Liga Gimel

Liga Gimel
Founded	1951; 73 years ago
Country	Israel
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Number of teams	16X8
Level on pyramid	5
Promotion to	Liga Bet
Domestic cup(s)	State Cup
Current champions	Maccabi Ahva Sha'ab (Upper Galilee) ; Hapoel Ironi Safed (Upper Galilee) ; Maccabi Tzeirei Shefa-'Amr (Lower Galilee) ; Hapoel Ironi Arraba (Lower Galilee) ; Ahi Bir al-Maksur (Jezreel) ; Maccabi Ironi Tirat HaCarmel (Samaria) ; Beitar Haifa (Samaria) ; Hapoel Pardesiya (Sharon) ; Roei Heshbon Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv) ; Beitar Ashdod (Central); F.C. Arad (South) ; Hapoel Merhavim ; (2019–20)
	Current: 2019–20

Liga Gimel (Hebrew: ליגה ג', lit. League C) is, since 2009, the fifth and bottom division of Israeli Football League. From Liga Alef and downwards, including Liga Gimel, each league is separated by region.

History

Liga Gimel was first established in 1951 as a third division, below Liga Alef and Liga Bet. In 1955, after designating the first tier as Liga Leumit, Liga Gimel was demoted to the fourth tier. Further demotions followed in 1976, after the second tier Liga Artzit to the fifth tier and in 1999, after the establishment of Liga Ha'Al to the sixth tier. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Liga Artzit was scrapped and Liga Gimel was brought up back to the fifth tier.

Since its establishment Liga Gimel was divided into geographical divisions, to lower operating costs for the clubs, the number of which changed according to the number of club which registered, with as many as 16 divisions in the 1966–68 season. During this period promotion to Liga Bet alternated between direct promotion and through promotion play-offs, which were used to set eight teams for promotion. Following the establishment of Liga Dalet, in 1969, Liga Gimel were divided into 8 divisions, from which one team was promoted directly to Liga Bet and one relegated to Liga Dalet. After the dissolution of Liga Dalet, in 1985, and until the end of the 2001–02 season, the league was divided into 12 divisions, with promotion playoffs.

Although currently Liga Gimel is the bottom tier in the Israeli league pyramid, from 1969–70^[1] and up until the 1984-85 season a further tier, Liga Dalet was below Liga Gimel, until it was scrapped due to declining number of teams.

Structure

Since the 2013–14 season, Liga Gimel consists of eight divisions, four in the northern district and four in the southern district. Each league may contain between 12 and 16 clubs.^[2]

The top club from each division is promoted at the end of the season to Liga Bet (the fourth level). Teams are assigned to their new Liga Bet divisions based on their geographical locations, with each of two division feeding to its corresponding Liga Bet division (Upper Galilee and Lower Galilee to Liga Bet North A, Jezreel and Samaria to North B, Sharon and Tel Aviv to South A and Center and South to South B). The second and third placed teams in each division enter a promotion/relegation play-off, at the end of which four teams from Liga Gimel meet the loser of the Liga Bet relegation play-off match (between the 13th and 14th placed team in their corresponding division) for a place in Liga Bet. As it is the lowest division, no clubs are relegated.

Current members

The following teams participating at the 2020-2021 season:

Liga Gimel Upper Galilee

Hapoel Bnei Bi'ina
Hapoel Bnei Deir Al-Asad
Hapoel Deir Hanna
Hapoel Nahariya
Hapoel Shlomi
Hapoel Tarshiha
Maccabi Abu Snan
Maccabi Bnei Jadeidi-Makr

Liga Gimel Lower Galilee

Ahali Tamra
Beitar Kafr Kanna
F.C. Bu'eine-Nujidat
F.C. Sallama-Misgav
F.C. Tzeirei Tur'an
Ihud Bnei Kafr Yasif
Ironi Bnei Sha'ab
Maccabi Basmat Tab'un
Maccabi Ironi Yafa
Maccabi Tabbash

Liga Gimel Jezreel

Beitar Afula
Beitar Ein Mahil
Beitar Umm al-Fahm
Bnei Musheirifa Baiada
Bnei Umm al-Fahm Al Halal
F.C. Bnei Yafa
F.C. Kfar Kama
Hapeol Al-Batuf
Hapoel al-Ittihad Nazareth
Hapoel Ein as-Sahla
Ihud Tzeiri Iksal
Maccabi Ahva Fureidis
Maccabi Ein Mahil Gamel

Liga Gimel Samaria

Beitar Kiryat Ata Kfir
Beitar Pardes Hanna
F.C. Bnei Qalansawe
F.C. Tzeiri Haifa
Hapoel Bnei Jisr az-Zarqa
Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel
Hapoel Or Akiva
Hapoel Yokneam
Maccabi Barkai
Maccabi Isfiya
Maccabi Kiryat Yam

Liga Gimel Sharon

Maccabi Givat Shmuel F.C.
Beitar Nes Tubruk
Beitar R.C. Shomron
Bnei Tira
F.C. Bnei Ra'anana
F.C. Ironi Ariel
F.C. Kafr Qasim Nibrass
F.C. Netanya
F.C. Tzeiri Tira
Hapoel Jaljulia
Hapoel Oranit
Maccabi HaSharon Netanya

Liga Gimel Tel Aviv

Liga Gimel Central

Beitar Gan Yavne
Beitar Gedera
Beitar Giv'at Ze'ev
Bnei Yeechalal Rehovot
F.C. Ashdod City
F.C. Jerusalem
F.C. Ramla
F.C. Rishon LeZion
F.C. Tzeirei Lod
Hapoel Ashdod
Hapoel Mevaseret Zion
Hapoel Nachlat Yehuda
Hapoel Ramla
Hapoel Tirat Shalom
Maccabi Kiryat Ekron

Liga Gimel South

Maccabi Ashkelon
F.C. Be'er Sheva Haim Levy
F.C. Maccabi Yeruham
F.C. Tzeirei al-Hoshla
Hapoel Masos/Segev Shalom
Hapoel Mateh Yehuda
Hapoel Rahat
Hapoel Sderot
Ironi Beit Shemesh
Maccabi Be'er Sheva
Maccabi Dimona
Maccabi Ironi Hura
Otzma Be'er Sheva
Tzeiri Lakiya

Defunct division champions (since 1996–97)

Western Galilee

1996–97: Hapoel Kabul
1998–99: Maccabi Ironi Shlomi
1999–2000: Hapoel Maghar
2000-2001:Hapoel Karmiel
2003-04: Hapoel Bnei Julis
2004-05: Beitar Ihud Mashhad

Bay Area

1996–97: Ironi I'billin
1998–99: Hapoel Kaukab
1999–2000: Hapoel Bnei Manda

Haifa

Gush Dan

1996–97: Hapoel Jaljulia
1997–98: Hapoel Mahane Yehuda
1998–99: Maccabi Bnei Tira
1999–2000: Maccabi Yehud

External links

Israel Football Association

^ Liga Dalet in Football Will Be Operated Starting Next Year Maariv, 17 October 1968, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
^ https://www.football.org.il/files/SiteCollectionDocuments/FTP/eitan/takanon/2019/alifot29.8.pdf תקנון האליפות] IFA (in Hebrew)

[ligad-1] Liga Dalet in Football Will Be Operated Starting Next Year Maariv, 17 October 1968, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

[2] ttps://www.football.org.il/files/SiteCollectionDocuments/FTP/eitan/takanon/2019/alifot29.8.pdf תקנון האליפות] IFA (in Hebrew)

[1]

[2]

v t e Liga Gimel
Upper Galilee	Bnei Maghar Hapoel Ihud Bnei Sumei F.C. Beit Jann Hapoel Mi'ilya Hapoel Nahef Hapoel Fassuta Ihud Bnei Majd al-Krum Tzeirei Sakhnin
Lower Galilee	Beitar Kafr Kanna Beitar Kiryat Ata Bnei Kafr Yasif F.C. Kabul F.C. Kafr Yasif Hapoel Bnei Dir al-Asad Hapoel Ironi Ibli'in Maccabi Basmat Tab'un Maccabi Ihud Bnei Ibtin Tzeirei Kafr Manda
Jezreel	Beitar Umm al-Fahm Bnei Daburiyya Bnei Umm al-Fahm F.C. Kafr Kama F.C. Mash'ad Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel Hapoel Ein as-Sahala Hapoel Ramot Menashe Megido Hapoel Reineh Hapoel Tzeirei Nazareth Maccabi Ironi Barta'a Tzeirei Iksal
Samaria	Beitar Pardes Hanna F.C. Kababir F.C. Kiryat Haim F.C. Pardes Hanna-Karkur F.C. Or Akiva F.C. Karmel Haifa Hapoel Bnei Jasr a-Zarqa Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt Hapoel Kiryat Haim Maccabi Barkai Tzeirei Haifa Tzofey Haifa
Sharon	Beitar Kfar Saba Beitar Mate Binyamin Beitar Tubruk Bnei Jaljulia Bnei Tira F.C. Bnei Ra'anana F.C. Bnei Zemer F.C. Giv'at Shmuel F.C. Kafr Qasim Nibrass F.C. Ironi Ariel Hapoel 1928 Kfar Saba Hapoel Oranit Hapoel Pardesiya Ironi Rosh HaAyin Maccabi Ironi Kfar Yona Maccabi HaSharon Netanya Shimshon Bnei Tayibe
Tel Aviv	Agudat Sport Holon Beitar Ezra Beitar Jaffa Bnei Herzliya Bnei Yehud Dizengoff Tel Aviv Elitzur Jaffa Tel Aviv Elitzur Yehud Yotel F.C. Tel Aviv Hakoah Gil Ramat Gan Hapoel Neve Golan Hapoel Ramat Yisrael Hapoel Tzafririm Holon Maccabi Giv'at Shmuel Maccabi Hashikma Ramat Hen Maccabi Ironi Or Yehuda Maccabi Pardes Katz Maccabi Spartak Ramat Gan Maccabi Yehud-Monosson Shikun Vatikim Ramat Gan
Central	Ashdod City Beitar Gan Yavne Beitar Gedera Bnei Ramla Bnei Yeechalal Rehovot Beitar Ironi Ma'ale Adumim F.C. Be'er Ya'akov F.C. Rishon LeZion Hapoel Mevaseret Zion Hapoel Tirat Shalom Ihud Tzeirei Abu Gush Ironi Beit Shemesh Maccabi Be'er Ya'akov Maccabi Bnei Abu Gush Macccabi Kiryat Ekron Tzeirei Lod
South	Bnei Yeruham F.C. Be'er Sheva F.C. Be'er Sheva Haim Levy F.C. Meitar Hapoel Bnei Kuseife Hapoel Rahat Maccabi Ashkelon Maccabi Be'er Sheva Maccabi Ironi Hura Otzma Be'er Sheva Tzeirei Rahat
Seasons (fifth tier)	1958–59 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Seasons (sixth tier)	1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09