Hakoah Football Club

Full name	Maccabi Hakoah Sydney City East Football Club[1]
Founded	1939 (1939)[2]
Ground	Hensley Athletic Field
Capacity	1,000
League	NSW League One
2023	9th of 16
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Maccabi Hakoah Sydney City East FC, commonly known as Maccabi Hakoah, is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club was formed in 1939 as Sydney Hakoah by members of Sydney's Jewish community. They played between 1977 and 1986 in the National Soccer League as Eastern Suburbs (1977–1979) and Sydney City (1979–1987). One of the most successful sides in New South Wales and interstate competitions in the 1960s and early 1970s coached by the now retired Bob Szatmari, Hakoah were also one of the main instigators for the establishment of a national league. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW, with games played from Hensley Athletic Field.

A foundation member of the NSL, Sydney City were also its most dominant side in the competition's first decade, winning four titles, including three in a row from 1980 to 1982, and finishing below third only once.^[3] However, despite this level of success, crowds were perennially low, and even though they were one of the sides retained for 1987, after the NSL scrapped the split conference system at the end of 1986, Sydney City withdrew from the NSL one round into the 1987 season.^[4]

Hakoah Sydney City East FC are one of just three winners of the 1960s Australia Cup that are still active, the other being Caroline Springs George Cross FC and APIA Leichhardt FC.

History

In January of 1939 a group of Jewish immigrants, who had been playing soccer in Rushcutters Bay each Sunday met to discuss the formation of a soccer club. That meeting resulted in the birth of Sydney Hakoah Football Club. However, it was not until 1954 that Hakoah was admitted to the Southern League, a semi-professional regional league in New South Wales. The team played in distinctive blue and white striped shirts featuring the Magen David badge.

The club was admitted to the newly created first division of the New South Wales Soccer Federation following the breakaway of a number of clubs from the FIFA associated Soccer Association in 1956/57.

In 1977, the club's name was changed to Eastern Suburbs Hakoah. They were the winner of the first National League, known as the National Soccer League.

The club's name was again changed to Sydney City in 1978, and the home ground was moved from Wentworth Park to ES Marks Field in a successful year for the club. Eddie Thomson became coach in 1979, and together with manager Andrew Lederer led the club through its final years as Australia's most successful club.

The team included future International Jimmy Cant, Jim Patikas, striker Ken Boden and Australia's most successful goal scorer John Kosmina for the 1980 season. They went on to win the 1981, 1982 and 1983 NSL seasons with Australian International striker David Mitchell joining the star-studded club. In 1987 Sydney City withdrew mid-season as the most successful club in League history.

Current squad

First team squad

As of 10 June 2019

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  AUS Ryan Norval 2 DF  AUS Connor Shaddock 3 DF  AUS James Combes 4 DF  AUS Bradley Walker 6 DF  AUS Dominic Cox 7 DF  AUS Addison Sayan 8 MF  AUS Oliver Green 9 MF  AUS Shohei Okuno 11 MF  AUS Jack Green

No. Pos. Nation Player 12 MF  AUS Steven Chester 13 DF  AUS Robert Ezekiel 14 MF  AUS Jordan Koton 16 MF  AUS Hristian Tanoski 17 MF  AUS Harry Jones 20 MF  AUS Brad Paikin 25 GK  NZL Max Ephraim 33 MF  AUS Amaury Gauthier 60 FW  AUS Noji Takayuki 62 FW  UKR Chris Salakas

Seasons

Notes

Honours

See also

• 1982 bombing of Hakoah Club

References

External links

• Official website