26.10.12

Hakoah Wien (Vienna)

At the 1898 Zionist Congress Max Nordau coined the term "muscular Judaism"  and called for the foundation of a Jewish sports movement.
Hakoah is Hebrew for The Strength. It has featured in the name of a number of football teams with Jewish origins.




I believe that the earliest of these was Hakoah Berlin established 22nd July 1905 as Sport-Club Hakoah Berlin. In 1929, Hakoah merged with Jüdischer Turnverein Bar Kochba Berlin (established 22nd October 1898) to create Jüdischer Turn- und Sportverein Bar-Kochba-Hakoah.



The greatest and most influential of the Hakoah clubs was Hakoah Wien, founded by Austrian Zionists as a multi sport club in 1909.
Hakoah finished second in the Austrian league in 1922 and won the title in 1925, the first season of the professional era.
In 1923 they beat West Ham United 5–1- the first time a continental team had beaten an English professional side in England.
At this time Hakoah were managed by Billy Hunter  who had played for Bolton Wanderers alongside Jimmy Hogan. He nurtured the 'Scottish game', based on short passing.
In 1926 the team conducted a highly successful tour of the United States. Their game at New York City's Polo Grounds against the American Soccer League XI attracted 46,000 spectators. 


Hakoah Wien 1925

Hungary's Béla Guttmann, he had two spells as both a player and manager with Hakoah Wien, he also played for New York Hakoah and Hakoah All-Stars. Guttmann, who went on to become one of the most influential managers in world football, was a dancing master. He played as centre half in the pyramid formation, and reputedly had his football shirts made of silk.


Other Hakoahs*
Many of the Hakoah Wien players settled in the United States following the tour- the financial inducements were attractive, and this led to the formation of  New York Hakoah which won the U.S. Open Cup in 1929. 
Former Hakoah Wien emigres also formed the club Brooklyn Hakoah.  Brooklyn Hakoah and New York Hakoah merged in 1930 to form Hakoah All-Stars.

Melbourne Hakoah (1927)
Club Náutico Hacoaj (Buenos Aries)  founded as Club Náutico Israelita in 1935 and changed its name in 1936 in honour of Hakoah Wien.

* Outside of our time range-   Hakoah Tel Aviv was founded in 1938 by a group of former Hakoah Wien players who had migrated to Palestine from Austria.
Sydney City FC  was formed in 1939 as Sydney Hakoah by members of the Sydney Jewish community.