Hapoel

Hapoel

Hapoel is an Israeli sport association. It was established in 1926 as a union of the Histadrut, and represented the workers class...

 Jerusalem Football Club (Hebrew

Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

: מועדון כדורגל הפועל ירושלים, Moadon Kadouregel Hapoel Yerushalayim) 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 in Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit

Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place...

. Hapoel plays at Teddy Stadium in Malha, Jerusalem.

History

Hapoel Jerusalem Club was established in the 1930s. Home matches were held at football field in Katamon. In the 1980s, games were moved to the YMCA Stadium

YMCA Stadium

The cornerstone for the Jerusalem YMCA was laid in 1928 by Lord Plumer, the British High Commissioner for Palestine, on a plot of land in the West Nikephoria section of Jerusalem purchased from the Greek Orthodox Church Patriarchate. When the building opened on April 18, 1933, the event was...

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By far the greatest moment in the club's history was their win over Hakoah Maccabi Amidar Ramat Gan in the 1973 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...

 final. That same year the club reached its highest finish in the top division, 3rd. In the following decades the club's popularity among Jerusalem residents diminished in favor of the rival team, Beitar Jerusalem. With less support in the stands the club was unable to remain in the top division and dropped to the lower rungs of Israeli football.

With the introduction of Yossi Sassi to the ownership, new faces were brought in to run the club. Success has still not come, but there was one bright spot in 1998 when Hapoel reached the final of the Israel 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...

. They lost 2-0 to a powerful 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...

 side in front of 10,000 red supporters at Ramat Gan Stadium. In 2007, club supporters had had enough of the management of the club and successive relegations. Some of Hapoel Jerusalem fans decided to leave the old team and founded Hapoel Katamon

Hapoel Katamon F.C.

Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem F.C. is an Israeli fan-owned association football club in Jerusalem, Israel. It was conceived and founded in 2007 by Hapoel Jerusalem fans unhappy with the team’s management. The club currently plays in Liga Alef and is based at Teddy Stadium...

 Jerusalem, named after the home grounds in the great 1970's. While the original Hapoel Jerusalem plays in the 2nd division in front of on few hundreds of spectators, Katamon gathers thousands in every home match.

Support

During the early years, support of the club came mostly from the labour organizations in Israel. City rivals Beitar were identified with the right wing nationalist organizations. All this played out to create the Jerusalem derby. To this day the rivalry exists, though it is not nearly as heated as when both clubs played in the top division of Israeli football

Football in Israel

Football is the most popular sport in Israel. Football as an organised sport first developed in the United Kingdom who controlled Israel during the days of the British Mandate. Israel will be hosting the UEFA U-21 Championship in 2013....

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Honours

• 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...
  
  :
  • Winners (1): 1973
  • Runners-up (2): 1972, 1998

• Third Division
  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:...
  
  :
  • Winners (3): 2001-02
    Liga Artzit 2001-02
    The 2001–02 Liga Artzit season saw Hapoel Jerusalem win the title and promotion to Liga Leumit alongside runners-up Hapoel Nazareth Illit. Hapoel Tayibe and Maccabi Yavne were relegated to Liga Alef.-Final table:...
    
    , 2007-08
    Liga Artzit 2007-08
    The 2007–08 Liga Artzit season began on 17 August 2007 and 24 May 2008. Hapoel Jerusalem won the title and were promoted to Liga Leumit alongside runners-up Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Ata...
    
    , 2010–11

• Israeli Premier League:
  • Best finish: 3rd - 1972-73

• Second Division
  Liga Leumit
  Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place...
  
  :
  • Runners-up (1): 1956-57