Maccabi Netanya

Maccabi Netanya F.C. (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל מכבי נתניה‎, Football Club Maccabi Netanya) is an Israeli football club based in Netanya. Established in 1934, the club was a founding member of the Israeli League in 1949. After winning their first championship in 1971, the club's golden period lasted until the late 70s, including three more league titles and a double in 1978.

History

Maccabi Netanya Football Club was founded in 1934 as a Mandatory Palestinian club and initially played in green and white stripes. The club played their first game against Beitar Netanya in 1935 at the Maccabi stadium, which was located in the center of the city. The club's first season was in 1935–36 when they played in Liga Gimel which back then was the third tier in Israeli football. After three seasons in Liga Gimel the club won promotion to Liga Bet (second tier), and in the 1941–42 season they won Liga Bet to secure promotion to the top division which back then was known as the Palestine League.

During World War II, the club's activities were suspended due to the situation in Palestine. During the early to mid 1940s, when British soldiers were in Palestine, there were a number of British players who served in military bases near Netanya and played for the club. The most famous were Bertie Mee and Tom Finney, who were the first foreigners to play for the club. The 1943–44 season of the Palestine League was the first season that Maccabi Netanya played a full season in the top tier of football in the country, they finished the season in the sixth place. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, four of the club's players were killed - Israel Arbaitman, Yehuda Blecher, Haim Goldstein, David Liebster and coach Baruch Feuer.

After the establishment of the State of Israel, Maccabi Netanya was among the 13 teams that formed the senior league in Israel. In the 1949–50 season, Netanya played in the first and only edition of the Israeli League and finished in ninth place. In 1954 the club qualified to the Israel State Cup

This page also has a version in other languages :  Маккаби (Нетания) (russian)