Stuart Lustigman admits he is relishing the Maccabi Masters Football League’s ninth Israel tour which sets off next week.

Tour organiser Lustigman, who is chairman of the MMFL, is taking a delegation of 29, 17 supporters and Maccabi referee Steve Levy - the largest group since its inception in 2002.

The squad will be split into two teams and play a four-team round-robin, including two Israeli teams from Ashdod and Tel Aviv.

The group will also visit Yad Vashem, the Peres Peace Centre and projects supported by Wizo and Emunah.
Lustigman said: "It is remarkable that 14 years since its inception, we should be sending our largest ever delegation to Israel.

“Although most of the players will be returning, we have 10 that will be making their tour debuts. There cannot be many international touring football teams with an average age of 56 but that's Maccabi for you.”

SQUAD: James Bloom, Nigel Conway, Brian Donne, Jonathan Holman, Malcolm Joseph, Simon Lawrence, Ian Leader, Philip Mayer, Tony Platman, Russell Rich, Ian Sassoon (all EDRS). Arthur Duke, Darren Coon, Marc Morris, David Pollock, Mark Rose (London Maccabi Lions), Stephen Browser, Geoff Isaacs (Temple Fortune), Paul Gelernter, Adam Lustigman (Brady Maccabi), Richard Morris, David Walton (Hendon Harriers), Gary Grant (Marshside), Phil Smith (Glenthorne), Brian Cowan, Jonathan Field, Gary Good, Jeffrey Jackson, Stuart Lustigman