Playing long balls into empty space since 2012.

Wednesday 9 October 2019

AIF's FIRST BIG FOOTBALL MATCH IN PALESTINE

North-Eastern Advertiser, Tuesday 16 April 1940, page 3

... Football with an international flavor has been added to the sporting activities of the A.I.F. The first match ot this kind was played by a scratch soccer team from an infantry battalion, and the Rishon Maccabi team at Rishon Le Zion.
Leave was granted to more than 100 men to attend the match and give vocal support to the A.I.F. team.
Of the social aspect of the match the district paper said: 'Local-style refreshments end produce were pro minent and did much to lend cheer to the occasion.' Perhaps it should be explained that a large brewery is situated at Rishon.
The outing was one of the most enjoyable the troops hare had in Palestine. The Australian team had never played together before, bat put up a good showing, the final score being 3 to 1 against them.
Their uniforms were varied and ragged, but this is to be remedied as soon as the Comforts Fund can obtain sweaters and trousers in the appropriate colors. Football boots are also scarce. For this game a thirty mile trip had to be made to a famous Scottish regiment to borrow them.
As soccer is universally played throughout Palestine, games of other codes are restricted to inter-regimental fixtures. However there is a good number of soccer men in the force, especially among the units from the coalfields. In the Australian team there were two ex-Imperial army men, a Cameron Highlander and a Royal Fusilier. The last named, Sergeant Monty Stems, is incidentally the first member of the 2nd A.I.F. to collect a medal. 

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