Ironi Tiberias F.C.

Ironi Tiberias
Full name Ironi Tiberias Football Club
Founded 2006
Ground Municipal Stadium, Tiberias
Capacity 4,500
Chairman Gabriel Cohen
Manager Ofer Gamliel
League Liga Leumit
2013–14 Liga Alef North, 2nd (Promoted)

Ironi Tiberias (Hebrew: עירוני טבריה) is a football club from Tiberias, Israel. The club is not connected to Hapoel Tiberias, a former club which spent several seasons in the top division of Israeli football in the 1960s and the 1980s, making its last appearance in the top flight in 1988.

History

Football was played in Tiberias before the Israeli Declaration of Independence, the first club in the city, Maccabi Tiberias, was formed in 1925[1] and was playing football as early as 1927.[2] A year later, Maccabi Tiberias competed in the first ever edition of the Israel State Cup.

The best known club from Tiberias was Hapoel Tiberias, which played in the top division of the Israeli football in the 1960s, from 1961–62 to 1964–65, and later again in 1988–89.

A third club operating in Tiberias during these years was Beitar Tiberias, although it mainly played in the lower levels of the Israeli league, its best performance being reaching Liga Bet, the third tier in the late 1960s and the 1970s.

By the late 1990s both Maccabi and Hapoel has folded, and the only active club was Beitar Tiberias. In 2001 the club was merged with Hapoel Mo'atza Ezorit Galil Tahton to form Hapoel Galil Tahton/Tiberias.[3] in 2007 the club changed its name to Ironi Tiberias.

Current Club

In 2006–07 the club finished 2nd in Liga Bet North B and was promoted through play-offs. After several season in Liga Alef North, the club qualified to the promotion play-off at the end of the 2010–11 season, falling in first round to Hapoel Asi Gilboa. The following season the club finished 2nd in Liga Alef, but didn't take part in the promotion play-offs, which involved only the league winner, Hapoel Asi Gilboa.

The club finished 2nd once again in 2013–14 and qualified to the promotion play-offs, and after beating Maccabi Daliyat al-Karmel, Hapoel Migdal HaEmek and Hapoel Azor, faced Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem in the decisive promotion/relegation play-offs. Tiberias won 5-1 on aggregate (3-0, 2-1), and promoted to Liga Leumit.

Current Squad

As of 27 January 2015[4]
No. Position Player
1 Israel GK Haim Ziskind
2 Nigeria DF Taye Babalola
3 Israel DF Matan Peleg (on loan from Hapoel Kfar Saba)
6 Israel MF Ravid Gazal
7 Israel MF Shlomi Berzik
8 Israel MF Kfir Ben David (captain)
9 Poland FW Mateusz Staporski
10 Israel FW Shalom Akiva
11 Israel FW Noam Ivgi
14 Israel DF Maor Siso
15 Israel MF Yarden Cohen (on loan from F.C. Nazareth Illit)
16 Israel DF Idan Mikdash (on loan from F.C. Ashdod)
No. Position Player
17 Israel FW Liron Elimelech (on loan from Hapoel Kiryat Shmona)
18 Israel DF Miki Yazao (on loan from Hapoel Kiryat Shmona)
20 Israel MF Ilan Rankevich (on loan from Beitar Tubruk)
21 Israel MF Lior Linder
22 Israel DF Eliran George
23 Israel DF Shalev Braver (on loan from Hapoel Nazareth Illit)
25 Israel GK Adi Tadmor
26 Israel MF Rotem Shmul
28 Nigeria MF Mozes Adams
77 Israel FW Eli Elbaz (on loan from Hapoel Haifa)
99 Israel FW Victor Merey
Israel DF Eden Ben Hemo

Honours

References

  1. News from the World of Sport in Eretz Israel and Abroad Do'ar HaYom, 16.10.1925, Historical Jewish Press (Hebrew)
  2. Opening of the Maccabi Ground in Tiberias Do'ar HaYom, 23.10.27, Historical Jewish Press (Hebrew)
  3. Hapoel Tiberias Nana.co.il, 28.08.02 (Hebrew)
  4. http://football.org.il/Clubs/Pages/TeamDetails.aspx?TEAM_ID=5455