Ronan Rockman at Beitar Jerusalem/Maariv, Adi Avishi
Ronan Rockman is the first soccer player of Hapoel Haifa who followed in his father's footsteps and played in the senior team and in the youth and youth teams up to 21 (followed by the late Avi Cohen and his son Tamir). Before talking to Ronan, we will first talk about father Arnon, who was Hapoel Haifa's goalkeeper from 1959 to 1966 He won the State Cup with her in 1963 after a victory in Kiryat Eliezer 0:1 in the derby against Maccabi Haifa.
Arnon Ruckman played for the Israeli national team of coach Gyola Mandi, in the era of great goalkeepers such as Khodorov, Goldfarb, Yaakov Wisokar and Chaim Levin. His most famous game was held in May 1963, when 55,000 spectators came to Ramat Gan for the friendly match against the Brazilian team, the world champions, although without Pele, but with the other superstars. Brazil easily defeated Israel 0:5, Rockman conceded three goals until the break and was replaced by Levin.
He flew with the Israeli national team to South Vietnam for the pre-Olympic tournament and sat on the bench.
On the way to Israel, the team played a friendly match in Hong Kong in 1964, winning 0:3 and here Arnon ended his career in blue and white.
And now - to Ronan's story.
A tour guide by profession.
Rockman/Courtesy of the photographer
Ronan Rockman was born on September 29, 1961. "Mother Tzipi was of Bukhari origin, father Arnon was of Polish origin.
We are four brothers, in elementary school I studied in 'Herzl' in Acre, in high school in the 5th city in Haifa.
The most natural thing for me was, like all my friends, to run and kick the ball.
I was fast, I played excellent table tennis."
The path led him to the children of Hapoel Haifa. "I wanted to play in my father's team, everyone knew him, and then Hapoel Haifa was the biggest club in the city of Haifa and Kiryat.
I decided not to be a goalkeeper, I didn't like taking balls out of the net, I preferred to play in the attack."
You don't hear your father advising you to go to Maccabi Haifa.
"That's right, father told me to go play for Maccabi Haifa, not to sign for Hapoel Haifa, apparently he was still angry about his shocking departure the red club
I made a different decision, father respected the decision, didn't criticize, just kept quiet."
The children, boys and youth in Hapoel Haifa didn't believe in him. He just didn't accept the starting lineup shirt. "That's the truth, all the coaches in the youth department didn't let me wear the lineup shirt I never, but I never broke down, I had faith and a great desire to reach and play in the seniors."
Then, as in previous cases in the section, David Schweitzer entered the picture. "At the weekend, as was the custom of those days, a game was held between the youth and senior teams coached by the legendary David.
The youth had several players in the army, I played on the line.
Schweitzer followed my actions which were fast and of high quality.
He asked those around him 'who is this skinny boy'?
At the end, he told me to come to the senior training on Monday."
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With father Arnon and mother Tzipi/courtesy of the photographer
The senior debut was against Hapoel Jerusalem in the 1978/9 season.
"A game in Kiryat Eliezer, we lost 0:1, but we finished in fifth place, Hapoel Jerusalem was relegated to the national league."
Dad came to see you play?
"Father couldn't stand the tension and sit in the stands, he supported me from home through the broadcast of 'Sherim and Shear'. Mother would come to all my games together with my three brothers. The time with David promoted me, the shark promoted many young people to the squad such as Stiker, Kaufman, Avner Hadad And others, they called us "Swiss babies".
Then the manager Mutala Spiegler arrives at the position.
"I remember the excitement.
Spiegler played with father in the Israeli national team.
The star from Hapoel Hadera Sholem Schwartz played in the team.
He believed in me, and I did everything to prove that I was worthy of his trust."
You enlist in the IDF.
"The regular service almost destroyed my football, they sent me to an infantry radar course in Beit El, it was impossible to get to training at Hapoel Haifa."
I wonder if he knew that the inscription on the shirt foreshadows the future/Maariv, Adi Avishi
Spiegler did not give up.
"I had excellent physical fitness, I was also an outstanding student in my department. Spiegler would come and manage to arrange for me to come to the games. Occasionally on Fridays I would sleep at a motel in a house in Netanya, he took care of me like a son. I love him, he told me about Dad Football stories from when I was just born."
He made his breakthrough against the champion Maccabi Tel Aviv in 1979/80.
"In the 13th round we played against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Bloomfield, they played without Spiegel, Avi Cohen had already moved to Liverpool. I sat on the bench at the start. After 0:0 at halftime, Sholem Schwartz was fouled and a penalty was awarded. Schwartz was injured, he came out and I came in. Lifshitz scored the penalty, and we led 0:1. In the 71st minute I scored a goal into the net of Manu Schwartz, and in the 74th minute I added another beautiful goal, our stunning 0:3. Meir Nemani Zimek in the last minute. In those days the movie 'Rocky 2' was shown and this is the title We gave the game in the newspaper."
This game arranges for you the youth team as well as the Olympic team.
"I was invited to Moishik Meiri's youth team, and to the Olympic team under Jack Mansell, against Australia in a friendly match in Israel. I scored two goals in our victory 1:2."
With the Hapoel Haifa/Maariv film, Reuven Castro
Shimshon Tel Aviv was the next stop.
"After Spiegler left and Eliyahu Ofer arrived, I got permission to move to Samson for the loan season. The late Ami Paztal offered me a good salary and contract.
My father, who came with me, saw the amount offered to me and told Paztal that the offer was high, 'he doesn't deserve such a high contract.'
Paztal smiled and approved the high contract.
Later I returned to Hapoel Haifa."
Dror Kashtan brings you to Jerusalem Beitar.
"After Eli Ohana and Avi Golder left, Moshe Selekter and I arrived at Beitar, Selekter more to Ohana's position, I'm on the line instead of Golder.
The move was to a different kind of club, with fans who did not belong to any team at the time.
I got to play with Uri Malmilian and of course with Eli Yani and the other players, we were really family."
What does family mean?
"They accepted me immediately.
Captain Hanan Azoulai used to invite me to dinners at the end of training and by the fire, so did Yossi Mizrahi, Schwartz, and Ofir Shmueli, champion players."
He does not forget the famous cup of 1988/89. "It was a crazy game against the predatory and champion Maccabi Haifa.
The famous 3:3 game with the penalties.
The cup celebration in Zion Square was crazy, no fans of any team celebrate like that.
I got injured near the end, pulled a muscle and was replaced by Hanan Azoulai.
Didn't want Rockman but was convinced.
Artzi Ben Yaakov/courtesy of the photographer
Rookman continued to Beitar - this time to Tel Aviv. "Ishaq had no pressure to bring me, but my countryman Ben Yaakov tried to stop the move and was finally convinced.
It was a super offensive team.
It's sad to see the team in the second league today, without a field and few fans, only glorious memories of the past."
You are returning to Hapoel Haifa again.
"I returned for my retirement year, I felt the difference between the team that I promoted to seniors under Schweitzer and the current one.
I had a problem with the tendon under the patella of the knee, it required surgery and I decided to retire from football."
Then came a chance meeting with Elisha Levy. "I did fitness runs in the evenings on the streets of Kfar Saba.
By chance, I ran into Hapoel Beit Shean coach Elisha Levy, who asked me to come and give the finale and help the team advance to the league.
I agreed and in the 1993/4 season we moved up to the top league together with Hapoel Rishon Lezion."
He thought of being a legendary friend like a father.
Ronen and Arnon Rockman/courtesy of the photographer
Here he moves on to talk about life outside of football.
"I'm married to Michal, originally from Haifa, we have four children, a trio of two sons and a daughter, plus another son. We got married in 1988. I studied physical education for four years at Wingate, but after I saw an ad in Diesenhaus for teachers, I went in that direction."
What was Michal's surprising question?
"She asked me what I do for a living, I told her I play soccer. Michal thought I was playing soccer in the neighborhood with friends, she didn't realize it was a profession at all, I did it from the age of 18 until I retired at the age of 32."
Dad was a legendary member, did you want to join like many other players?
"I had the intention of entering as a member of the League, but my father made it clear to me that it is not fun for a professional soccer player to wake up at 4:30 in the morning and drive a bus to Kiryat Shmona or Tel Aviv. I heard it in his voice."
Tzipi's mother passed away three years ago: "She was the woman who was the center of all of us, a dominant mother, left a sad home for father and all of us. We miss her very much every day and hour."
like a family
Rockman with Hanan Azoulai/Maariv, Adi Avishi
Did football fix you financially?
"Not in the sums paid today to foreigners or top footballers, the sums were much more modest, football helped me to buy my first apartment in Kfar Saba, next to Eli Yani, a man of equal worth. He offered me to come live next to him, together with the women we became real friends."
are you going to football games today?
"I don't miss football, I haven't been going to games for many years except for tribute meetings with past players, I watch from the sidelines and support all the teams I played for."
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