One Hundred Years of Football in Palestine

Issam Khalidi

Description

Since humanity put its faith and religions in books and since territorial disputes dominate international relations, these two words "Jordan River" have personified the most complex conflict and the simplest at the same time, ever existing in any region of our globe, the Near East. The theme of this book is Football in Palestine.

Sujets

• RECREATIONAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Informations

• Publié par: Dar Al-Shorouk for Publishing & Distribution
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9796500159331
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF FOOTBALL IN PALESTINE

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF FOOTBALL IN PALESTINE

Issam Khalidi

2013

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan The Deposit Number at The National Library (2013/6/2070)

796.334 Kalidi, Issam One Hundred Years Of Football In Palestine/Issam Khalidi. Amman Dar AlShorouk, 2013 L.D.: 2013/6/2070 Specifications: Football//Sports//Palestine/.

* Preliminary cataloguing data are prepared by the National Library Department

ISBN 9789957005399

* ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF FOOTBALL IN PALESTINE

* Issam Khalidi

* First edition 2013

* All rights reserved @

Dar AlShorouk For Publishing & Distridution

Tel. [phone]  4618191 Fax. [phone] P.O. 926463Amman (11110) Jordan Email : [e-mail]

Dar AlShorouk For Publishing & Distridution

Tel. [phone]  2991614  2975632 Fax. [phone] Ramallah  Palestine Email : [e-mail]

All rights reserved. No Part of this book may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage re trieval system, without the prior permission in writing of Author.

CONTENTS

- Foreword By The Fifa President - Joseph S. Blatter

- 100Years of Palestinian Football: Biography of a long

march - JibrilRajoub

- Introduction - IssamKhalidi

- Acknowledgements

- Chapter 1 : 1910 -1948

- Chapter 2: 1948-1967

- Chapter 3: 1967 ≠ 1994

- Chapter 4: 1994 - Present

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7

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF FOOTBALL IN PALESTINE

FOREWORD BY THE FIFA PRESIDENT

FOREWORD BY THE FIFA PRESIDENT

JOSEPH S. BLATTER

October 2008: our convoy of cars leaves the last Jordanian border 26th, checkpoint and engages on the King Hussein Bridge built after the 1994 Israel- Jordan peace agreement to replace the Allenby Bridge used since 1918 and the de- mise of the Ottoman Empire. And stops some hundred meters farther just above a tiny, narrow and fragile stream of water surrounded by bulrush with few circling birds and under a heavy stifling sun; the Jordan River !

Since humanity put its faith and religions in books and since territorial disputes dominate international relations, these two words "Jordan River" have personified the most complex conflict and the simplest at the same time, ever existing in any region of our globe, the Near East.

As the FIFA President, I was on my way to Palestine, to Ram in particular, to inaugurate the FIFA-built stadium, the first-ever Palestinian stadium meeting FIFA’s international standards for football arenas, and to preside over the historical first-ever international match played on home soil by a Palestinian national team.

For someone who dedicated forty years of his life to develop football all around the world, the moment and this whole trip were incredibly exciting and emotional.

And for someone who strongly believes that human relations are the center of the true essence of life, I was amazed by the contrast with that small river and the huge symbol it has represented and represents in history. I was also humbled by the role football plays to bring nations, peoples and individuals together uniting their differences in the universal message of the game and of fair-play.

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF FOOTBALL IN PALESTINE

For the Palestinian people whose existence has been negated during decades and whose right to exist in the community of nations is still so incomplete, playing international football at home was just another milestone in its fight towards digni- ty and freedom.

All my life in FIFA, I struggled to see the motto "Football for all and all for football" become a worldwide reality. For Palestinian football, that reality began with the recognition by FIFA, and comprises the means to develop itself and to play, the implementation for Palestinian players of the same rights and duties which football players around the world benefit from under FIFA’s umbrella.

I fought - and will always fight - for this universal right to play as I opposed any boycott, any restriction or any interdiction to play at home which was directed against and imposed on anyone and for example on Israeli football.

All these emotions, all these goals, all these purposes were engulfing my mind during that trip and at the moment of this halt above the Jordan River.

Four years later at the very moment of signing the preface of the book "100 Years of Football in Palestine" written by historian Dr. IssamKhalidi, I cannot ig- nore the tensions looming above the region, nor the controversies generated by the passions and the opinions (including some of those contained in this book) but I want to convey some simple messages.

Football as a structured sport has been existing in Palestine for a little more than a century and it is essential for that history to be known, acknowledged and con- veyed to show that our sport overcame all the hurdles set up in front of it to blos- som, to find its own re-birth and to simply exist.

Secondly, football is a common passion in the region and represents one of the rare platforms where neighbors in conflict can find a common language.

For all these reasons, hope remains and survives. And football has played, is playing and will play its entire share to keep alight the flickering sparkle of hope.

Joseph S. Blatter

100 Years of Palestinian Football: Biography of a long march

100Years of Palestinian Football: Biography of a long march

Within the pages of this book lies the history of 100 years of Palestinian foot- ball; the memories of achievements and setbacks, of accomplishments and sorrows, that went hand in hand with the historical events that Palestine went through during the past century Æ

But this book is about history, and is meant for the next generation that looks back on what has passed to learn and ponder, while looking forward, determined to blossom and grow Æ

A lot has happened in one hundred years; Triumphs and defeats, stars that had once shone and had long since faded; memories in black and white that had either found their way to some family album, or else were gone forever; playgrounds that perished during a merciless onslaught on a land that was nearly emptied of its peo- ple, and other fields that managed to survive and endure; stories of football and footballers faced by a vicious occupation, yet determined to be Æ

In one hundred years, Palestinian football has marched through its own long via dolorosa; its stars have walked the painful course nobly and courageously, despite the barriers and walls of separation and hate, and in spite of the besiegement of their people on their own land, in an elaborate prison,deviously designed by the last occupation force on earth Æ

One hundred long years have passed, yet the waters of the river Jordan still flow as they did for thousands of years, as does the course of history that witnessed all those events this book endeavors touncover...Goalswerescored,matcheswere

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