1920–21 in Mandatory Palestine football

The following article is a summary of the 1920–21 football in Mandatory Palestine. As the local football association wasn't founded until July 1928, there were no officially organized competitions during the season.

Football in Mandatory Palestine

Season	1920–21
1921–22 →

Overview

Following its occupation by British troops in 1917–1918, Palestine was governed by the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration. In July 1920, the military administration was replaced by a civilian administration headed by a High Commissioner,[1] allowing civil life to resume following the aftermath of The Great War. Maccabi societies resumed activities in several cities and settlements,[2] including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv,[3] Petah Tikva[4] and Hadera.[5] In Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Sports Club was established by the British in April 1921.[6]

Known matches

As no governing body existed at the time, and with limited possibilities for travel, the football sections of the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv societies played matches, mostly against teams of British soldiers stationed in the vicinity, played mostly between January and March 1921. Following the Jaffa riots in May 1921, footballing activity stopped, except for one match, played on 25 May 1921.[7]

Date	Venue	Home	Away	Result	Notes
25 September 1920	Ratisbonne Ground	Maccabi Jerusalem	Yorkshire Regiment	0–0[8]
20 November 1920	Ratisbonne Ground	Maccabi Jerusalem	Red Cross	0–2[9]
21 January 1921	Badrani Field	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Cavalry regiment, Sarona	3–0[10]
28 January 1921	Sarona Ground	Cavalry regiment, Sarona	Maccabi Tel Aviv	1–2[10]
4 February 1921	Ajami Sports Ground	Christian-Muslim Club	Maccabi Tel Aviv	0–5[10][11]
5 February 1921	Ratisbonne Ground	Maccabi Jerusalem	Lancashire Reginment	2–1[12]	Goals for Maccabi: Itzhak Melamed, Peretz Kornfeld
12 February 1921	Ratisbonne Ground	Maccabi Jerusalem	Lancashire Reginment	4–6[13]	First goal for Maccabi: Itzhak Melamed
12 March 1921	Sarona Ground	British Army Officers	Maccabi Tel Aviv	n/a[14]	The result wasn't given, Maccabi Tel Aviv won.
16 April 1921	Ratisbonne Ground	Maccabi Jerusalem	Maccabi Tel Aviv	0–4[15]
25 May 1921	Badrani Field	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Iron Duke XI	n/a[7]	The result wasn't given, Iron Duke won.

Notable events

• During a youth football match between students from Mikveh Israel and Hebrew Gymnasium, a student from Kfar Tavor, learning in Mikveh Israel, sustained a fatal blow to the chest and died before help arrived.[16][17]
• On 5 May 1921, during the 1921 Jaffa riots, Maccabi Petah Tikva member Avshalom Gissin was killed by Arab assailants as he was defending Petah Tikva.[18] The club was renamed after Gissin, adopting the name Maccabi Avshalom Petah Tikva.[19]

References

1. Official Records of the Second Session of the General Assembly, Supplement No. 11, United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, Report to the General Assembly, Volume 1. Lake Success, NY, 1947. A/364, 3 September 1947, Chapter II.C.68. Archived 3 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine
2. In the Maccabi Union Doar HaYom, 7 December 1920, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
3. The Jaffa Maccabi Branch Doar HaYom, 26 September 1920, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
4. Our Special Reports Doar HaYom, 28 November 1920, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
5. Hadera Doar HaYom, 21 January 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
6. Khalidi, Issam (2014). "Sports and Aspirations: Football in Palestine, 1900-1948" (PDF). Jerusalem Quarterly (58): 75. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
7. Jaffa Echo Doar HaYom, 26 May 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
8. Jerusalem Day by Day Doar HaYom, 26 September 1920, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
9. Jerusalem Day by Day Doar HaYom, 22 November 1920, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
10. The Sport in Jaffa Doar HaYom, 10 February 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
11. Jaffa Echo Doar HaYom, 16 February 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
12. Interesting Contest Doar HaYom, 7 February 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
13. The Contest on 4th Adar Aleph Doar HaYom, 14 February 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
14. Victory of the Maccabi Doar HaYom, 14 March 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
15. Football Contest Jaffa-Jerusalem Doar HaYom, 18 April 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
16. Latest News Doar HaYom, 25 January 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
17. Palestine Student Killed in Football Game The Sentinel, 4 March 1921, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
18. Gissin, Avshalom Izkor (in Hebrew)
19. Avshalom Gissin, Willy Berger and Gaul Machlis Set a Tradition for the Luzons Asher Goldberg, 27 April 2003, HaAretz (in Hebrew)