Hapoel Petah Tikva FC
Encyclopedia
Hapoel
Petah Tikva F.C. is an Israel
i football club based in the city of Petah Tikva
. Their most successful period was the late 1950s and early 1960s, in which the club won six championships, five of them in consecutive seasons. Although they have not won the title since 1963, Hapoel still hold the record for the number of back-to-back titles. The club's last piece of major silverware came in 2005 when they won the Toto Cup
, and of all the clubs to have won the State Cup
, Hapoel have the worst record in the finals, having won on only two of their nine appearances in the final.
.
The club was included in the new Israeli League
in 1949 and finished fourth in the first post-independence championship, with their 3-2 home defeat to Beitar Tel Aviv annulled.
In the 1954-55 season
the club won their first championship, but missed out on doing the double when they lost the cup final 3-1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv. They finished second for the next three seasons, winning the cup for the first time in 1957 (beating Maccabi Jaffa 2-1), before winning the title again in 1958-59
. They retained the title in 1959-60
, 1960-61
, 1961-62
and 1962-63
, setting a record for the number of consecutive championships (the next best is three, achieved by Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa
). In both 1959 and 1960 the club also reached the cup final, but lost on both occasions, 4-3 to Maccabi Tel Aviv and 2-1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv respectively.
Hapoel finished second in 1964-65
and 1966-68
and reached the cup final again in 1968, but lost 1-0 to Bnei Yehuda. In the 1974 final they lost 1-0 to Hapoel Haifa after extra time.
At the end of the 1975-76
season the club were relegated for the first time in their history, and dropped into Liga Artzit
. They returned to the top flight in 1978 as Liga Artzit champions, but were relegated again at the end of the 1981-82 season
, in which they finished bottom of the table with only three wins from 30 matches. The club returned to Liga Leumit in 1984. In 1986 they won the Toto Cup
for the first time.
Despite a two point deduction for breaking budget rules, Hapoel finished second in 1988-89
and qualified for the Intertoto Cup
. They also finished as runners-up in 1989-90
and 1990-91
, winning the Toto Cup in both seasons. In the latter they also reached the State Cup final, but lost 3-1 to Maccabi Haifa
. The following year the club also reached the final, this time winning, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-1 after extra time, qualifying for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
.
In their first season in Europe, Hapoel beat Strømsgodset
4-0 on aggregate in the first qualifying round, before losing on away goals to Feyenoord. Domestically, Hapoel struggled during the 1992-93 season
, finishing second from bottom, only avoiding relegation after beating Maccabi Jaffa in a play-off.
In 1996-97
Hapoel finished second, qualifying for the UEFA Cup
. After beating Flora Tallinn
and Vejle
in the qualifying rounds they were knocked out by Rapid Vienna
. In 2005 they won the Toto Cup for a record fourth time (the record has since been equalled by Maccabi Haifa).
In 2006-07 the club finished bottom of the Israeli Premier League (which had replaced Liga Leumit as the top division), and were relegated. However, they made an immediate return to the top division after finishing as runners-up in the second tier, also winning the Liga Leumit Toto Cup.
in 2011.
(captain)
Hapoel
Hapoel is an Israeli sport association. It was established in 1926 as a union of the Histadrut, and represented the workers class...
Petah Tikva F.C. is an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i football club based in the city of Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...
. Their most successful period was the late 1950s and early 1960s, in which the club won six championships, five of them in consecutive seasons. Although they have not won the title since 1963, Hapoel still hold the record for the number of back-to-back titles. The club's last piece of major silverware came in 2005 when they won the Toto Cup
Toto Cup
The Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
, and of all the clubs to have won the State Cup
Israel State Cup
The State Cup , is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israeli Football Association.The State Cup was first held in 1927–28 as the Palestine Cup...
, Hapoel have the worst record in the finals, having won on only two of their nine appearances in the final.
History
The club was established in 1934. In 1945 they reached the cup final, but lost 1-0 to Hapoel Tel Aviv in a final that was abandoned after 89 minutes due to a Petah Tikva player refusing to leave the field after being sent off for insulting the referee. That year's tournament, known as the "War Cup" and boycotted by Beitar-affiliated clubs, is not recognised by the Israel Football AssociationIsrael Football Association
The Israel Football Association , also known as IFA, is the governing body of football in Israel. It organizes the football leagues, Israeli Premier League, Israeli State Cup, Toto Cup and the Israeli national football team. The association is based in Ramat Gan...
.
The club was included in the new Israeli League
Israeli League 1949-50
The 1949–50 season was the first and only edition of the Israeli League. Held the year after independence, it was contested by 13 clubs. The title was won by Maccabi Tel Aviv, whilst Maccabi Nes Tziona finished bottom of the league, losing all 24 matches, and were relegated...
in 1949 and finished fourth in the first post-independence championship, with their 3-2 home defeat to Beitar Tel Aviv annulled.
In the 1954-55 season
Liga Leumit 1954-55
The 1954–55 Liga Leumit season was the first edition of Liga Leumit, which had replaced Liga Alef as the top division of football in Israel. It consisted of 14 clubs; the 12 from the top division in the previous season and two promoted clubs...
the club won their first championship, but missed out on doing the double when they lost the cup final 3-1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv. They finished second for the next three seasons, winning the cup for the first time in 1957 (beating Maccabi Jaffa 2-1), before winning the title again in 1958-59
Liga Leumit 1958-59
The 1958–59 Liga Leumit season took place between November 1958 and May 1959. Hapoel Petah Tikva won the title, while Hapoel Kfar Saba, who had finished bottom the previous season , were relegated to Liga Alef. Aharon Amar of Maccabi Haifa was the league's top scorer with 17 goals.-Final...
. They retained the title in 1959-60
Liga Leumit 1959-60
The 1959–60 Liga Leumit season took place between September 1959 and June 1960. Hapoel Petah Tikva won their second consecutive title, whilst Hapoel Ramat Gan were relegated. Rafi Levi of Maccabi Tel Aviv was the league's top scorer with 19 goals....
, 1960-61
Liga Leumit 1960-61
The 1960–61 Liga Leumit season saw Hapoel Petah Tikva crowned champions for the third successive season. Hapoel's Zharia Ratzabi and Hapoel Haifa's Shlomo Levi were the joint top scorers with 15 goals each.Beitar Tel Aviv were relegated to Liga Alef....
, 1961-62
Liga Leumit 1961-62
The 1961–62 Liga Leumit season saw Hapoel Petah Tikva crowned as champions for the fourth successive season . Shlomo Levi of Hapoel Haifa and Yitzhak Nizri of Hapoel Tiberias were the league's joint top scorers with 16 goals each.Maccabi Netanya were relegated to Liga Alef.-Final...
and 1962-63
Liga Leumit 1962-63
The 1962–63 Liga Leumit season saw Hapoel Petah Tikva crowned champions for the fifth successive season, a record which remains unbeaten. Hapoel's Zharia Ratzabi was the league's top scorer with 12 goals....
, setting a record for the number of consecutive championships (the next best is three, achieved by Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
). In both 1959 and 1960 the club also reached the cup final, but lost on both occasions, 4-3 to Maccabi Tel Aviv and 2-1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv respectively.
Hapoel finished second in 1964-65
Liga Leumit 1964-65
The 1964–65 Liga Leumit season saw Hakoah Ramat Gan crowned champions for the first time in their history, beating Hapoel Petah Tikva to the title on goal difference. Yisrael Ashkenazi and Yitzhak Mizrahi were the joint top scorers with 18 goals each.Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tiberias were...
and 1966-68
Liga Leumit 1966-68
The 1966–68 Liga Leumit season was the thirteenth in the league's history, and is notable for the Israel Football Association's decision to play it over two years as a ploy to combat corruption and increasing violence at matches...
and reached the cup final again in 1968, but lost 1-0 to Bnei Yehuda. In the 1974 final they lost 1-0 to Hapoel Haifa after extra time.
At the end of the 1975-76
Liga Leumit 1975-76
The 1975–76 Liga Leumit season saw Hapoel Be'er Sheva win their second consecutive title. It was the only season to date in which the league had 18 clubs....
season the club were relegated for the first time in their history, and dropped into Liga Artzit
Liga Artzit
Liga Artzit was the third tier of Israeli football after the Premier League and Liga Leumit, and was run by the Israel Football Association.-Structure:...
. They returned to the top flight in 1978 as Liga Artzit champions, but were relegated again at the end of the 1981-82 season
Liga Leumit 1981-82
The 1981–82 Liga Leumit season saw Hapoel Kfar Saba win their first, and to date only title. Oded Mahnes of runners-up Maccabi Netanya was the league's top scorer with 26 goals. Hapoel Rishon LeZion, Beitar Tel Aviv and Hapoel Petah Tikva were all relegated....
, in which they finished bottom of the table with only three wins from 30 matches. The club returned to Liga Leumit in 1984. In 1986 they won the Toto Cup
Toto Cup
The Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
for the first time.
Despite a two point deduction for breaking budget rules, Hapoel finished second in 1988-89
Liga Leumit 1988-89
The 1988–89 Liga Leumit season began in September 1988 and ended in June 1989. After the first two rounds of matches the league split into two groups; a Championship group of six clubs and a Relegation group of eight clubs, who played the other clubs in their group once more.Maccabi Haifa won...
and qualified for the Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
. They also finished as runners-up in 1989-90
Liga Leumit 1989-90
The 1989–90 Liga Leumit season saw Bnei Yehuda won their first, and to date only title, whilst Hapoel Ramat Gan and Shimshon Tel Aviv were relegated to Liga Artzit...
and 1990-91
Liga Leumit 1990-91
The 1990–91 Liga Leumit season began on October 1990 and ended on June 1991, with Maccabi Haifa winning the title.The regular season had each team play twice against each opponent...
, winning the Toto Cup in both seasons. In the latter they also reached the State Cup final, but lost 3-1 to Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
. The following year the club also reached the final, this time winning, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-1 after extra time, qualifying for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
.
In their first season in Europe, Hapoel beat Strømsgodset
Strømsgodset I.F.
Strømsgodset IF is a Norwegian multi-sports club from Gulskogen in Drammen. It has sections for association football, team handball and bandy, but is best known for the top-level football section known as Strømsgodset Toppfotball, which currently plays in the Norwegian Premier League...
4-0 on aggregate in the first qualifying round, before losing on away goals to Feyenoord. Domestically, Hapoel struggled during the 1992-93 season
Liga Leumit 1992-93
The 1992–93 Liga Leumit, Israeli national soccer league season ended with Beitar Jerusalem winning the championship after being promoted in the previous season from Liga Artzit.-League standings:-References:* RSSSF...
, finishing second from bottom, only avoiding relegation after beating Maccabi Jaffa in a play-off.
In 1996-97
Liga Leumit 1996-97
The 1996–97 Liga Leumit season saw Beitar Jerusalem win their third title. Hapoel Tayibe and Tzafririm Holon were relegated to Liga Artzit. Moti Kakun of Hapoel Petah Tikva was the league's top scorer with 20 goals.-Final table:-References:* RSSSF...
Hapoel finished second, qualifying for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. After beating Flora Tallinn
FC Flora Tallinn
MTÜ JK FC Flora is an Estonian football club that was founded in 1990. FC Flora are a multiple winner of the Meistriliiga title and the Estonian Cup. They have for years been raising the most number of players for the national team, and have also grown players from their successful youth system...
and Vejle
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times....
in the qualifying rounds they were knocked out by Rapid Vienna
SK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
. In 2005 they won the Toto Cup for a record fourth time (the record has since been equalled by Maccabi Haifa).
In 2006-07 the club finished bottom of the Israeli Premier League (which had replaced Liga Leumit as the top division), and were relegated. However, they made an immediate return to the top division after finishing as runners-up in the second tier, also winning the Liga Leumit Toto Cup.
Stadium
Since 2010, the club has played at the Ramat Gan Stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 41,583. The club is planning to move to the new Petah Tikva StadiumPetah Tikva Stadium
The Petah Tikva Stadium, also known as the HaMoshava Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Petah Tikva, Israel, currently under construction...
in 2011.
Current squad
As of October 2009(captain)
Honours
- Israeli championships
- Winners 1955, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63
- State CupIsrael State CupThe State Cup , is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israeli Football Association.The State Cup was first held in 1927–28 as the Palestine Cup...
- Winners 1957, 1992
- Toto CupToto CupThe Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
- Winners 1986, 1990, 1991, 2005
- Toto Cup Leumit winners 2007