Liga Gimel (, 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 1969–70Liga Dalet in Football Will Be Operated Starting Next Year Maariv, 17 October 1968, Historical Jewish Press 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.https://www.football.org.il/files/SiteCollectionDocuments/FTP/eitan/takanon/2019/alifot29.8.pdf תקנון האליפות] IFA
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
Upper Galilee Bay Area Jezreel Samaria C.C. Golan/Katzrin Atletico Shefa-Amr Ahva Kafr Qara Beitar Nes Tubruk F.C. Bnei Beit Jann Rani Beitar Kiryat Ata Kfir Beitar Pardes Hanna Bnei Tira F.C. Kabul Bnei Daburiyya Bnei Umm al-Fahm Hilal F.C. Kafr Qasim Nibrass Hapoel Bnei Deir al-Asad F.C. Al-Nahada Nazareth F.C. Ihud Qalansawe F.C. Tayibe Hapoel Bnei Peki'in F.C. Carmel Haifa F.C. Pardes Hanna-Karkur Lior Boker Hapoel Oranit Ido Aguzi Hapoel Hurfeish F.C. Kfar Kama Hapoel Bnei Jisr az-Zarqa Hapoel Pardesiya Noam Ihud Bnei Majd al-Krum F.C. Kiryat Haim Hapoel Ein as-Sahla Maccabi HaSharon Netanya Victor Atia Maccabi Sektzia Ma'alot-Tarshiha Hapoel Kafr Misr Hapoel Mu'awiya Maccabi Oranit Tzeirei Sakhnin Hapoel Kiryat Haim Leibovich Maccabi Barkai Maccabi Tzeiri Qalansawe - Hapoel Tzirei Nazareth Maccabi Ironi Barta'a Shimshon Tayibe - Maccabi Ahva Fureidis Maccabi Ironi Jatt -
Dan Center Tel Aviv South Elitzur Yehud Yotel Bnei Ein Naqquba Beitar Ezra Bnei Yeruham Almog Dadon F.C. Bnei Ra'anana Uzi Cohen Bnei Ramla Beitar Jaffa Tzion F.C. Be'er Sheva F.C. Bnei Tzion Petah Tikva F.C. Ashdod City Elitzur Jaffa Tel Aviv F.C. Be'er Sheva Shua Tal F.C. Gissin Petah Tikva F.C. Be'er Ya'akov Solomon F.C. Dizngoff Tel Aviv F.C. Hapoel Bnei Hura F.C. Kiryat Ono F.C. Ness Ziona F.C. Ironi Or Yehuda F.C. Lehavim Ben Cohen Hakoach Galei Gil Ramat Gan F.C. Neve Shalom Lod F.C. Rishon LeZion Hapoel Rahat Ironi Rosh HaAyin Maccabi Gan Yavne F.C. Tel Aviv Tommy Maccabi Bnei Hura Maccabi Giv'at Shmuel Maccabi Kiryat Ekron Asher Hapoel Neve Golan Otzma Be'er Sheva Maccabi HaShikma Ramat Hen Maccabi Sha'arayim Hapoel Ramat Yisrael Tzeirei Lakiya Maccabi Ironi Or Yehuda - Hapoel Tzafririm Holon - Maccabi Pardes Katz - Ironi Herzliya - Maccabi Spartak Ramat Gan - Maccabi Azor - Maccabi Yehud-Monosson - Maccabi Ironi Bat Yam Miki Solomovich - Shikun Vatikim Ramat Gan - Sporting Tel Aviv -
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 1996–97: Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel 1998–99: Hapoel Tel Hanan 1999–2000: Maccabi Tzur Shalom
Gush Dan 1996–97: Hapoel Jaljulia 1997–98: Hapoel Mahane Yehuda 1998–99: Maccabi Bnei Tira 1999–2000: Maccabi Yehud
External links