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This is the story of Eliyahu Rubin, a Maccabi Tel Aviv supporter who was holding a ticket for the 1947 Cup Final when he lost his life in the War of Independence

Eliyahu Eduard Rubin, a faithful supporter of Maccabi Tel Aviv, was born on the 2nd of May 1926. He came to Israel with his family from Bagdad, Iraq in September 1927 and in 1942 joined the "Palmach", the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Jewish community during the period of the British Mandate for Palestine.

In 1947, before the creation of the State of Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club reached the finals of the National Cup and Eliyahu wanted nothing more than to be present when the team he was so devoted to would go on to win the trophy. The final was held on the 28th of June 1947 and pitted two of the top clubs of the time against one another, Maccabi Tel Aviv of course and Beitar Tel Aviv. After an exciting match, Maccabi emerged triumphant, 3-2, for the sixth Cup victory in the club's history.

This particular Cup final will always be remembered for another reason as well, as it was the only Cup final that was not actually finished. Five minutes from time an unruly group of Beitar Tel Aviv supporters burst on to the pitch in protest at a referee's decision. To make matters worse, one of the Beitar players actually grabbed the Cup but in the end Maccabi Tel Aviv were awarded a technical victory and the trophy was handed over to them.

Unfortunately for Eliyahu Rubin, he never got to use his ticket for one of the most controversial Cup finals in Israel's footballing history, nor to see his beloved Maccabi Tel Aviv ultimately win the National cup. In the period just prior to Israel's declaring its independence the scent of war was already in the air and at the time of the final, Eliyahu was busy training with another group that played such an important role in the country's history, the "Palmach".

When war finally broke out, Eliyahu Rubin was thrust into the thick of the fighting, and at the Battle of Katamon on the first of May 1948, he was sent along with four of his comrades in a sappers' unit as an advanced front. From the time of the Cup final and throughout the entire battle, Eliyahu's ticket stayed in his pocket, together with his "Palmach" identity card. During the battle, while jumping a fence, Eliyahu Rubin was struck by an enemy bullet in his forehead. Before anyone had even a chance of rushing to his aid, Eliyahu Eduard Rubin had died of his wounds, one day before his 22nd birthday. May his memory be a blessing to us all.