The 1938–39 season was the 12th season of competitive football in the British Mandate of Palestine.

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Football in Mandatory Palestine

Season	1938–39
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British Army authorities organized leagues in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tiberias, competed by teams from the different army units, as well as several local and national cup competitions. In Haifa and Tiberias local Jewish teams (Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Kfar Ata in Haifa and Hapoel Tiberias in Tiberias) participated in the leagues, due to travelling difficulties to meet other Jewish clubs.

2nd Battalion Black Watch won the Jerusalem Services and Police League,^[7] while the Haifa league was abandoned midway of the second round of fixtures.^[8]

On 24 May 1938, Maccabi Tel Aviv embarked on a five-month tour of Australia, playing 19 matches throughout the tour, appearing in some matches as Palestine.^[9][10] Maccabi won 11 of the matches, drawn 3 and lost 5, with a goal difference of 92–49, striker Gaul Machlis scoring 28 of the goals for Maccabi.^[11]

List of matches:

• 24 June 1939, Olympic Park, Melbourne: Victoria – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–7
• 27 June 1939, Olympic Park, Melbourne: Victoria – Maccabi Tel Aviv 0–8
• 1 July 1939, Sydney: New South Wales – Maccabi Tel Aviv 6–4
• 4 July 1939, Cessnock, New South Wales: Northern Districts – Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–1
• 8 July 1939, Sydney: Australia – Palestine 7–5^[9]
• 12 July 1939, Brisbane: Queensland – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–5
• 15 July 1939, Brisbane: Australia – Palestine 2–1
• 17 July 1939, Ipswich: Queensland – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–8
• 18 July 1939, Toowoomba: Queensland – Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–13
• 22 July 1939, Sydney: Australia – Palestine 1–2
• 24 July 1939, Woonona, New South Wales: Woonona XI – Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–3
• 29 July 1939, Newcastle: Australia – Palestine 4–1
• 30 July 1939, Cessnock: New South Wales – Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–2
• 5 August 1939, Melbourne: Australia – Palestine 4–4
• 8 August 1939, Melbourne: Victoria – Maccabi Tel Aviv 4–3
• 12 August 1939, Adelaide: South Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–4
• 16 August 1939, Adelaide: South Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 0–8
• 26 August 1939, Perth: Western Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 4–4
• 28 August 1939, Perth: Western Australia – Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–7

The return journey took almost a month, as the team's ship, which was headed to Singapore was rerouted to Bombay, as World War II broke out. Maccabi played two matches against local teams, winning 8–0 and 7–0, before departing via Aden and Port Said back to Palestine.^[11]

• CAM Timișoara played six matches in late January 1939, twice against Maccabi Tel Aviv, drawing 1–1^[12][13] and winning 3–0;^[14] Twice against Hapoel Tel Aviv, winning 5–2^[15] and 4–0^[16] and once against a combined Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv XI, losing 1–3,^[17] and against Maccabi Petah Tikva, winning 2–1.^[18] This was Eliezer Spiegel's debut in Maccabi Petah Tikva senior squad, at the age of 16.^[19]