It did not take long from the first matches to the formation of the football club, but it is certain that it happened only in 1912. Many monographs equate the first match with the founding of the club, but this cannot be accepted when it comes to football in Novi Bečej. It is not just the desire for more reliable data, but also a statement from one of the key figures from that time, which points to the establishment of the first football club in Novi Bečej.
Laslo Rigo, who was also born in 1896 — like Motok and Sič — and who was close to football as he himself played, confirms that there was a marked playing field with stable goals in Gradište as early as the beginning of the 20th century. It is assumed that the dimensions of this field did not fully comply with the prescribed football rules, but football was played there when he was still an elementary school student. He does not remember the year when football started in Novi Bečej, nor when the goals were erected, but he played on that field as a student of the civic school. After two to three years, when he was in the fourth grade, he played a match in Stari Bečej. He believes this took place between 1909 and 1911, and it was organized by the Novi Bečej pharmacist Deže Bizek, who later became the organizer and long-time president of the football club.
They prepared for the match in Stari Bečej for a long time, as the Stari Bečej team already had a formed club, and their players possessed more football skill. Novi Bečej did not have football equipment, which means that by that time, there was no organized football club, and they played in their white shirts and black shorts. Rigo played as a right winger in that match. They traveled to Stari Bečej by carriage via Ljutovo. In addition to the players, there were about ten supporters, led by Deže Bizek. The match ended in a 0-4 loss.
I believe this match was preceded by a visit from the Stari Bečej players, but Rigo remembered the event in which he directly participated. Why am I almost certain that the Stari Bečej team must have been the guests in Novi Bečej first? Rigo emphasized that during their visit, the Stari Bečej team already had a formed club and possessed greater football knowledge. For a young person at that time, an away match was more interesting than playing in their own town, so it is reasonable to assume that the Stari Bečej team could have rightfully imposed themselves as the guests to play the match in Novi Bečej, and only after that did the return match take place in Stari Bečej.
It is necessary to determine the year when the Novi Bečej team visited Stari Bečej, as Rigo gave a three-year range.
As already noted, Rigo was born in 1896, and he stated that after that match, he went on to further education in Szeged and did not know what happened to football in Novi Bečej afterward. Assuming he started elementary school at the age of 6, he completed the civic school in 1910, so the match could have taken place in 1910. However, since it was customary to start elementary school at the age of seven, it is more likely that the match took place in 1911, when Rigo could have completed his civic school. This is also acceptable because he was 15 years old at the time, and he could have already been included in the first team of Novi Bečej footballers. Since he does not remember the Stari Bečej team visiting Novi Bečej, nor the visit of the Veliki Bečkerek students in 1909, it is likely that the Stari Bečej visit took place one or two years earlier, in 1910, when he was not yet considered for the first team. This is a logical assumption, because it is certain that after those matches with the Veliki Bečkerek team in 1909, there had to be another match during the next school break, likely with youth teams from other towns. I assume this could only have been Stari Bečej, as after Veliki Bečkerek, it was unlikely that they would play against Bačko Gradište or any other village, but rather a town with a football club that had a certain reputation.
After returning from Stari Bečej in 1911, there was a desire to start systematic training to acquire football skills, as the heavy loss in Stari Bečej was attributed to the lack of such skills.
The Stari Bečej experience was accepted: only in an organized club could regular training be maintained, and the necessary football equipment and materials could be provided to successfully represent the town in football.
In the summer of 1911, the founding assembly was held, and the president of the club was elected as pharmacist Deže Bizek. Alongside him, the board included grain merchant Kenig and several other prominent Novi Bečej citizens, including clerks and traders. The club was founded in the summer of 1911 and was named Törökbecsei sport egylet (which translates to Turkish Bečej Sports Association).
There is no data on the results of matches played by this TSE, as the first Novi Bečej football club was abbreviated, but there is evidence that it remained active until World War I. The Torontal newspaper, in its issue no. 166 from July 24, 1914, on page 2, reports: "The physical education club of the V.-Bečkercek society for the education of workers will play a football match in Turkish Bečej against the Turkish Bečej Sports Association."
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