MaccabiRehovot F.C.(Hebrew:מכבי רחובות) is an Israeli football club based inRehovot.The club was a founding member of theIsraeli Leaguein 1949 and competed in the top division during the 1950s, but today plays inLiga Gimel,the fifth and lowest level ofIsraeli football.
| Full name | MaccabiRehovot Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1912 | ||
| Ground | Kiryat Moshe,Rehovot | ||
| Chairman | Meir Nahmani | ||
| 2014–15 | Liga GimelCentral, 9th | ||
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History
editFounded in 1912,[1]Maccabi Rehovot is one of the oldest clubs in Israeli football. Prior to theIsraeli Declaration of Independence,the club played at thePalestine Leagueand were runners-up in the1943–44 season,behind champions,Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Maccabi Rehovot took part in thefirst post-independence leaguein 1949–50, finishing 8th out of 13. After several mid-table finishes, the club was relegated toLiga Alefat the end of the1955–56 seasonafter finishing second from bottom. Thefollowing seasonthe club finished second inLiga Alef,which would have resulted in automatic promotion to the top division. However, after it was discovered that 9 out of the 12 clubs of Liga Alef were involved inmatch-fixing,theIsrael Football Associationdecided to hold a promotion/relegation play-offs.[2]Maccabi finished bottom ofthe groupand remained in the second tier.
In the1959–60 season,the club was relegated toLiga Bet,the third tier at the time. Ever since, the club plays in the lower divisions of Israeli football. In the 1990s they dropped into Liga Gimel, where they play today.
References
edit- ^The buds of division – The controversy about Hebrew labor within MaccabiDr. Haim Kaufman, lib.cet.ac.il(in Hebrew)
- ^Football commission of inquiry: "Five more play-off matches will be held"Heruth, 9.7.1957, Historical Jewish Press(in Hebrew)
External links
edit- Maccabi RehovotIsrael Football Association(in Hebrew)