Our story
How Anadol
began
The story of KFC Anadol’s founding, recorded by Engin Özdemir in conversation with Mehmet Urbut, the club’s first player.
1963 → 1967
First came the mine
The first generation came to Belgium in 1963 to work in the coal mines. As the years passed, one thought kept bringing them together: their young people needed sport, friendship and a place to belong.
By the end of 1967, they agreed there was a real need for a football club — one that would look after the younger generation and bring them together through sport.
Where it all began
Lange Hasan’s café
That historic gathering took place at the café of Hasan Amca from Zonguldak, on the Koolmijnlaan. Everyone knew him by his nickname: Lange Hasan.
That café became part of club history as the place where KFC Anadol was born.
The founders
The people who led the way
According to the story passed down through the club, these were among the people who drove the idea forward and put the most work into making it happen.
- Nusret Demirkan
- Fehmi Taşdemir
- Nihat Dönmez
- Şakir Abi
- Ahmet Pere
- İsmail Urbut
- Nurettin Baştürk
- Mehmet Pal
Many others joined as founding members in the period that followed, and together they made the club’s foundations even stronger.
Everyone knew Şakir Abi by that name; his family name has not been passed down. Mehmet Pal was known as Mehmet Pal from Istanbul.
The early years
FC Anadol
The founders brought FC Anadol to life to bring young people together through football. In those first years, the club was not yet affiliated with the Belgian FA.
The players played among themselves and arranged friendlies against teams from the surrounding area. It was about more than football: it strengthened the sense of unity and togetherness within the Turkish community.
The name and the deer
Why Anadol?
When the founders discussed the club’s name and crest, one idea stood out. In those years, Koç Holding had begun producing the Anadol in Turkey, a car that attracted a great deal of attention. Its deer emblem stood out too.
“Let our club be called Anadol, and let us use the deer in our crest. Perhaps the Koç family will sponsor us one day.”
Years later, that idea led to a letter being sent to Koç Holding asking for support. Koç Holding replied positively and sent the club twenty tracksuits as a one-off gift. It is remembered as one of the first contributions from a company in the club’s history.
1973
Joining the official competition
In 1973, FC Anadol officially registered with the Belgian FA and received club number 8026. From then on, the club competed in Belgium’s official leagues.
8026Club number since 1973
At the time, FA rules required a club secretary to be a Belgian national. To meet that requirement, Jef Aerts, who worked in the municipality’s planning department, was appointed secretary. With the formalities complete, FC Anadol could enter official competition.
The first team
Our first footballers
These were the first footballers to wear the FC Anadol shirt in the club’s early years.
Standing, left to right
- Mehmet Urbut
- Durmuş
- Nusret Demirkan
- Yılmaz Pal
- Ahmet Yalçınkaya
- Ferdi Öneren
- Aydın Zevne
- Hasan Göstek
Seated, left to right
- Atila
- Nevzat Zevne
- Nurettin Baştürk
- Nizamettin Tamparlak
- Bahattin (Trakyalı)
These men were among the first football pioneers of the Turkish community in Belgium. Through enormous commitment and sacrifice, they helped make sure the club is still here today.
Today
What they left behind
Today, KFC Anadol proudly carries on as an important symbol of unity, solidarity and sporting culture within the Turkish community in Belgium.
We remember with respect and gratitude everyone who laid the foundations of this club: the founders, board members, footballers and everyone who gave their time and effort. The legacy they left behind will continue to inspire the generations that follow.
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Engin Özdemir in conversation with Mehmet Urbut, the first player of KFC Anadol.