1938–39 in Mandatory Palestine football

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

Football in Mandatory Palestine

Season	1938–39
← 1937–38 1939–40 →

IFA Competitions

1938–39 Palestine League

Main article: 1938–39 Palestine League

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

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

Main article: 1939 Palestine League

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

Main article: 1939 Palestine Cup

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

06 May 1939

Hapoel Tel Aviv	2–1	Maccabi Avshalom Petah Tikva
Fuchs  14' Meitner  15'		Zimmett  12'

Maccabiah Stadium

Attendance: 3000

Referee: Marcus

British-run leagues

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

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:

• 24 June 1939, Olympic Park, Melbourne: Victoria – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–7
• 27 June 1939, Olympic Park, Melbourne: Victoria – Maccabi Tel Aviv 0–8
• 1 July 1939, Sydney: New South Wales – Maccabi Tel Aviv 6–4
• 4 July 1939, Cessnock, New South Wales: Northern Districts – Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–1
• 8 July 1939, Sydney: Australia – Palestine 7–5[9]
• 12 July 1939, Brisbane: Queensland – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–5
• 15 July 1939, Brisbane: Australia – Palestine 2–1
• 17 July 1939, Ipswich: Queensland – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–8
• 18 July 1939, Toowoomba: Queensland – Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–13
• 22 July 1939, Sydney: Australia – Palestine 1–2
• 24 July 1939, Woonona, New South Wales: Woonona XI – Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–3
• 29 July 1939, Newcastle: Australia – Palestine 4–1
• 30 July 1939, Cessnock: New South Wales – Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–2
• 5 August 1939, Melbourne: Australia – Palestine 4–4
• 8 August 1939, Melbourne: Victoria – Maccabi Tel Aviv 4–3
• 12 August 1939, Adelaide: South Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–4
• 16 August 1939, Adelaide: South Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 0–8
• 26 August 1939, Perth: Western Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 4–4
• 28 August 1939, Perth: Western Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–7

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

• CAM Timișoara played six matches in late January 1939, twice against Maccabi Tel Aviv, drawing 1–1[12][13] and winning 3–0;[14] Twice against Hapoel Tel Aviv, winning 5–2[15] and 4–0[16] and once against a combined Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv XI, losing 1–3,[17] and against Maccabi Petah Tikva, winning 2–1.[18] This was Eliezer Spiegel's debut in Maccabi Petah Tikva senior squad, at the age of 16.[19]

References

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. 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. Shohat, Elisha (2006). 100 Years of Football 1906–2006. pp. 96–100.
12. Record Crowd Watch Timisoara-Maccabi Duel The Palestine Post, 24 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press
13. Timisoara – HaMacabi 1:1 (0:0) Davar, 22 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
14. Maccabi Defeated 3–0 The Palestine Post, 1 February 1939, Historical Jewish Press
15. Rumania Football Team Beats Hapoel The Palestine Post, 26 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press
16. Timisoara Too Good for Hapoel The Palestine Post, 7 February 1939, Historical Jewish Press
17. Timisoara Beaten at Stadium The Palestine Post, 31 January 1939, Historical Jewish Press
18. Avshalom Extend Timisoara 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)