Saturday, January 11 – 1902
Sport does not meet with much encouragement in Turkey, and is pursued under great difficulties.
A young Turk called Rechad Bey, inspired by the Syrian and Constantinople football match, organised a club amongst his friends, together with some Greeks and Armenians, and began practising.
A few days ago, in the middle of the night, police came to his house and carried him off to Soutari; there he was submitted to a long interrogation as to the club and the game of football.
Matters only grew more complicated as the Turkish word for ball is top, the same as for a cannon. The authorities were convinced they had found a great plot, and that the club must be a secret society.
A special messenger was sent for the ball, and that was duly examined, and found to be an infernal machine. The regulations of the club were considered to be another piece of damming evidence, and still worse were they jerseys and colours of the club, which showed a complete organisation, even to a uniform.
After long deliberation the culprit was sent to the higher police authorities in Stamboul, who went through a second long examination, and came to the conclusion that the Empire had been saved from disintegration by the early discovery of a great plot.
They dispatched the whole matter to be examined into at Yildiz, so that the young man, the football, the rules, and the sweaters and knickers were all solemnly taken to the Palace, and a special commission took the matter in hand.
After much careful thought and examination of the evidence, it was decided that there might be nothing in it, but it must not be done again.
Accordingly, the young man was appointed Vice-Consul at Teheran and bundled off the same day.
This may appear perfectly incredible, but it is absolutely true.
(Lincolnshire Echo, 11-01-1902)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 