Shimshon Tel Aviv
Encyclopedia
Shimshon Tel Aviv F.C. was an Israel
i football
club based at the Bloomfield Stadium
in Jaffa
. In 2000 it merged with Beitar Tel Aviv to create Beitar Shimshon Tel Aviv.
. It was commonly referred to as the club of Kerem HaTeimanim, a neighbourhood of Tel Aviv
.
The club spent its first few years in the lower leagues, before winning promotion to the top flight (then called Liga Leumit
) in 1960 as Liga Alef
champions.
In 1962-63
the Shimshon finished 4th, the club's highest position to date. In 1965-66
, Shimshon player Moshe Romano
was the division's joint top scorer alongside Maccabi Netanya's prolific striker Mordechai Spiegler
, with 17 goals. The club also made their first appearance in a State Cup
final, going down 2-1 to Hapoel Haifa.
Another 4th place finish was achieved in 1969-70
, with Romano again finishing as the league's top scorer. The following season they went one better by finishing second to champions Maccabi Netanya. However, the success was not sustained, and a season after finishing second, the club narrowly avoided relegation, finishing one place above the drop zone. The 1972-73
was even worse, as the club was relegated alongside Hapoel Marmorek.
Despite their setback the previous season, Shimshon had a successful 1973-74, finishing high enough in Liga Alef to take part in the new promotion/relegation play-offs. They finished second in the play-off group, and were promoted back to Liga Leumit.
The early 1980s were a period of relative success, as the club finished third in 1979-80
and 1984-85
, and another second place finish achieved in 1982-83
. A second cup final was reached in 1986, but they lost 2-1 to Beitar Jerusalem. In 1987-88
the club qualified for the Intertoto Cup.
Although they reached another cup final in 1989-90, losing again, 1-0 after extra time to Hapoel Kfar Saba, the club finished bottom of Liga Leumit for the first time in their history, and were relegated to Liga Artzit
(the second tier since the 1970s). Unable to bounce back to the top flight, and overshadowed by more popular and successful teams in Tel Aviv (Hapoel, Maccabi and Bnei Yehuda, the club merged with fellow Tel Aviv strugglers Beitar to form Beitar Shimshon Tel Aviv.
Pini Balili
Eli Cohen Adoram Keisi
Moshe Romano
Ya'akov Hodorov
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club based at the Bloomfield Stadium
Bloomfield Stadium
Bloomfield Stadium is a 14,700-seat football stadium in the Tel Aviv District city of Jaffa, Israel. It is the home stadium of Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv.-History:...
in Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
. In 2000 it merged with Beitar Tel Aviv to create Beitar Shimshon Tel Aviv.
History
The club was formed in memory of Shimshon Douri, a former Maccabi Tel Aviv player who died in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. It was commonly referred to as the club of Kerem HaTeimanim, a neighbourhood of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
.
The club spent its first few years in the lower leagues, before winning promotion to the top flight (then called 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...
) in 1960 as Liga Alef
Liga Alef
-History:League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after independence. However, the financial and security crises gripping the young nation caused the 1950–51 season to be abandoned before it had started. When football resumed in 1951–52, the new top division went by the name of Liga Alef...
champions.
In 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....
the Shimshon finished 4th, the club's highest position to date. In 1965-66
Liga Leumit 1965-66
The 1965–66 Liga Leumit season saw Hapoel Tel Aviv crowned champions and qualify for the first Asian Club Championships. Moshe Romano and Mordechai Spiegler were the joint top scorers with 17 goals each....
, Shimshon player Moshe Romano
Moshe Romano
Moshe Romano is a retired Israeli international footballer.-Club career:Romano played club football for Shimshon Tel Aviv and Beitar Tel Aviv, and was top scorer in the 1965–66, 1969–1970, 1972–1973 and 1974–75 seasons, scoring a total of 193 goals in the Israeli First Division between 1965 and...
was the division's joint top scorer alongside Maccabi Netanya's prolific striker Mordechai Spiegler
Mordechai Spiegler
Mordechai "Motaleh" Spiegler is a former Israeli footballer. He remains Israel's record goalscorer, with 33 goals in 83 caps.In 2005, he was voted the 105th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest...
, with 17 goals. The club also made their first appearance in a 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, going down 2-1 to Hapoel Haifa.
Another 4th place finish was achieved in 1969-70
Liga Leumit 1969-70
The 1969–70 Liga Leumit season saw Maccabi Tel Aviv win the title on goal difference from city rivals, Hapoel, and qualify for the 1971 Asian Club Championship. Maccabi Jaffa and Hapoel Be'er Sheva were relegated to Liga Alef. Moshe Romano of Shimshon Tel Aviv was the league's top scorer with 15...
, with Romano again finishing as the league's top scorer. The following season they went one better by finishing second to champions Maccabi Netanya. However, the success was not sustained, and a season after finishing second, the club narrowly avoided relegation, finishing one place above the drop zone. The 1972-73
Liga Leumit 1972-73
The 1972–73 Liga Leumit season saw Hakoah Ramat Gan win their second title, whilst Shimshon Tel Aviv and Hapoel Marmorek were relegated. Moshe Romano of Beitar Tel Aviv was the league's top scorer with 18 goals.-Final table:-References:* RSSSF...
was even worse, as the club was relegated alongside Hapoel Marmorek.
Despite their setback the previous season, Shimshon had a successful 1973-74, finishing high enough in Liga Alef to take part in the new promotion/relegation play-offs. They finished second in the play-off group, and were promoted back to Liga Leumit.
The early 1980s were a period of relative success, as the club finished third in 1979-80
Liga Leumit 1979-80
The 1979–80 Liga Leumit season saw Maccabi Netanya, with the club's David Lavi finishing as the league's top scorer with 18 goals. Hakoah Ramat Gan, Beitar Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem were all relegated to Liga Artzit.-Final table:-References:* RSSSF...
and 1984-85
Liga Leumit 1984-85
The 1984–85 Liga Leumit season saw Maccabi Haifa win the title. Beitar Tel Aviv, Hapoel Lod and Hakoah Ramat Gan were all relegated to Liga Artzit. David Lavi of Maccabi Netanya was the league's top scorer with 18 goals.-Final table:-References:* RSSSF...
, and another second place finish achieved in 1982-83
Liga Leumit 1982-83
The 1982–83 Liga Leumit season saw Maccabi Netanya win the title, with the club's Oded Machnes finishing as the league's top scorer with 22 goals. Hapoel Ramat Gan, Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Kfar Saba were relegated to Liga Artzit.-Final table:-References:* RSSSF...
. A second cup final was reached in 1986, but they lost 2-1 to Beitar Jerusalem. In 1987-88
Liga Leumit 1987-88
The 1987–88 Liga Leumit season saw the league experiment with a split-league system. After the first two rounds , the league split, with the top eight clubs forming a Championship group and the bottom six forming a Relegation group...
the club qualified for the Intertoto Cup.
Although they reached another cup final in 1989-90, losing again, 1-0 after extra time to Hapoel Kfar Saba, the club finished bottom of Liga Leumit for the first time in their history, and were relegated to 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:...
(the second tier since the 1970s). Unable to bounce back to the top flight, and overshadowed by more popular and successful teams in Tel Aviv (Hapoel, Maccabi and Bnei Yehuda, the club merged with fellow Tel Aviv strugglers Beitar to form Beitar Shimshon Tel Aviv.
Notable former players
Gidi DamtiGidi Damti
Gideon 'Gidi' Damti is a retired Israeli football player. He is currently manager of Sektzia Nes Tziona. He has also been manager at Maccabi Netanya.-Honours:*Israeli Premier League:**Runner-up : 1970–71, 1982–83...
Pini Balili
Pini Balili
Pini Balili is an Israeli-Turkish footballer currently playing for Bnei Yehuda.-Move back to Hapoel:As a youngster, Balili grew up supporting Hapoel Tel Aviv and was part of the youth system there before moving to Shimshon Tel Aviv in his teens...
Eli Cohen Adoram Keisi
Adoram Keisi
Adoram Keisi is a retired Israeli professional football player. Keisi played most of his career as a left back in Maccabi Haifa F.C. in which he won 4 championship, one state cup and 2 Toto cups...
Moshe Romano
Moshe Romano
Moshe Romano is a retired Israeli international footballer.-Club career:Romano played club football for Shimshon Tel Aviv and Beitar Tel Aviv, and was top scorer in the 1965–66, 1969–1970, 1972–1973 and 1974–75 seasons, scoring a total of 193 goals in the Israeli First Division between 1965 and...
Ya'akov Hodorov
Ya'akov Hodorov
Ya'akov Hodorov was an Israeli football goalkeeper in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. He was considered by many to be Israel's best goalkeeper in history, and among the best goalkeepers of his generation.-Football career:Hodorov started his football career at Maccabi Rishon LeZion at the age of 15...
Honours
- Liga Alef
- Champions 1960
- Toto Cup AlToto 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 1986-87, 1987-88