# FC Meshakhte Tkibuli

FC Meshakhte (Georgian: საფეხბურთო კლუბი მეშახტე) is a Georgian association football club based in Tkibuli. Following the 2024 season in Liga 3, the club earned promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2, 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:
| M | W | D | L | GF–GA |
| 303 | 127 | 60 | 116 | 414-399 |
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 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 Erovnuli Liga 2 after a seven-year break.

## Seasons

| Year | League | Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 2005/06 | Pirveli Liga | 13$_{/18}$ | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 40 | 42 |
| 2006/07 | Pirveli Liga | 9$_{/18}$ | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 53 | 40 | 51 |
| 2007/08 | Pirveli Liga | 2$_{/10}$ | 27 | 14 | 2 | 11 | 39 | 41 | 44 |
| 2008/09 | Pirveli Liga | 11$_{/11}$ | 30 | 4 | 4 | 22 | 20 | 61 | 16 |
| 2009/10 | Pirveli Liga | 12$_{/15}$ | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 36 | 68 | 25 |
| 2010/11 | Pirveli Liga | 10$_{/17}$ | 32 | 10 | 5 | 17 | 32 | 48 | 35 |
| 2011/12 | Pirveli Liga | 10$_{/10}$ | 18 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 33 | 10 |
| 2011/12 | B Group | 4$_{/8}$ | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 35 | 32 | 30 |
| 2012/13 | Pirveli Liga Group A | 5$_{/12}$ | 33 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 42 | 66 | 45 |
| 2013/14 | Pirveli Liga Group A | 7$_{/13}$ | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 37 | 38 | 32 |
| 2014/15 | Pirveli Liga Group B | 7$_{/10}$ | 36 | 14 | 5 | 17 | 57 | 55 | 47 |
| 2015/16 | Pirveli Liga | 11$_{/18}$ | 34 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 28 | 31 | 42 |
| 2016 | Pirveli Liga Group White | 3$_{/9}$ | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 12 | 29 |
| 2017 | Erovnuli Liga 2 | 9$_{/10}$↓ | 36 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 33 | 75 | 27 |
| 2018 | Liga 3 | 8$_{/20}$ | 38 | 17 | 6 | 15 | 59 | 54 | 57 |
| 2019 | Liga 3 | 8$_{/10}$ | 36 | 11 | 6 | 19 | 43 | 55 | 39 |
| 2020 | Liga 3 | 10$_{/10}$ | 18 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 45 | 6 |
| 2021 | Liga 3 | 10$_{/14}$ | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 31 | 45 | 30 |
| 2022 | Liga 3 | 14$_{/16}$ | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 35 | 39 | 35 |
| 2023 | Liga 3 | 5$_{/16}$ | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 49 | 24 | 55 |
| 2024 | Liga 3 | 2$_{/16}$↑ | 30 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 54 | 22 | 60 |

## Players

As of 10 March 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | GEO | Levan Tkeshelashvili |
| 2 | DF | GEO | Giorgi Gotadze |
| 3 | DF | GEO | Tariel Burjanadze |
| 5 | MF | GEO | Nikoloz Abuladze |
| 6 | DF | GEO | Davit Manjgaladze |
| 7 | MF | GEO | Teimuraz Shonia |
| 8 | MF | GHA | Blessing Kwame Assamoah |
| 9 | FW | GEO | Luka Kokosadze |
| 10 | MF | GEO | Dimitri Ghurtskaia |
| 11 | FW | GEO | Nika Kokosadze |
| 12 | GK | GEO | Giorgi Somkhishvili |
| 13 | DF | GEO | Giorgi Burduli |
| 14 | MF | GEO | Mirian Jikia |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | DF | GEO | Giorgi Gegia |
| 19 | MF | GEO | Giorgi Aghdgomelashvili |
| 20 | DF | GEO | Levan Kurdadze |
| 21 | DF | GEO | Zaza Gugeshashvili |
| 22 | MF | GEO | Tato-Giorgi Tatunashvili |
| 23 | MF | GEO | Beka Shubutidze |
| 24 | FW | GEO | Giga Bekadze |
| 25 | GK | GEO | Avtandil Labadze |
| 33 | FW | GEO | Nika Koniashvili |
| 36 | MF | NGA | Shola Olukoya |
| 37 | MF | GEO | Tornike Tsirekidze |
| 39 | MF | GEO | Goga Gabriadze |
| 40 | DF | GEO | Lasha Ugrekhelidze |

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

## Name

In 1991, the club took part in the second division as Okriba only to regain the current name the next season.
Meshakhte literally means a miner. The name comes from shakhta which can be translated as a shaft in coal mine industry.