Gaon Stadium Explained

Stadium Name:Gaon Stadium
אצטדיון גאון
Location:8 Nes LaGoyim Street, Tel Aviv
Coordinates:32.0438°N 34.7615°W
Opened:1951 (as Maccabi Jaffa Ground)
1977 (as Gaon Stadium)
Closed:2007
Demolished:1971
2009
Surface:Grass
Tenants:Maccabi Jaffa (1951–2000)
Beitar Tel Aviv (1979-1980)
Shimshon Tel Aviv (1980-1981, 1982-1983, 1984-1985)
A.S. Ramat Eliyahu (2000–2008)
Seating Capacity:4,000

Gaon Stadium was a football stadium in Tel Aviv part of Jaffa, home of former club Maccabi Jaffa.

History

Members of Maccabi Jaffa built a ground for the club at the location in 1951, after receiving some agricultural land on the outskirts of Jaffa, which belonged to the Dajani family and was abandoned during the 1947–1949 Palestine war.[1] The club used the ground until it became unsuited for the club matches, forcing Maccabi Jaffa to move temporarily to play in other nearby stadiums. In 1971 the old ground was demolished[2] [3] and a new stadium was built, opening in 1977.[4] The ground was named after Nessim Gaon and his wife Renée, who helped financially with the construction of the stadium.[5]

Maccabi Jaffa played in the ground until 2000, when the club was dissolved due to heavy debts. The club was merged with A.S. Ramat Eliyahu, which took over the stadium, until it was forced to merge with another local club, Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jaffa due to financial problems,[6] and the merged club, under the name F.C. Bnei Jaffa, continued to play in Bnei Jaffa's ground.

In April 2008 an agreement was reached between the Tel Aviv municipality and the Liquidator of Maccabi Jaffa on the purchase of the stadium for the sum of 5.5 million NIS.[7] The ground was abandoned[8] and was finally demolished in 2009.[9] In its place currently stands a public garden.[10]

Notes and References

  1. https://sites.google.com/a/tlv100.net/tlv100/yafo/gaon The Tin Ground of Maccabi Jaffa / Nessim Gaon Stadium
  2. http://debuzzer.com/buzz/29989/ The Club Broke Up Before the Stadium
  3. http://www.nrg.co.il/online/3/ART1/909/301.html The Genius of Hulda: Another Demolished Stadium to the Mayor's Resume
  4. http://www.nrg.co.il/online/54/ART1/893/842.html Jaffa: Gaon Stadium on the Brink of Demiloshing
  5. http://www.nrg.co.il/online/54/ART2/349/273.html Why Sport Grounds in Tel Aviv Are Being Demolished One By One?
  6. http://www.nrg.co.il/online/3/ART1/718/233.html Private Bodies Demolished the Wall of Gaon Stadium in Jaffa
  7. http://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1000328571 Maccabi Jaffa Ground, "Gaon Stadium" Will Be Sold to Tel Aviv Municipality for 5.5 Million Shekels
  8. https://sharonraz.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/%D7%90%D7%A6%D7%98%D7%93%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%92%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%9B%D7%91%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95-1977-2009/ Maccabi Jaffa's Gaon Stadium 1977-2009
  9. http://www.local.co.il/tel-aviv/55423/article/ Gaon Stadium, Home Ground of Maccabi Jaffa, Demolished
  10. http://www.yaffo.co.il/article_k.asp?id=2753 Gaon's Antenna