Refik Osman Top (born Refik Osman, 1 January 1897 – 26 April 1957), known by his nickname Şiir –literally meaning ''the Poem''–, was a Turkish

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and

sports columnist Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...

. Top is one of the most decorated players in the early decades of Turkish football, winning the

Istanbul Football League The Istanbul Football League ( tr, İstanbul Futbol Ligi) was founded as a regional football league under the name Constantinople Football Association League by James La Fontaine and Henry Pears in Istanbul, the capital of the former Ottoman Empi ...

both as a player and manager. He is also the first footballer to play for the Big Three clubs of Turkey. Top is also a prominent figure in the history of Beşiktaş J.K., being one of the founders and initial players of football department and the first international footballer to represent

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Career

Playing career

Scoring twice, Top had become the first scorer ever of

Beşiktaş–Galatasaray rivalry Beşiktaş J.K., Beşiktaş–Galatasaray S.K. (football), Galatasaray is a Turkish Association football, football Major football rivalries, rivalry involving two of the most successful clubs in the Süper Lig. It is also a local derby, one of ma ...

, at

encounter held on 22 August 1924 at

Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium ( tr, Taksim Stadı) was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks ('' Taksim Topçu Kışlası'') it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located next to today ...

. He represented

once on 16 November 1924 against

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, in a friendly game held at Imeni Vorovskogo Stadium, ended 3–0 for home side. This appearance made him the first Beşiktaş J.K. player ever to play for national team.

Refereeing

Top arbitrated 18 games between 1927 and 1945 in Istanbul Football League and

Milli Küme The National Division or National League ( tr, Millî Küme) was a top-level football competition organised by the Turkish Football Federation, including the most successful teams from Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir in Turkey. It was the first nat ...

Coaching career

Top managed Beşiktaş for two tenures. During his first stint, he earned 5 consecutive titles at

between 1938 and 1943.

Honours

Player

;Galatasaray *

(1): 1914–15 ;Beşiktaş *

(1): 1923–24

Coach

;Beşiktaş *

(5): 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43

References

Bibliography

; Books *

External links

Profile
at TFF {{DEFAULTSORT:Top, Refik Osman 1897 births 1967 deaths Footballers from Istanbul Turkey men's international footballers Turkish football managers Men's association football midfielders Altınordu F.K. players Beşiktaş J.K. footballers Galatasaray S.K. footballers Fenerbahçe S.K. footballers Beşiktaş J.K. managers Süper Lig players Süper Lig managers Turkish men's footballers