Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem F.C.
First fan-owned football club in Israel, founded by disenchanted supporters.
Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem F.C. is an Israeli fan-owned association football club in Jerusalem, conceived and founded in 2007 by Hapoel Jerusalem fans unhappy with the club's management. It became the first fan-owned football club in Israel. In May 2020, the club's Council decided to rename the club to Hapoel Jerusalem and changed the logo accordingly, but the legal entity continued.
Quick Facts
- Clubname
- Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem
- Nickname
- The Red Devils, Hapoel
- Fullname
- Hapoel Jerusalem Football Club
- Shortname
- HJFC
- Founded
- 2007 (as Hapoel Katamon/Mevasseret Zion) / 2009 (as Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem) / 2020 (as Hapoel Jerusalem)
- Dissolved
- 2020
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After the 2006–07 season, disenchanted fans resolved to create a company to purchase the club. Led by journalist Uri Sheradski and supported by future mayor Nir Barkat, they bought Hapoel Mevasseret Zion/Abu Ghosh and renamed it 'Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem F.C.'. The name came from Katamon, a Jerusalem neighborhood where Hapoel Jerusalem played from 1954. The first game was played October 19, 2007, with a crowd of 3,000; Hapoel Katamon won 2–1 against Hapoel Nahalat Yehuda. Not all fans supported the move; a popular slogan among critics was 'love can't be bought for a 1,000 Shekels', a reference to the membership price. However, Katamon matches steadily outdrew Hapoel Jerusalem.
Reader's Guide
Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem F.C. represents a significant case of fan ownership in Israeli football, emerging from dissatisfaction with the management of Hapoel Jerusalem. Its founding as the first fan-owned club in Israel set a precedent for community-driven sports organizations. The club's early professional success—finishing second in its first season and reaching the 7th round of the Israel State Cup—demonstrated viability. After a vote to end cooperation with Hapoel Mevasseret, the club started anew in Liga Gimel in 2009, quickly rising through divisions. It reached Liga Leumit by 2013 and achieved its best placing, fourth, in 2015–16. In 2018–19, it won the Toto Cup Leumit, becoming the first fan-owned club to win a trophy in Israeli football. The club also engaged in social activities, including instructing students and teaching Hebrew to immigrants, and ran a 'neighborhood league'. Its eventual renaming to Hapoel Jerusalem in May 2020 marked a return to the original club's identity, though the fan-owned model persisted.
Did You Know?
- Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem was the first fan-owned football club in Israel.
- The club's name came from the Katamon neighborhood, where Hapoel Jerusalem played from 1954.
- In the 2019–20 season, the club won the Toto Cup Leumit, the first fan-owned club to win a trophy in Israeli football.
- The club's first game was played on October 19, 2007, with a crowd of 3,000.
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