Hapoel Ashdod F.C.

Hapoel Ashdod

Full name

Hapoel Ashdod Football Club

Founded

1957
2015 (Re-established)

Ground

Feeder Stadium, Ashdod

Capacity

2,000

Owner

private Voluntary association

Chairman

Naim Shomer

Manager

Pini Ayesh

League

Liga Gimel South

1998–99

Liga Artzit, 10th

Home colours

Away colours

Hapoel Ashdod F.C. (Hebrew: הפועל אשדוד‎‎) is an Israeli football club based in Ashdod. In 1999, it merged with local rivals Ironi Ashdod to create F.C. Ashdod.

In 2015, the club was resurrected by its fans.^[1]

History

Original club

The club was founded in 1957 and reached the second tier after winning Liga Bet South B Division in the 1970–71 season. After several lower-table finishes, the club were relegated to Liga Alef at the end of the 1978–79 season, in which they finished bottom. They returned to the second division at the end of the 1989–90 season, in which they won the southern division of Liga Alef, beating local rivals Maccabi Ironi Ashdod to the title by a single point. They narrowly avoiding relegation in 1993–94, when they finished one place above the relegation zone, but after several more lower-table finishes, in 1997–98 the club finished third, one place below promotion to the top division, but the following season finished tenth,^[2] and were due to be relegated two divisions due to financial problems. However, the club merged with Maccabi Ironi Ashdod, to form F.C. Ashdod.

In 2001 a new club, Hapoel Namal Ashdod was established, playing in Liga Gimel. Although the club was initially successful, winning its division and gaining promotion to Liga Bet, at the end of the 2003–04 season, in which it finished fourth, it was disbanded.

Re-established club

In March 2015, fans of Hapoel Ashdod gathered and re-established the club, with the purpose of joining Liga Gimel in the 2015–16 season.^[3]^[4]

Later on that month, F.C. Ashdod's chairman, Jacky Ben-Zaken, decided to rename F.C. Ashdod to Hapoel Ashdod and to play in red shirts, following a dispute with fans of the previous club, Maccabi Ironi Ashdod.^[5] Despite warnings from the Israel Football Association, which informed the club that such changes during season are illegal,^[6] F.C. Ashdod did show up for their Bottom playoff match against Hapoel Ra'anana in red shirts, with the caption "F.C. Hapoel Ashdod",^[7] and was eventually disciplined.^[8] However, Hapoel Ashdod fans have decided that the club will be registered in Liga Gimel, rather than joining forces with Ben-Zaken's F.C. Ashdod.^[1]

At the same time, another group of Hapoel Ashdod fans, headed by lawyer Ya'akov Shitrit, formed a second club, due to play in 2015–16 Liga Gimel. As Shitrit's group was affiliated with the Hapoel organization, this club was registered in the IFA under the name Hapoel Bnei Ashdod (Hebrew:הפועל בני אשדוד),^[9] while the fans' club was forced to drop the name Hapoel from their club and registered under the name of Agudat Sport Ashdod (Hebrew: אגודת ספורט אשדוד),^[10] (or in short Hebrew: א.ס. אשדוד, Aleph Samekh Ashdod, lit. A.S. Ashdod).^[11]

Honours

League

Honour	No.	Years
Third tier	2	1970–71, 1989–90
Fourth tier	1	1963–64, 1986–87^[12]

References

1 2 Hapoel Ashdod was re-established last night in enthusiastic conference Bar Rabinovich & Noam Altman, Ashdod 10, 30.3.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Israel Second Level 1998/99 RSSSF
↑ Hapoel Ashdod resurrected Erez Na'aman & Avihai Haim, Goler1, 4.3.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Restored to its former glory: Hapoel Ashdod returns Kobi Portal, Doublepass, 4.3.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Ben Zaken decided: The team will be called Hapoel Ashdod Shirley Bar Dayan, Sport 5, 14.3.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Ashdod can't change name Sport 2, 18.3.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch David Nathan, Ynet, 21.3.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Not a bargain: Ashdod to be disciplined for the red shirts Sport 5, 30.3.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Hapoel Ashdod Vs Hapoel Ashdod war Shahar Kahlon, Ashdodnet, 23.7.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Agudat Sport Ashdod The Israel Football Association (Hebrew)
↑ Derby every week? 3 teams from Ashdod were assigned to the same district Kobi Portal, Doublepass, 27.8.2015 (Hebrew)
↑ Isfiya and Ashdod Promoted to Liga Bet Ma'ariv, 26 April 1987, Historical Jewish Press (Hebrew)

Liga Gimel

Upper Galilee	F.C. Aramshe Danun F.C. Bnei M.M.B.E. HaGolan VeHaGalil F.C. Tzeirei Tamra Hapoel Bnei Bi'ina Hapoel Bnei Hurfeish Hapoel Bnei Tuba-Zangariyye Hapoel Bnei Peki'in Hapoel Bnei Rameh Hapoel Merom HaGalil Hapoel Nahariya Hapoel Tarshiha Maccabi Ahva Yarka Maccabi Ahva Sha'ab

Lower Galilee	Ahi Bir al-Maksur Beitar Kiryat Ata F.C. Halat al-Sharif Bnei Arraba F.C. Kfar Kama F.C. Tzeirei Bir al-Maksur Hapoel Bnei Deir al-Asad Hapoel Ironi Bni I'billin Maccabi Bnei Nujidat Ironi Bnei Sha'ab Maccabi Kafr Manda Maccabi Ironi Tamra

Jezreel	Beitar Afula Beitar Ein Mahil Beitar Umm al-Fahm Bnei Musheirifa Baiada F.C. Nazareth Illit Hapoel Bnei Ar'ara 'Ara Hapoel Bnei Musmus Hapoel Ein as-Sahala Ihud Bnei Baqa Maccabi Bnei Reineh Maccabi Basmat Tab'un

Samaria	Beitar Pardes Hanna Hapoel Ahva Haifa F.C. Pardes Hanna-Karkur Hapoel Bnei Fureidis Hapoel Halissa Hapoel Kiryat Haim Hapoel Ironi Or Akiva Hapoel Isfiya Hapoel Menashe Maccabi Neve Sha'anan Eldad Maccabi Isfiya Maccabi Ironi Barta'a

Sharon	Beitar Tubruk Bnei Qalansawe F.C. Bnei Ra'anana F.C. Ironi Ariel F.C. Kafr Qasim Nibrass F.C. Netanya F.C. Tzeirei Tira Hapoel Jaljulia Hapoel Oranit Hapoel Kafr Bara Maccabi HaSharon Netanya Shimshon Bnei Tayibe Shimshon Kafr Qasim

Tel Aviv	Beitar Ezra Beitar Jaffa Bnei Yehud Elitzur Jaffa Tel Aviv Elitzur Yehud Yotel Inter Aliyah Tel Aviv Hapoel Kiryat Shalom Hapoel Neve Golan Maccabi Hashikma Hen Maccabi Ironi Or Yehuda Maccabi Pardes Katz Maccabi Spartak Ramat Gan Otzma F.C. Holon Shikun Vatikim Ramat Gan Shimshon Tel Aviv Sporting Tel Aviv

Central	A.S. Ashdod Beitar Ashdod F.C. Rishon LeZion F.C. Tzeirei Lod Hapoel Abirei Bat Yam Hapoel Bnei Ashdod Hapoel Ironi Gedera Hapoel Mevaseret Zion Hapoel Matzliah Hapoel Ramla Hapoel Tirat Shalom Ironi Lod Maccabi Kiryat Ekron Maccabi Rehovot

South	A.S. Ashkelon Beitar Kiryat Gat Elitzur Ironi Yehuda F.C. Arad F.C. Be'er Sheva Haim Levy F.C. Ironi Kuseife F.C. Tzeirei al-Hoshla Hapoel Ar'arat an-Naqab Hapoel Merhavim Hapoel Rahat Hapoel Yeruham Maccabi Dimona Maccabi Ironi Hura

Seasons (fifth level)	1958–59 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17

Seasons (sixth level)	1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09

Football in Israel

Domestic leagues

Men	Premier League (2016–17) Liga Leumit (2016–17) Liga Alef (2016–17) Liga Bet (2016–17) Liga Gimel (2016–17) Noar Premier League (2016–17)

Women	Women's League (2016–17)

Other	Beach Soccer League ('16) ('17) Futsal League

Domestic cups

Men	State Cup (2016–17) Super Cup Toto Cup (2016–17 Al, 2016–17 Leumit) Youth State Cup (2016–17)

Women	Israeli Women's Cup (2016–17)

Defunct competitions

National teams

Men	National team (History Players Records) U-21 U-19 U-18 U-17 Mandatory Palestine

Women	National team U-19 U-17

Other	National beach team National futsal team

Related to national team

International tournaments

Hapoel Ashdod F.C.

History

Original club

Re-established club

Honours

League

See also

References