Football in Mandatory Palestine
Season1943–44
Mandatory Palestine

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

IFA Competitions

1941–42 Palestine League

League matches, which started during the previous season were completed during the season with a single match played in the southern division[1] and the final round play-offs. Maccabi Rishon LeZion won the southern division[2] and qualified to the playoffs, along with second placed Maccabi Tel Aviv and Jerusalem division winner, Homenetmen Jerusalem. In the play-offs, Maccabi Tel Aviv won both its matches against Maccabi Rishon LeZion, while Homenetmen withdrew after playing one match, forfeiting the rest of its fixtures, and Maccabi Tel Aviv was declared league champions.[3]

Southern League

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Maccabi Rishon LeZion 26 20 3 3 87 22 3.955 43 Championship Playoffs
2 Maccabi Tel Aviv 26 21 1 4 82 26 3.154 43
3 Maccabi Nes Tziona 26 19 3 4 69 31 2.226 41
4 Hapoel Tel Aviv 26 19 2 5 87 23 3.783 40
5 Maccabi Petah Tikva 26 15 2 9 54 38 1.421 32
6 Hapoel Petah Tikva 26 13 5 8 55 49 1.122 31
7 Beitar Tel Aviv 26 11 4 11 50 48 1.042 25[lower-alpha 1]
8 National Sport Club Jaffa 26 11 3 12 55 55 1.000 25
9 Hapoel Ramat Gan 26 9 4 13 54 67 0.806 22
10 Maccabi Rehovot 26 8 5 13 34 50 0.680 21
11 Hapoel Herzliya 26 4 3 19 27 66 0.409 11
12 Hapoel Rishon LeZion 26 5 2 19 26 71 0.366 10[lower-alpha 1]
13 Hakoah Tel Aviv 26 4 1 21 27 95 0.284 9
14 Degel Zion Tel Aviv 26 1 6 19 11 77 0.143 7[lower-alpha 1]
Updated to match(es) played on 4 September 1943. Source: Memo no. 11, p. 3 IFA (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal ratio.
Notes:
  1. 1 2 3 Hapoel Rishon LeZion's matches against Beitar Tel Aviv and Degel Zion Tel Aviv were both given as 0–0 without points due to infringements from both involved clubs (in each match).[4]


Championship play-off

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation MTA MRL HOM
1 Maccabi Tel Aviv 4 4 0 0 13 0 — 8 Champions — 5–0 3–0
2 Maccabi Rishon LeZion 4 1 1 2 6 10 0.600 3 0–2 — 3–0
3 Homenetmen Jerusalem 4 0 1 3 3 12 0.250 1 3–0 3–3 —
Updated to match(es) played on 30 October 1943. Source: League and Cup Committee Meeting 1.11.43 Israeli Football Association (in Hebrew)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal ratio.

1943–44 Palestine League

League matches began on 11 September 1943[5] However, the league matches were not completed by the end of the season, and were continued after the summer break.

League table (top 5)

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
1 Hapoel Tel Aviv 19 16 3 0 73 10 7.300 35
2 Maccabi Rehovot 21 14 5 2 49 18 2.722 33
3 Maccabi Tel Aviv 21 13 2 6 63 27 2.333 28
4 Maccabi Nes Tziona 20 12 3 5 55 31 1.774 27
5 Maccabi Netanya 18 9 5 4 40 36 1.111 23

1943 Palestine Cup

A cup competition was held during the previous season, in spring 1943, which was called The Wartime Cup, with the semi-finals and final being delayed over the summer break.[6] The final, between Hapoel Jerusalem and a Royal Artillery XI was played on 16 October 1943, with the Gunners winning 7–1.[7][8]

Gunners7–1Hapoel Jerusalem
Summary
Hapoel Petah Tikva ground

1944 Palestine Cup

The competition started on 19 February 1944,[9] but was delayed over the summer break and were completed during the following season.

Notable events

  • Between 28 August and 6 September, Al Ahly Cairo visited Mandatory Palestine. The team was billed as Cairo All Stars as the visit was against the Egyptian FA decision. The visiting team played five matches, three against the Jewish team: Beitar Tel Aviv, losing the first match 1–3,[10] winning the second 2–0[11][12] and winning the third 4–1,[13] and two against selected Arab XI teams from Jerusalem, winning 4–2,[14] and Haifa, winning 4–0.[15]
    Prior to Al Ahly's first match against Beitar Tel Aviv, the Egyptian FA notified the EIFA that Al Ahly's visit was against EFA decisions and asked to forbid any matches against Al Ahly.[10] The EIFA notified Beitar Tel Aviv, which decided to go on with the planned match on 28 August 1943 and with the entire tour. Beitar Tel Aviv was suspended from all activities, forcing the team to forfeit its cup semi-final match against Hapoel Jerusalem, and in October 1943 was given a six months suspension, a 12 months ban on matches against foreign teams and a 50 PP fine.[16]
  • On 15 April 1944, Hapoel Haifa won the Haifa Cup for the third consecutive year, after beating British army team All White 3–2[17] and 6–2 in the two legged final.[18]
  • In early July 1944, a Maccabi Palestine XI took a brief tour to Lebanon, playing two matches, against Homenetmen, losing 2–3, and against a Beirut XI, losing 0–1.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Memo no. 11, p. 2 IFA (in Hebrew)
  2. ↑ Memo No. 11, P.3 IFA (in Hebrew)
  3. ↑ League and Cup Committee Meeting 1.11.43 Israeli Football Association (in Hebrew)
  4. ↑ Memo No. 38 IFA, 28 May 1942 (in Hebrew)
  5. ↑ Wartime League Matches Began HaBoker, 12 September 1943 (in Hebrew)
  6. ↑ Shohat, Elisha (2006). 100 Years of Football 1906-2006. pp. 128–129.
  7. ↑ Gunners Route Hapoel in War Cup Final Jerusalem Post, 17 October 1943
  8. ↑ Gunners Team Won the 1943 Wartime Cup HaBoker, 17 October 1943 (in Hebrew)
  9. ↑ Wartime Cup Matches Started With a Surprise HaBoker, 20 February 1944 (in Hebrew)
  10. 1 2 Beitar T.A. Beats N.S.C. Cairo 3:1 (1:0) HaBoker, 29 August 1943 (in Hebrew)
  11. ↑ Cairo All-Stars Win Return With Betar The Palestine Post, 3 September 1943
  12. ↑ Egyptians Turn Tables on Tel Aviv Betar The Palestine Post, 5 September 1943
  13. ↑ Betar Win 'Rubber' With Egyptians The Palestine Post, 6 September 1943
  14. ↑ Cairo All Stars Beat Jerusalem Stars The Jerusalem Post, 1 September 1943
  15. ↑ Egyptian Tourists Win at Haifa The Palestine Post, 8 September 1943
  16. ↑ Beitar Before the FA Disciplinary Committee HaBoker, 10 October 1943 (in Hebrew)
  17. ↑ Haifa Cup Final HaBoker, 9 April 1944 (in Hebrew)
  18. ↑ Hapoel Won the Haifa Cup HaBoker, 16 April 1944 (in Hebrew)
  19. ↑ Around the Two Maccabi E.I. Matches in Beirut HaBoker, 9 July 1944 (in Hebrew)
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