FC Meshakhte ('' Georgian'': საფეხბურთო კლუბი მეშახტე) is a Georgian

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

club based in Tkibuli. Following the 2024 season in Liga 3, the club earned promotion to

Erovnuli Liga 2 The Georgian Erovnuli Liga 2 ( ka, ეროვნული ლიგა 2; ), organized since 1990 by the GFF, serves as the second division of professional football in Georgia. The league was introduced for the 2017 season under the current ...

, the second tier of Georgian football.

History

Meshakhte participated in the Georgian Soviet league and twice, in 1980 and 1981, became champions. In 1964 and 1976 they also won the domestic Cup. The club spent 13 seasons in the Soviet third division with the following combined results: The success of the club was attributed to the large coal mine industry based in Tkibuli which financed the local football as well. First years after Georgian national league was formed, the club played in the second division. Between 1991 and 1996 they three times finished third and once, in 1997, came 2nd. Starting from 2005, Meshakhte spent thirteen consecutive seasons in Pirveli Liga. The 3rd place taken in Group White in 2016 has been the best result achieved in the recent period. But the next season turned out troublesome. The team produced a seventeen-game unwinning run. Three points earned in the last round saved the club from automatic relegation, although a home-and-away

play-off The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eith ...

tie ended unfavourably. After two years in Liga 3 Meshakhte, struggling the whole season, finished at the bottom in 2020. However, they avoided another relegation due to some changes, introduced in late January 2021, which increased the number of clubs in this league. In 2022, Meshakhte took part in a long survival battle, but they lost a crucial game and ended up in the drop zone. Nevertheless, this time due to disqualification of another club, the Miners retained their place in this division. In June 2024, 70% of the club's share was put up for auction. As a result, ''Okriba Meshakhte Ltd'' took over the management with the rest of the share remaining in municipal property. Meshakhte significantly improved in 2024, joining a title race from the very outset. They finished 2nd and sealed automatic promotion back to

after a seven-year break.

Seasons

Players

''As of 10 March 2025''

Stadium

When the central stadium was opened in 1968, initially it was 17,000-seater in a city with almost 23,000 residents. It is currently able to hold 6,000 spectators.

Honours

* Georgian Soviet Championship ** Champion: 1980, 1981 * Georgian Soviet Cup ** Champion: 1964, 1976 *

Pirveli Liga The Georgian Erovnuli Liga 2 ( ka, ეროვნული ლიგა 2; ), organized since 1990 by the GFF, serves as the second division of professional football in Georgia. The league was introduced for the 2017 season under the current ...

** Silver Medal winner: 2008 ** Bronze Medal winner: 1991, 1994, 1995

Name

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, the club took part in the second division as ''Okriba'' only to regain the current name the next season. ''Meshakhte'' literally means a

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face (mining), face; cutt ...

. The name comes from ''shakhta'' which can be translated as a shaft in coal mine industry.

References

External links

Team profile
on Soccerway
FC Meshakhte Tkibuli Results
on Flashscore * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fc Meshakhte Tkibuli Meshakhte Tkibuli Association football clubs established in 1938 1938 establishments in Georgia (country)