. He was the main figure during Fenerbahçe’s infamous European Cup victory against Manchester City in 1968.
His connection with the UK didn’t end there; years later, he wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth, asking for her support in getting treatment for one of the club’s players in London. The Queen responded and helped!
Es-Es never won the league, but being runner-up three times was enough to establish their reputation. The Turkish Cup victory in 1971 remains their only top-level trophy.
Those years also saw Es-Es compete in European cups. While the Istanbul trio couldn’t make it past European teams, Eskisehirspor changed their fate! A 3-1 win against Sevilla after a 1-0 loss in Spain sent them to the second round of the 1970-71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
They did the same the following year against Finnish side Mikkeli in the Cup Winners' Cup, but both times, the journey ended in the second round.
They had to wait until 2012 for their next European experience. The decline in Turkish football from the early eighties affected clubs like Es-Es significantly, and they couldn’t stop falling to even the third level.
After relegation in 1989, the 1995-96 season marked their only return to the top division, but they couldn’t survive. 2008 marked their comeback!
Back at the top level, the club started on a positive note. With successful coaches, wise investments in the right young players, and smart transfers, they achieved superior results.
World-famous players like Dede, Rodrigo Tello, and Diomansy Kamara helped the club earn a Europa League spot for the 2012/13 season, where the friendship with St. Johnstone began.
Eskisehir hosted the Scottish team’s fans that summer, and the connection has lived on since then.
Why are they called Es-Es? As you can guess, it comes from the first two letters of Eskisehir. But it also means "blowing" in Turkish, used as a positive support, so we could translate it as "Fly, Es-Es, Fly!"
©Eskisehirspor. Away in non-league.
By the way, "Eski" means "Old" and "Sehir" means "City," so the name translates to "Old City."
The 2015/16 season marked the end of their Super Lig journey. A 17th-place finish meant relegation, and the following year Es-Es hoped to return.
They finished third in the First League, which meant no automatic promotion. Penalties in the play-off final were the final disappointment.
After that, things started to worsen. The club struggled with financial problems and couldn’t assemble a strong squad for another promotion race. A couple of years later, heavy fines from the football federation weakened the squad, and relegation was inevitable.
Everyone worked hard, but the whole city could not stop the free fall. Relegation from the third league after the 2022/23 season took Es-Es to non-league football. It was a time for reflection: What next?
This is not a rare occurrence in Turkey; many clubs face similar challenges. Since the system is not properly regulated, clubs may face severe difficulties, and many have ended their journeys with bankruptcy and closure.
Politics often helps, though: buy another club, change the name and colour, and welcome back. The "amnesia" of Turkish people means no one would care.
Eskisehir rejected that route because "Never Give Up" is their motto. Last year marked a fresh start to return to the professional level, but they couldn't make it. They are trying again, topping the league after the first half and aiming for promotion this year.
The city believes in their success and stands united. Their main competition is a club from Antalya: Manavgat Belediyespor.
Es-Es played against them in December, with the stadium hosting 30,358 fans. This was a record for Turkish football! Thirty thousand fans for a non-league game!
It was higher than eight matches in the Super League that week. As I said, they believe in their success.
That special day will live forever in the hearts of fans, and they have created special fan scarves to remember it. Football is beautiful, especially with enthusiastic fans like Es-Es.
It may not be easy, but they will never give up. They believe the day will come when they return to their glorious days.
Fans are special as always. They follow the team everywhere, from their top days in Istanbul, where they took over half the stadium against Istanbul's top clubs, to visits to the smallest towns in Anatolia.
No matter how far, they are always there with the team.
There are also tragic moments they will never forget. Sinan Alagac, a former Es-Es player, died during a train accident in the eighties, and Ediz Bahtiyaroglu, a former Es-Es and Turkish national player, passed away from a heart attack at the age of 26 in 2012.
They are always remembered by the fans. They have a very emotional chant, appreciated by all fans in Turkey, called “Tükenmis Nefeslere” — though it doesn't translate directly, we could say "For the ones we lost."
As mentioned, it's a long journey. Eskisehir fans are ready for the new challenge.
They will face a long and difficult road ahead, with many long trips, troubles, and disappointments. But in the end, they know they will succeed!
©Aytac Ersoy. Eskisehirspor away in non-league.
@Forzaaultras- Instagram. Yeni Eskisehir stadium.
@Forzaaultras- Instagram. Eskisehirspor away in non-league.
Tuncay is on X: @tuncayyavuz
