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 lea ...

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 title ...

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 * Coac ...

and

sports columnist Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism has its roots in coverage of horse racing and boxing in the early 1800s, mainly targeted towards elites, and into t ...

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

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

both as a player and manager. He was also the first footballer to play for the Big Three clubs of Turkey. Top is 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, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Playing career

Scoring twice, Top had become the first scorer ever of Beşiktaş–Galatasaray rivalry, at

encounter held on 22 August 1924 at

Taksim Stadium Taksim Stadium () 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's Taksim Square. ...

. He represented

once on 16 November 1924 against

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, 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 career

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

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 *

: 1914–15 Beşiktaş * Istanbul Football League: 1923–24

Coach

Beşiktaş *

: 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 People from Beşiktaş Turkish men's footballers Footballers from Istanbul Men's association football midfielders Turkey men's international footballers Süper Lig players Altınordu F.K. players Beşiktaş J.K. footballers Galatasaray S.K. footballers Fenerbahçe S.K. footballers Turkish football managers Süper Lig managers Beşiktaş J.K. managers