FC Mertskhali (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი მერცხალი ოზურგეთი; English: Swallows) is a Georgian association football club from Ozurgeti. Following the 2023 season, the team won Group C of the regional league and earned promotion to Liga 4, the fourth tier of Georgian football.
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| Founded | 1936 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | Megobroba Stadium Ozurgeti, Georgia | ||
| Capacity | 3,500 | ||
| Manager | Davit Surguladze | ||
| League | Liga 4 | ||
| 2023 | 1st of 13, Regionuli Liga Group C (promoted) | ||
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The club has spent four seasons in Umaglesi Liga, the top Georgian division.
History
editEarly period
editFounded in 1936, the team finished 2nd in Division 2 in 1938 and advanced to the main league of the Soviet Georgian championship.
In 1958 they claimed their first bronze medals. In the next two years Mertskhali twice clinched the Republican Cup. Also, in 1964 and 1966 the club again came the third, and in 1967 became a winner of the league, which paved the way for their participation in the Soviet championship.
Mertskhali played there for seven consecutive seasons and later, in the 1980s, spent five more years in the third tier of the Soviet league system. Twice they came close to the promotion to the First League, including through a promotion play-off spot secured in 1985.[1]
The period between 1982 and 1987, when the team under long-time manager Bakhva Giorgadze secured five medals, is considered most remarkable in the club's history.[2]
Since 1990
editAfter Georgia restored its independence, the club played in Umaglesi Liga during the first three seasons after 1990 and also in 2003–04. Between 2007 and 2009 Mertskhali participated in the third tier, followed by nine successive seasons in Pirveli Liga. Most noteworthy among them was the 2011–12 season when they finished 2nd and booked a place in promotion play-offs.[3]
For the next three years the club was mainly in mid-table, although dismal performance in the 2015–16 season resulted in relegation to Meore Liga. Prior to the new season drastic changes were made, including appointment of well-known coach Khariton Chkhatarashvili as a manager.[4] He guided the team to the second place, but according to regulations introduced for this transitional season, only group winners could stay up. For this reason Mertskhali dropped down further to the fourth division, thus suffering two consecutive relegations within two years. It worsened the financial situation as well. The club was proposed for sale in early 2019,[5] although unsuccessfully.
Mertskhali's tenure in the regional league lasted seven years before the club won 21 out of 24 matches, finished their league campaign on top of the table and advanced to Liga 4.[6]
Seasons
edit| Year | League | Pos | M | W | D | L | GF–GA | Pts | Domestic Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 | Pirveli Liga | 9/15 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 29–45 | 31 | 2nd round |
| 2010/11 | Pirveli Liga | 13/17 | 32 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 41–68 | 32 | 1st round |
| 2011/12 | Pirveli Liga A | 2/10 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 24–17 | 38 | 1st round |
| 2012/13 | Pirveli Liga B | 8/12 | 30 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 37–52 | 25 | 1st round |
| 2013/14 | Pirveli Liga A | 9/13 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 29–54 | 23 | 1st round |
| 2014/15 | Pirveli Liga B | 5/10 | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 45–68 | 48 | 1st round |
| 2015/16 | Pirveli Liga | 18/18↓ | 34 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 42–77 | 26 | 1st round |
| 2016 | Meore Liga Group B | 2/8↓ | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 29-15 | 32 | – |
| 2017 | Regionuli Liga West A | 13/15 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 48–66 | 28 | 2nd round |
| 2018 | Regionuli Liga West C | 6/8 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 16–21 | 14 | – |
| 2019 | Regionuli Liga West | 8/11 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 16–22 | 12 | 1st round |
| 2020 | Regionuli Liga West | 6/6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 11–37 | 3 | – |
| 2021 | Regionuli Liga West | 7/9 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 30–60 | 19 | – |
| 2022 | Regionuli Liga Group C | 8/11 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 33–45 | 29 | 1st round |
| 2023 | Regionuli Liga Group C | 1/13↑ | 24 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 109–19 | 65 | – |
| 2024 | Liga 4 | 1st round |
Honours
edit- Georgian Soviet Championship
- Champion: 1967, 1982, 1987
- Bronze Medal winner: 1958, 1960, 1964, 1966
- Georgian Soviet Cup
- Champion: 1959, 1960, 1982
- Pirveli Liga
- Regionuli Liga
- Winner: 2023 (Group C)
- Soviet Second League
- Silver Medal winner: 1984
- Bronze Medal winner: 1968, 1985
Notable players
editNational team member Irakli Zoidze started his professional career in this club in 1990.
Stadium
editMegobroba (literally - Friendship) football ground with the capacity of 10,000 seats was built in 1968,[7] although later after the reconstruction it was reduced to 3,500.
Names
edit1938-46 Makharadze* district team
1946-47 Dinamo
1947-54 Makharadze district team
1954-59 Kolmeurne
1960 Sikharuli
1961-93 Mertskhali
1993-95 Anako
Note: Makharadze was the Soviet-time name for Ozurgeti.
References
edit- ^ "Mertskhali in Soviet second league". wildstat.com.
- ^ "ოზურგეთის "მერცხალის" დიდი ეპოქა დასრულდა". guriismoambe.com (in Georgian), 4 January 2021.
- ^ "2011-12 play-offs". soccerway.com.
- ^ "ხარიტონ ჩხატარაშვილი: ვერ გაართვეს დაკისრებულ მოვალეობებს თავი". gurianews.com (in Georgian), 25 July 2016.
- ^ "ოზურგეთის მერცხალი შესაძლოა გაიყიდოს". crystalsport.ge (in Georgian), 3 March 2019.
- ^ "ოზურგეთის "მერცხალმა" მორიგი გამარჯვება მოიპოვა!". alion.ge (in Georgian). 15 November 2023.
- ^ "როდის დაარსდა ოზურგეთის "მერცხალი" – პირველი ნაბიჯები და წარმატება". guriismoambe.com (in Georgian), 27 July 2021.