Joe Champness (Unattached FC)

From Flying Kiwis.

Ah, there he is. Joey Champness had gone into the footballing wilderness over the last year following his acrimonious release from Giresunspor in Turkey. That departure led to a legal battle from which he and other players won a significant compensatory payout over unpaid wages. Champness did pop up in an exhibition tournament a wee while ago but he’s been without a club since leaving Giresunspor in early 2022.

Until now. Champness has reemerged by signing a one year contract (with a club option for a second season) at Adanaspor. This is second division in Turkey so it’s a drop down from where he had been playing previously (although after more than a year out of the game that may not be the worst thing for him).  

Adanaspor were actually in some relegation trouble last season but then real life tragedy made that trouble into irrelevant when the Turkey/Syria earthquake struck their region in February 2023. Adanaspor withdrew from the league at that point, as did Yeni Malatyaspor, and both were allowed to keep their place in the division despite all their remaining games being awarded as 3-0 defaults to the opponents. Adanaspor probably would’ve stayed up anyway. Yeni Malatyaspor probably not. But that hardly matters when an earthquake leads to the deaths of an estimated 59,000 people.

Adanaspor host Sanliurfaspor.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/08/19/turkey/1-lig/adanaspor-fk/sanliurfaspor/4166528/

Not this week for Joey C.
Comes on at 61 mins with Adanaspor  1-0 up. Ends in a 1-2 loss.

Al Hassan Toure (ex Adelaide) started & subbed off at 58 mins for Şanlıurfaspor

Adanaspor travel to Ankara Keçiörengücü.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/08/27/turkey/1-lig/keciorengucu-ankara/adanaspor-fk/4166540/

Champness on at 62 mins (0-0) in a 1-0 loss.

Adanaspor (10th) host Kocaelispor (13th).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/01/turkey/1-lig/adanaspor-fk/kocaelispor/4166546/

89 mins in a 0-2 loss. Adanaspor down to 10 men early in the 30th min

Adanaspor (13th) travel to Tuzlaspor (18th/last)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/17/turkey/1-lig/tuzlaspor/adanaspor-fk/4166560/

Champness starts. Another possible 'fresh face' for the AWs in October?

Off at 63 mins (1-1) in a 2-1 loss. 

Adanaspor (15th) host Erzurumspor (11th).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/24/turkey/1-lig/adanaspor-fk/erzurum-buyukehir-belediyespor/4166564/

No Champness as Adanaspor win 1-0.

Adanaspor (13th) travel to Goztepe (11th)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/02/turkey/1-lig/goztepe-as-izmir/adanaspor-fk/4166580/

Off the bench at 67 mins (1-0) in a 1-0 loss

Giresunspor karşında ilk 11'imiz! pic.twitter.com/4KQWrmdkTl

— Adanaspor A.Ş. 🇹🇷 (@AdanasporResmi) October 8, 2023

Joe (#27) gets the start as his Adanaspor outfit take on his previous employers Giresunspor. Adanaspor currently 4-1 to the good after 75 minutes.

In fact Joe has just been subbed off a minute or so prior. It sounds like it was a good outing for him too, which bodes well for his return to the International arena over the next week and a bit.

Edit - Finished 4-2 to Adanaspor.

Adanaspor (11th) travel to Sakaryaspor (12th)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/21/turkey/1-lig/sakaryaspor/adanaspor-fk/4166592/

Champness starts

Champness off at 61 mins (1-0) in a 2-0 loss.

Adanaspor (14th) host Umraniyespor (15th)

Champness off at 60 mins (0-0) in a 1-0 win.

It's a week of domestic Cup ties in Europe.
Adanaspor host Hacettepe 1945 from Turkish 4th tier.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/01/turkey/cup/adanaspor-fk/yeni-altnda-bs/4262927/

An unused sub in a 5-0 win.

Adanaspor (13th) travel to Eyupspor (1st)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/05/turkey/1-lig/eyupspor/adanaspor-fk/4166615/

Champness subbed off at 73 mins (3-1), in a 4-1 loss. 
Adanaspor down to 10 men just prior at 69 mins (3-1)

Adanaspor (13th) host Gençlerbirliği (6th).
Gençlerbirliği the club Shane Smeltz had a very short stint at.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/10/turkey/1-lig/adanaspor-fk/genclerbirligi/4166618/

No Champness in a 0-2 loss. Injured?

Adanaspor (13th) travel to Bodrumspor (5th). No Champness.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/26/turkey/1-lig/bodrumspor/adanaspor-fk/4166630/

Edit - Adanaspor won 1-0

Adanaspor (11th) host Çorum FK (9th)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/12/01/turkey/1-lig/adanaspor-fk/corum-belediye-spor-kulubu/4166636/

Adanaspor lose 0-3. Still no Champness

Turkish Cup, 2nd tier Adanaspor host 3rd tier Esenler Erokspor.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/12/06/turkey/cup/adanaspor-fk/erokspor/4268258/

Still no Champness, as Adanaspor win 2-0.

Adanaspor (14th) travel to Manisa FK (12th)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/12/10/turkey/1-lig/manisa-bbsk/adanaspor-fk/4166653/

No Champness. Injured?  Was available for AWs in recent Oct window (got 20 mins against Greece), but hasn't been in a Adanaspor squad since. Missed their last 4 games.

This one a 1-1 draw.

I'll stick this here. The wacky passionate world of Turkish football. Tyler Boyd actually played for both these clubs Rizespor and Ankaragücü. He played in total for 4 different Super Lig teams.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/301025209/turkish-super-lig-referee-punched-to-ground-by-club-president-then-kicked-in-head

Fudgeing crazy. Not only the punch but the kick on the ground. What absolute counts. 

Adanaspor (14th) host Altay (18th/last)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/12/17/turkey/1-lig/adanaspor-fk/altay-sk-izmir/4166654/

Maybe the club has stopped paying him again

Ryan

Maybe the club has stopped paying him again

It was Giresunspor (17th currently in the 2nd tier - in the 1st tier at time of the pay dispute), who weren't paying Champness. He got a nice 
€790,000 Euros (1.33 million New Zealand Dollars) plus interest, as ordered by FIFA.

Adanaspor win 0-1 and still no Champness

Apparently he’s a target for Auckland