HaShalom Stadium

The pitch at HaShalom Stadium cuts straight through the town of Umm al-Fahm, sitting on El-Khandaq Street. It is one of the few grounds in the district where the stands look out onto a hillside of houses rather than a car park. The renovation finished early in 2023 replaced the old standing areas with blue seats. Where the crowd once stood shoulder to shoulder, there is now a row of plastic chairs. The surface is natural grass, cut and striped with care. The lines are sharp against the green. Before the rebuild, capacity was a matter of debate, with figures ranging from 10,000 to 12,000. The current official number is 5,800, a reduction that followed new safety rules. The stadium opened in 1995, but the space feels different now. The new roof covers the main stand, while the older concrete banks remain open to the sky. Hapoel Umm al-Fahm and Maccabi Umm al-Fahm play their home games here. The club colours are not painted on the walls, only in the seats. An international friendly between Estonia and Norway was played here in 1999. That match ended 3-3, but the score is forgotten; the stadium is remembered for the local derbies. The view from the top of the stands is clear. The town climbs the hill behind the pitch, providing a backdrop more dramatic than any advertisement board. There is no official website for the ground. The information comes from the streets, not from a server. The capacity limit of 3,000 for the opening match in January 2023 was a temporary measure. The seats remain empty until the crowd arrives. The stadium is a place for the community. It does not host tours or events; it hosts matches. The surface is maintained regularly. The grass is always green, regardless of the season. The stands are divided into sections. The blue seats are uniform, unlike the mixed colours of the past. The stadium is not large, but it is full. When the team plays, the town fills the seats. The architect of the original was Danny Kedar, but his name is not visible on the facade. The renovation was a local project, paid for by the municipality. The stadium is a quiet place when there is no game. The wind blows through the empty rows, and the only sound is the traffic on the street below.