1953–54 Liga Alef

Liga Alef
Season	1953-54
Champions	Maccabi Tel Aviv; 7th title
Matches played	133
Goals scored	405 (3.05 per match)
Top goalscorer	Eliezer Spiegel (16)
	← 1951–52 1954–55 →

The 1953–54 Liga Alef season saw Maccabi Tel Aviv were crowned champions for the third successive time, whilst Eliezer Spiegel of Maccabi Petah Tikva was the league's top scorer with 16 goals. No clubs were relegated as the league was expanded to 14 clubs in the following season.

Although league matches ended on 13 March 1954,^[1] the confirmation of the league's final standings was delayed, as a match between Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Petah Tikva, which was played on 26 December 1953 and ended with a 3–2 win for Haifa, was claimed to be fixed, to allow Maccabi Haifa to win.^[2] Eventually, on 10 January 1955, the IFA decided to replay the match in a neutral venue,^[3] Maccabi Haifa won the rematch 4–1 and secured their spot in the top division.^[4] However, with the IFA already deadlocked with an ongoing dispute between Hapoel and Maccabi, Beitar declared its resignation from the IFA in protest of the IFA decision to replay the Maccabi Haifa-Maccabi Petah Tikva match.^[5]^[6] Discussions were held with the help of Judge Yosef-Michael Lamm, and an agreement between the factions was reached on 28 January 1955, confirming the results of the season and reprieving Beitar Tel Aviv and Hapoel Balfouria from relegation.^[7]^[8]

The league was played with two points for a win and one for a draw.

Final table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR	Pts
1	Maccabi Tel Aviv (C)	22	16	6	0	59	11	5.364	38
2	Maccabi Petah Tikva	22	13	6	3	50	22	2.273	32
3	Hapoel Petah Tikva	22	12	3	7	55	25	2.200	27
4	Hapoel Tel Aviv	22	9	7	6	35	18	1.944	25
5	Maccabi Rehovot	22	6	9	7	30	33	0.909	21
6	Hapoel Ramat Gan	22	8	4	10	31	35	0.886	20
7	Maccabi Netanya	22	7	5	10	23	36	0.639	19
8	Maccabi Haifa	22	8	3	11	26	51	0.510	19
9	Hapoel Haifa	22	7	4	11	26	37	0.703	18
10	Hapoel Kfar Saba	22	8	1	13	27	38	0.711	17
11	Beitar Tel Aviv	22	7	3	12	23	42	0.548	17
12	Hapoel Balfouria	22	4	3	15	20	57	0.351	11

Source: 100 Years of Football 1906-2006, Elisha Shohat (Israel), 2006
(C) Champions

Results

Home \ Away	BTA	BLF	HHA	HKS	HPT	HRG	HTA	MHA	MNE	MPT	MRV	MTA
Beitar Tel Aviv	—	1–2	2–1	0–1	0–2	3–1	1–0	4–0	0–0	2–1	1–0	0–6
Hapoel Balfouria	1–3	—	0–3	1–0	0–0	3–2	1–1	1–2	1–3	2–4	1–2	0–6
Hapoel Haifa	2–2	0–1	—	3–0	1–2	3–1	2–1	1–0	0–0	1–1	1–3	1–3
Hapoel Kfar Saba	3–1	4–3	0–1	—	1–2	1–0	0–2	4–1	2–0	1–2	1–1	1–5
Hapoel Petah Tikva	6–0	4–0	7–0	3–1	—	1–2	1–0	9–0	4–1	1–1	2–2	2–3
Hapoel Ramat Gan	4–0	4–0	2–0	3–1	2–3	—	0–2	4–0	0–0	1–2	3–2	1–1
Hapoel Tel Aviv	3–0	1–1	3–2	0–1	2–0	8–0	—	2–0	4–0	0–1	1–1	0–3
Maccabi Haifa	3–1	4–1	1–0	2–1	2–1	0–1	1–1	—	2–1	4–1^[a]	3–5	0–0
Maccabi Netanya	1–0	2–0	1–2	2–1	1–3	1–0	0–1	4–0	—	0–2	2–2	1–1
Maccabi Petah Tikva	1–1	5–1	2–0	4–1	2–1	4–0	1–1	3–0	7–1	—	5–2	0–0
Maccabi Rehovot	2–1	3–0	2–2	0–1	2–0	0–0	0–0	1–1	0–2	0–0	—	0–3
Maccabi Tel Aviv	2–0	3–0	3–0	2–1	2–1	0–0	2–2	5–0	4–0	2–1	3–0	—

Source: 100 Years of Football 1906-2006, Elisha Shohat (Israel), 2006
Legend: Blue = home team win; Red = away team win.
Notes:

^ The match was originally ended with Maccabi Haifa winning 3–2. Due to claims of alleged match fixing the match was replayed.

References

Israel - List of Final Tables RSSSF

^ Beitar Tel Aviv to Liga Bet^{[permanent dead link‍]} Al HaMishmar, 14 March 1954, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
^ The Scandal in Haifa^{[permanent dead link‍]} Herut, 3 January 1954, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
^ The League Match Maccabi Haifa-P.T. Will Be Replayed This Saturday in Kfar Saba Hadshot HaSport, 12 January 1955, via archive.football.org.il (in Hebrew)
^ Maccabi Haifa - Maccabi P.T. 4:1 (2:1)^{[permanent dead link‍]} Ma'ariv, 16 January 1955, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
^ Hapoel Left Alone in the FA^{[permanent dead link‍]} Ma'ariv, 16 January 1955, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
^ Beitar Withdrew from the FA Management Hadshot HaSport, 16 January 1955, via archive.football.org.il (in Hebrew)
^ The Football Conflict Is Eliminated - 14 Teams Will Begin Liga Alef Matches Next Saturday Hadshot HaSport, 30 January 1955, via archive.football.org.il (in Hebrew)
^ Peace Returned to the Football Association^{[permanent dead link‍]} Ma'ariv, 30 January 1955, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

[table_note_1_MHA_MPT0.37151408212796-9] The match was originally ended with Maccabi Haifa winning 3–2. Due to claims of alleged match fixing the match was replayed.

[1] Beitar Tel Aviv to Liga Bet^{[permanent dead link‍]} Al HaMishmar, 14 March 1954, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

[2] The Scandal in Haifa^{[permanent dead link‍]} Herut, 3 January 1954, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

[3] The League Match Maccabi Haifa-P.T. Will Be Replayed This Saturday in Kfar Saba Hadshot HaSport, 12 January 1955, via archive.football.org.il (in Hebrew)

[4] Maccabi Haifa - Maccabi P.T. 4:1 (2:1)^{[permanent dead link‍]} Ma'ariv, 16 January 1955, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

[5] Hapoel Left Alone in the FA^{[permanent dead link‍]} Ma'ariv, 16 January 1955, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

[6] Beitar Withdrew from the FA Management Hadshot HaSport, 16 January 1955, via archive.football.org.il (in Hebrew)

[7] The Football Conflict Is Eliminated - 14 Teams Will Begin Liga Alef Matches Next Saturday Hadshot HaSport, 30 January 1955, via archive.football.org.il (in Hebrew)

[8] Peace Returned to the Football Association^{[permanent dead link‍]} Ma'ariv, 30 January 1955, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

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