Al-Ittihad SC (Iraq)

Al-Ittihad was founded in 1937 in the Al-Bachhari district, and it was the first administrative body headed by Nadhum Majeed. In 1940, Tawfiq Al-Ainachi assumed the presidency of the club, and the club’s activity stopped at the outbreak of the World War II, and in 1945 the club resumed its activity, and it moved to a new location in the Al-Saee district.[2][3] In the 1940s, the club was receiving direct support from Prince Abd al-Ilah. Prince Abd al-Ilah's encouragement was the first motive for the club's activity, as he visited Basra on every occasion, he came to the stadium to enjoy one of the football matches that the club was running. He also donated a silver cup to the football club bearing his name in 1947, and on April 22, 1949 the prince spent an entire day in the club's hospitality to supervise himself the activities of the club teams, and the club's name was changed to the Royal Al-Ittihad Sport Club.[4] At the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1950s, the president of the club was Sami Al-Hilali, who issued the first sports newspaper in Basra in September 1950 under the name of Al-Ittihad Sports Newspaper,[5][6] he was an influential figure, and at that time he was communicating with club administrations in neighboring countries to conduct friendly matches and hold sporting events.[7]

Al-Ittihad has participated in the Iraq FA Basra Premier League (the top division) since its inception in 1948. The 1949–50 season was the second season of League organised by the Basra branch of the Iraq Football Association. The tournament began on 19 October 1949,[8] and the regular season ended in November 1949 with Sharikat Naft Al-Basra and Al-Ittihad qualifying for the final.[9][10][11][12] Al-Ittihad lost 5-1 in the final and took second place.[13]

Al-Ittihad played in the Iraqi Premier League for the first time in its history in the 1976–77 season, and it came in sixth place as its best position in the history of the tournament, as it played 11 matches, winning 4, drawing 3 and losing 4 of them,[14] and the team's player Abbas Fadhel won the league's top scorer title with six goals, in conjunction with four other players.[15] In the 1977–78 season, the team finished the league in 11th place, as it played 13 matches, won 3, drew 3, and lost 7 of them.[16] In the 1978–79 season, the team fell to the bottom of the league standings, after playing 22 matches, winning only one match, drawing 2 and losing 19 of them, and relegated to the Iraq Division One.[17][18] The club played in Iraq Division one and won this championship in 1980–81 season and promoted in the Iraqi Premier League again and played in 1981–82 season.[19]

• Iraqi Division One (second tier)
  • Winners (2): 1975–76, 1980–81

• Iraq FA Basra Premier League (top tier)
  • Runners-up (1): 1949–50