First Division. Naturally, it was here where the improvement of Turkish football was clearly seen. Professional stability of most clubs for sure and along with that bigger impact of foreign players. Turkey was repeating Greece of the 1970s – more clubs were getting foreign players and the recruits were of higher quality. Foreigners were imported for a long time and even by Second Division clubs – from the end of the 1950s – but it had been sporadic affair and in the past mostly old players came. Now it was steady practice and more clubs were involved – not all, to be sure, but more than before. And the players were younger and better. Mostly Yugoslavians, but increasingly German players as well. A big country somewhat demands bigger league, especially when the sport is popular and the clubs could get steady financing. Already the top league grew to 18 teams and was going to 19 the next year – reasons were perhaps mixed: on one hand large league could satisfy local ambitions and on the other hand clumsy Second Division needs some real award for the winners. Thus, three teams were going up after the end of the season from second level, but only 2 were relegated. In a nut shell, this championship had one outsider; all newcomers survived and remained for the next championship; 11 clubs were largely concerned with survival, Galatasaray was something like decline; there were two outstanding and domineering leaders, which made fascinating race for the title, won at the end not by points, but by goal-difference. High drama.
Boluspor was the hopeless outsider – last with 17 points, most of which came from ties, for the team won only 3 games.
Antalyaspor was rather unfortunate – they finished with 28 points, which placed them 17th and were the second relegated team. Not worse than more than half the league, but going down.
Denizlispor was lucky – 16th with 29 points. Lucky, because only 2 teams were relegated, instead of three, as it used to be.
Altay (Izmir), just coming back from Second Division exile, finished 15th with 30 points. So far – so good, they were perhaps not aiming for more than just clinging in the top league for the moment.
Malatyapor – 14th with 31 points. Like Altay, a newcomer and quite modest, so it was fine ending.
Bursaspor – 13th with 31 points. A weak season, surely.
Zonguldakspor – avoiding relegation was pretty much their traditional aim and the boys managed to succeed: 12th with 31 points.
Genclerbirligi – technically, the second important club of Ankara, but never strong enough. The lower half of the table was their normal location and no change this season either – 11th with 31 points. Avoiding relegation was all they were happy with.
Eskisehirspor performed best of the newcomers this year – 10th with 32 points. But it was still the same modest goal all newcomers had: to survive. Trying to come back from a low period and still rather weak.
Orduspor generally had one aim – to maintain a place in the top league. This they achieved and thanks to 33 points, finished quite well – 9th.
Sariyer (Istanbul) – 8th with 33 points. Final table counts… escaping relegation was on their minds during the season. At the end, though – solid mid-table position! Good season! Next would be better. Here is a taste of the new policies of Turkish clubs: two Yugoslavs in the squad – Hodzic, 1st standing from left, and Celebic, 3rd standing from left. Not first-rate players, but solid professionals.
Kocaelispor – 7th with 34 points. Similar to Sariyer – once out of trouble, everything was fine.
Sakaryaspor – 6th with 34 points. Strong season, one of their best so far. Temporary ascend or not, they had the right to boast: equal to Galatasaray!
What is great season for one is disaster for other – Galatasaray was 5th, ahead of modest Sakaryaspor only on goal-difference. A tragedy! And that with former national team players of West Germany and Yugoslavia and Turkish national team regulars! Standing from left: Rasit, Erdal, Guneyt, Ismail, Yusuf, Semih. Crouching: Simovic, Abramczik, Fatih, Adnan, Bulent Alkilic.
Ankaragucu – seemingly, going up and up, after their recent return from Second Division. May be joining the leading 4 clubs, making it five? Only future could tell, but they were 4th with 38 points. Good reason to believe in them at the moment.
Trabzonspor – running strong and that with seemingly different approach, than their rivals employed: they put faith on Turkish players. No foreigners here and it worked fine. 3rd with 42 points.
Besiktas – wonderful, yet, unhappy season. Aimed for the title, played outstanding season, and lost on goal-difference. They had only one rival and far above the rest of the league, including Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, but no luck at the end. 19 wins, 12 ties, 3 losses, 50 points. 49-19 made their goal-difference +30. Not bad? Not good enough… ahead of them was a team with +40. The Yugoslavs Kovacevic and Secerbegovic were lower level than the foreigners in Galatasaray, but blended better and contributed more.
Fenerbahce clinched their 11th title thanks to superior goal-difference. Strong, no doubt, but they faced formidable rival and the victory was dramatic. They had their own Yugoslavs to help – pretty much of the same level of those playing for Besiktas. Pesic and Repcic were somewhat second-tier Yugoslav stars, but perhaps a bit stronger professionals than Kovacevic and Secerbegovic. More dangerous strikers for sure. With them, Fenerbahce scored plenty of goals – 65, the most in the league, and good 16 more than Besiktas. The defense was also up to the task and the team lost only twice this season. This clinched the title.
One more look of the 1984-85 Turkish champions.