1938–39 in Mandatory Palestine football

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Football in Mandatory Palestine
Season1938–39
← 1937–38 Mandatory Palestine 1939–40 →

The 1938–39 season was the 12th season of competitive football in the British Mandate of Palestine.

IFA Competitions[edit]

1938–39 Palestine League[edit]

Matches of the 1938–39 Palestine League were due to be continued after the summer break. However, as the Arab revolt intensified in fall 1938 and with the High commissioner issuing restrictive orders on travel throughout Palestine,[1] the EIFA created a two-tiered league for the Tel Aviv region, with matches played in the league counting towards the national league.[2] The Tel Aviv League was completed on 14 January 1939[3] and in February 1939 a new league season began, with teams playing in regionalized divisions instead a national league.[4][5]

League table[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
1 Hapoel Tel Aviv 11 9 2 0 27 9 3.000 20 Champions
2 Maccabi Tel Aviv 11 7 3 1 44 13 3.385 17
3 Palestine Police Force 8 5 0 3 21 17 1.235 10
4 Hapoel Haifa 8 4 1 3 15 17 0.882 9
5 Hakoah Tel Aviv 11 3 2 6 19 28 0.679 8
6 Hapoel Herzliya 8 3 0 5 11 20 0.550 6
7 Maccabi Petah Tikva 11 2 2 7 13 20 0.650 6
8 Maccabi Nes Tziona 8 1 2 5 12 23 0.522 4
9 Royal Air Force 8 2 0 6 10 25 0.400 4
Updated to match(es) played on 17 January 1939. Source: IFA

1939 Palestine League[edit]

Shortly after the previous league season was abandoned, a new season was initiated. With the Arab Revolt still raging, the league played regionally, split into Tel Aviv, Samaria and Southern regional leagues League matches were not completed by the end of the season and continued after the summer break.

1939 Palestine Cup[edit]

Hapoel Tel Aviv, defeating Maccabi Avshalom Petah Tikva 2–1 in the final, completed a third consecutive cup triumph.[6]

Hapoel Tel Aviv2–1Maccabi Avshalom Petah Tikva
Fuchs 14'
Meitner 15'
Zimmett 12'
Attendance: 3000
Referee: Marcus

British-run leagues[edit]

British Army authorities organized leagues in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tiberias, competed by teams from the different army units, as well as several local and national cup competitions. In Haifa and Tiberias local Jewish teams (Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Kfar Ata in Haifa and Hapoel Tiberias in Tiberias) participated in the leagues, due to travelling difficulties to meet other Jewish clubs.

2nd Battalion Black Watch won the Jerusalem Services and Police League,[7] while the Haifa league was abandoned midway of the second round of fixtures.[8]

Maccabi Tel Aviv Tour of Australia[edit]

On 24 May 1938, Maccabi Tel Aviv embarked on a five-month tour of Australia, playing 19 matches throughout the tour, appearing in some matches as Palestine.[9][10] Maccabi won 11 of the matches, drawn 3 and lost 5, with a goal difference of 92–49, striker Gaul Machlis scoring 28 of the goals for Maccabi.[11]

List of matches:

The return journey took almost a month, as the team's ship, which was headed to Singapore was rerouted to Bombay, as World War II broke out. Maccabi played two matches against local teams, winning 8–0 and 7–0, before departing via Aden and Port Said back to Palestine.[11]

Notable events[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ All Travelin Palestine Under Military Control from Nov 1 The Palestine Post, 25 October 1938, Historical Jewish Press
  2. ^ From the football association Davar, 16 October 1938, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
  3. ^ Hapoel Win Tel Aviv League The Palestine Post, 17 January 1939
  4. ^ National League Summary Davar, 12 February 1939, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
  5. ^ Shohat, Elisha (2006). 100 Years of Football 1906–2006. p. 80.
  6. ^ Shohat, Elisha (2006). 100 Years of Football 1906–2006. pp. 94–96.
  7. ^ Black Watch win soccer double The Palestine Post, 30 April 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  8. ^ Haifa League Suspended The Palestine Post, 14 April 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  9. ^ a b Australia V Palestine Football Match 1939 British Pathe
  10. ^ Watch a Rare Documentation of Eretz Israel Under the Mandate: Settlements, Riots, Aliyah Bet and Snowy Jerusalem Michal Margalit, 6 May 2014, ynet.co.il (in Hebrew)
  11. ^ a b Shohat, Elisha (2006). 100 Years of Football 1906–2006. pp. 96–100.
  12. ^ Record Crowd Watch Timisoara-Maccabi Duel[permanent dead link] The Palestine Post, 24 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  13. ^ Timisoara – HaMacabi 1:1 (0:0)[permanent dead link] Davar, 22 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
  14. ^ Maccabi Defeated 3–0[permanent dead link] The Palestine Post, 1 February 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  15. ^ Rumania Football Team Beats Hapoel[permanent dead link] The Palestine Post, 26 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  16. ^ Timisoara Too Good for Hapoel[permanent dead link] The Palestine Post, 7 February 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  17. ^ Timisoara Beaten at Stadium[permanent dead link] The Palestine Post, 31 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  18. ^ Avshalom Extend Timisoara[permanent dead link] The Palestine Post, 7 February 1939, Historical Jewish Press
  19. ^ Football in Red Shoes Yechiel Arazi, 22 May 1955, Hadshot HaSport, via archive.football.org.il (in Hebrew)