Hapoel Jerusalem Football Club (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל הפועל ירושלים, Moadon Kadouregel Hapoel Yerushalayim) is an Israeli football club in Liga Leumit. Hapoel plays at Teddy Stadium in Malha, Jerusalem.
Hapoel Jerusalem Club was established in 1926. Home matches were held at football field in Katamon. In the 1980s, games were moved to the YMCA Stadium.
By far the greatest moment in the club's history was their win over Hakoah Maccabi Amidar Ramat Gan in the 1973 State 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. They lost 2?0 to a powerful Maccabi Haifa side in front of 10,000 red supporters at Ramat Gan Stadium. In 2007, club supporters have 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 Jerusalem, named after the home grounds in the great 1970s. While the original Hapoel Jerusalem plays in the 2nd division in front of a few hundred spectators, Katamon gathers thousands in every home match.
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.
A decent squad, especially the 2 DM & DC's.
And I leave you with the stadium:
