Welcome to Hell

James Thorpe

To those among us who have had the privilege to be able to compete in a sport some of our most memorable experiences happen when we play away games. The experience of travelling to someone else’s home turf can be as daunting a task as it is rewarding. To be able to go and defeat a team in their own “Lion’s Den” is one of the greatest feelings that one can have on the field of play. There are some places that strike fear into the heart of visiting players no matter how much experience they might possess. One of the toughest places to play as a visitor in the world is the home of Galatasaray S.K : Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi otherwise known as the Türk Telekom Arena. It strikes fear into the hearts of supporters and players alike to know that an away day in Istanbul awaits. Many have heard the stories of opposing fans being stabbed by Galatasaray supporters and opposing team’s busses being destroyed with the team still inside. Galatasaray S.K is the biggest soccer team in Turkey with around 40% of Turkish soccer fans saying they support Galatasaray. That 40% comes out to around 30 million fans of the club in Turkey alone not to mention the millions who support the club from abroad. Fans of the club don’t support the team because they care only for sporting matters. They support the club because to be a supporter of Galatasaray S.K you must be a supporter of what the club means. You become a supporter of the lifestyle of the club, what it means internationally for Turkish football and the pride that it gives you knowing that your local club strikes fear into the hearts of any team on earth.