Ali Sami Yen Stadium

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Ali Sami Yen Stadium

Full name	Ali Sami Yen Stadı
Location	Mecidiyeköy
Built	1943-1945 and 1945-1964
Opened	1945 and 1964
Owner	Galatasaray SK
Tenants	Galatasaray SK
Capacity	23,785
Field dimensions	105 x 65 m

Ali Sami Yen Stadı is the home of the football club Galatasaray SK in Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen. The stadium has a capacity of 23,785 (all-seater) and is situated in the Mecidiyeköy quarter of the Şişli district, at the center of the European side of the city.

Galatasaray fans at the stadium

Between 1921 and 1939, Galatasaray and the two other major football clubs of Istanbul, Beşiktaş JK and Fenerbahçe SK, played their matches at the historic Taksim Stadium^[1] on Taksim Square, which was located inside the courtyard of the Ottoman era Taksim Artillery Barracks (Taksim Topçu Kışlası) built by Sultan Abdülmecid I in the 1840s; the surrounding walls of which were transformed into tribunes. Taksim Stadium was demolished in 1939 and was replaced with the present-day Taksim Park (Taksim Gezi Parkı) in the 1940s and 1950s. As a result, the major football teams of Istanbul had to find a new stadium to play their matches. Galatasaray Sports Club decided to build a large, modern stadium, and construction works began in 1943. Due to the difficulties faced during the World War II years, only a small stadium could initially be built, which was opened in 1945. However, construction works continued on the site and the current stadium was completed in 1964.

Ali Sami Yen Stadium was inaugurated on December 14, 1964, with a friendly game between Turkey and Bulgaria. Unfortunately, tragedy struck during the opening match: in one of the stands many people fell onto the first floor, which caused numerous injuries, but luckily none of them were fatal. Spotlights were added to the stadium in 1965, and night games began to be played (the lighting system was renovated in 1993). The stadium is made up of 2 identical lateral stands which are covered by a roof: the Numaralı (Numbered) stand, where the TV cameras are located; and the Kapalı (Covered) stand, where the most fanatical team supporters usually view the games. The two other stands, behind the goal gates, are the Yeni Açık (New Open), with 2 tiers, and the Eski Açık (Old Open), with the electronic scoreboard.

In the past, games were played in front of more than 40,000 spectators in this stadium, which is nicknamed "Hell" by Galatasaray's supporters because of its intimidating atmosphere and the enthusiastic support of the fans who often make mass use of torches, smoke, drums, flags and giant posters to create visual grandeur and apply psychological pressure on visiting teams. Ali Sami Yen is important for Galatasaray because it has seen many victories against renowned European football clubs, such as FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, AS Monaco, Leeds United, Deportivo La Coruna, PSG and many others.

The stadium is located in Mecidiyeköy, one of the most crowded quarters of central Istanbul, surrounded by dense urban development. In recent years, numerous proposals have been put forward to demolish the current stadium and build a larger one on the same location, but this is impossible due to the lack of space.

The new stadium of Galatasaray S.K. will have a seating capacity for more than 52,000 spectators (Construction End Date: August 2009)

Currently Galatasaray is building a new stadium in the Seyrantepe quarter near Maslak financial district, the name of which has been changed to Aslantepe (Lion Hill) after Galatasaray purchased the ground; Aslan (Lion) being Galatasaray's symbol. The construction works of the new stadium have started at the end of 2007. The new stadium will have a capacity of 52.500, making it the largest private stadium owned by a club in Turkey. It will also feature a mobile pitch and a hydraulic dome at the top which can be closed in case of rain or snow. There are also plans for building a shopping mall and residential units as part of the Aslantepe Project.

1 Games and tickets
2 Stands
3 Access
4 Fame
5 The New Ali Sami Yen Stadium
6 References and notes
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Games and tickets

A portion of the stadium, covering around 7,000 to 8,000 seats, is sold annually in the form of seasonal tickets. Average number of fans per game is around 19,000, while the stadium has a capacity of 22,500.

[edit] Stands

The most expensive seats are those of the Numaralı (Numbered) stand. The best atmosphere in the stadium is in the Kapalı (Covered) stand, where the most fanatical fans congregate. For more comfort, the Numaralı (Numbered) stand is the best, but this is also the most expensive one. The stadium's most modern section is the recently rebuilt Eski Açık (Old Open) stand.

[edit] Access

Access to Ali Sami Yen is easy, as the stadium is not far from popular tourist locations such as Taksim Square. There is a subway station near the stadium, as well as a bus stop for several lines of the Metropolitan Municipality's bus network. The subway station's name is "Şişli/Mecidiyeköy".

[edit] Fame

Sami Yen is considered as one of the worst stadiums in Europe for visiting teams. The stadium is called "Cehennem (Hell)" by the visiting fans. Every match begins with the fans' "Scarf show" during the Warchant. There are always at least two large banners saying "Welcome to Hell."

[edit] The New Ali Sami Yen Stadium

Interior view of the new stadium

The New Ali Sami Yen Stadium, also known as Aslantepe (Lion Hill) Stadium, is under construction in Seyrantepe, near Maslak financial district. The stadium's project was introduced to the Turkish press on May 11, 2007.^[2] It will have a fully retractable roof and a seating capacity for 52,000 spectators, excluding the seats of the VIP lounges.^[3] The stadium will also have its own subway station. Construction works are scheduled to be completed in 23 months.^[4]