Palestine League

Last updated
Palestine League
Founded1928
Folded1948 (replaced by Liga Alef)
Region Mandatory Palestine
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s) People's Cup
Last champions Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. (4 titles)
Most championships Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. (5 titles)

The Palestine League, also known as The Eretz Israel League, was an association football league during the British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel), which was contested from 1928 to 1948. It was organised by the Eretz Israel Football Association, and is therefore regarded as the original incarnation of the modern Israeli top flight league, which has existed since 1948.

Contents

Organisation and history

Organised by the Eretz Israel Football Association, later to become the Israel Football Association, it is regarded as a predecessor of the modern Israeli Premier League, as well as a former part of the Israeli football league system. Because of violent conflicts involving the Yishuv, its scheduling was inconsistent and in some seasons no national championship was held. [1] The league was suspended for two seasons after 1947 amidst the termination of the British Mandate over the country in May 1948, the independence of the State of Israel at the same time, and the subsequent war between Israel and several surrounding countries. The Palestine League was formally superseded in 1949 by the new Israeli League, Liga Alef. [2] [3]

The Palestine League was first won by a team representing the British Police force, who finished the season unbeaten. They also won the People's Cup that season, in doing so winning the double. [4] Except for Jerusalem-based British Police's initial victory, only clubs from Tel Aviv won the title during the Mandate period; Hapoel and Maccabi Tel Aviv won five and four championships respectively. [2] [nb 1]

Seasons

Key
†Champions also won the People's Cup during the same season
(number of titles)A running tally of the total number of championships won by each club is kept in brackets.
Full league standings and top scorer details not known at this time.
SeasonWinner (number of titles)Notes
1928Maccabi Hasmonean Jerusalem (1) [5] –
1931–32 British Police (1)†–
1932–33Not held–
1933–34 Hapoel Tel Aviv (1)†–
1934–35 Hapoel Tel Aviv (2) [nb 1]
1935–36 Maccabi Tel Aviv (1)–
1936–37 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2)–
1937–38 Hapoel Tel Aviv (3)† [nb 1]
1938–39No national championship [nb 2]
1939–40 Hapoel Tel Aviv (4)–
1940–41Not held–
1941–42 Maccabi Tel Aviv (3)–
1942–43Not finished [nb 3]
1943–44 Hapoel Tel Aviv (5)–
1944–45No national championship [nb 4]
1945–46Not held–
1946–47 Maccabi Tel Aviv (4)†–
1947–48Not finished [12] –
1948–49Not held–
WinnerTitlesYears won
Hapoel Tel Aviv51934, 1935, 1938, 1940, 1944
Maccabi Tel Aviv41936, 1937, 1942, 1947
Maccabi Hasmonean Jerusalem11928
British Police11931
Nordia(Beitar) Tel Aviv11948

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Because of the inconsistent league programme during the 1930s and 1940s, controversy remains concerning the number of titles won by Hapoel Tel Aviv during that period. The 1934–35 championship was abandoned with Hapoel Tel Aviv leading the standings; at the time it went unawarded but the Israel Football Association today recognises the title. [1] [6] The 1937–38 league season was also abandoned long before its end because of the Arab revolt in Palestine, once more with Hapoel Tel Aviv top of the table. As with the unfinished 1934–35 title, the Israel Football Association today lists the club as having won the 1937–38 crown. Counting both of these titles, Hapoel have five Palestine League championships and 13 in total, [6] but FIFA and UEFA only credit the club with four pre-1948 titles, giving an overall total of 12. [7] [8] The club itself claims to have won 13 titles, five before independence and eight afterwards. [9] This figure is corroborated by the Israel Football Association and Ynet . [6] [10]
  2. ↑ No national championship was held; instead regional leagues took place in each district. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Tel Aviv district league and British Police won in Jerusalem, but the champions of Haifa are not known. [2]
  3. ↑ During 1942–43, three regional leagues were held in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa; the regional champions were supposed to enter a three-way mini-league for the national title, but when the Haifa league was abandoned the national championship was reduced to a single match between the champions of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The champions of Jerusalem, Homenetmen, refused to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv, leading Maccabi to be declared national champions by default. Today the title is neither claimed by Maccabi Tel Aviv nor recognised by the Israel Football Association. [2] [6] [11]
  4. ↑ Two regional leagues were held instead of a national championship. Beitar Tel Aviv finished top of the Southern District league while Hapoel Tel Aviv won in the Northern District. [2]

Related Research Articles

Football in Israel Sport of football as relating to Israel

Football is the most popular sport in Israel. Football as an organised sport, first developed in the United Kingdom, who controlled Mandatory Palestine during the days of the British Mandate.

Israeli Premier League Football league

The Israeli Premier League, is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with its second division Liga Leumit. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing between 33 and 36 matches each, totalling 240 matches in every season.

Avi Ivgi is an Israeli professional football goalkeeper who plays for Liga Alef club Hapoel Qalansawe . He previously played for Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, Hapoel Kfar Saba, Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hapoel Petah Tikva and Hapoel Nazareth Illit.

Eitan Tibi Israeli footballer

Eitan Tibi is an Israeli footballer who plays as a centre-back for Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

The 1941–42 Palestine League was the ninth season of league football in the British Mandate for Palestine. The defending champions were Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The Israel Super Cup, also known as Champion of Champions, is an Israeli association football club competition played as a single match between the winner of the latest Israeli top league champions and the winner of the latest Israel State Cup. If a team won both the championship and the state cup, their designated rival for the Super Cup match was the league runner-up.

The 1928 People's Cup was the first season of Israeli Football Association's nationwide football cup competition. Matches began on 7 April 1928 and the final was played on 26 May 1928.

The 1946–47 Liga Bet season was the second tier season of league football in the British Mandate for Palestine. The league covered wider areas as North and South. This was also the last completed season under the British Mandate for Palestine.

Maccabi Jerusalem Football Club was an Israeli football club based at Jerusalem. The club was disbanded in 1963, reformed in 1970, and was withdrawn again in 2005.

The 1928–29 season was the 2nd season of competitive football in the British Mandate for Palestine under the Eretz Israel Football Association, which was established during the previous season. The latest matches of the season were played on 17 August 1929, during the preceding stages of the 1929 Palestine riots, including a match which was interrupted by rioting rabble. During the riots all sport activities were cancelled and the next football match, which opened the next season, was played on 14 September 1929.

The 1930–31 season was the 4th season of competitive football in the British Mandate for Palestine under the Eretz Israel Football Association. During the season, the Arab Palestine Sports Federation was established as a rival to the Jewish-controlled EIFA.

The 1955–56 season was the 8th season of competitive football in Israel and the 30th season under the Israeli Football Association, established in 1928, during the British Mandate.

The 1939–40 season was the 13th season of competitive football in the British Mandate for Palestine under the Eretz Israel Football Association.

The 1941–42 season was the 15th season of competitive football in the British Mandate for Palestine under the Eretz Israel Football Association.

The 1942–43 season was the 16th season of competitive football in the British Mandate for Palestine under the Eretz Israel Football Association.

The 1943–44 season was the 17th season of competitive football in the British Mandate for Palestine under the Eretz Israel Football Association.

Ari "Lonia" Dvorin was an Israeli football player and coach. As a player, he played as a full-back for Beitar Tel Aviv and the Mandatory Palestine national team.

References

  1. 1 2 Goldberg, Asher (2010-07-29). "The Tel Aviv Derbies in December 1935 and '36" (in Hebrew). Israel Football Association. Archived from the original on 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Bleicher, Yaniv (2011-05-19). "Israel – List of Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  3. ↑ Bleicher, Yaniv (2008-07-03). "Israel – List of Final Tables". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  4. ↑ Goldberg, Asher (2011-04-28). "Meet the first champions – the British Police of Jerusalem" (in Hebrew). Israel Football Association. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  5. ↑ The Israeli Football Association
  6. 1 2 3 4 "List of Champions" (in Hebrew). Israel Football Association. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  7. ↑ "Tamuz: Israeli heart, Nigerian blood". FIFA. 2011-04-21. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  8. ↑ "Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C." UEFA . Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  9. ↑ "Honours and trophies" (in Hebrew). Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  10. ↑ "Hapoel Tel Aviv win the championship". Ynet (in Hebrew). 2010-05-15. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  11. ↑ "Titles" (in Hebrew). Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  12. ↑ A Break in League Play Aspaklaria Shel HaSport (The Sport Mirror), 11 January 1948, p. 1, col. 6 (in Hebrew)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.