Hapoel Merhavim F.C.

Hapoel Merhavim
Full name	Hapoel Merhavim Football Club; הפועל מרחבים
Founded	1957
Ground	Merhavim Ground, Merhavim Regional Council
Chairman	Erez Sharon
Manager	Avi Kalif
League	Liga Bet South B
2014–15	5th
Home colours	Away colours

Hapoel Merhavim (Hebrew: הפועל מרחבים) is an Israeli football club based in Merhavim Regional Council. The club is currently in Liga Bet South B division.

History

The club was founded in 1957, and reached Liga Bet, the third tier of Israeli football at the time in the 1959–60 season, which was the first season Liga Bet consisted four regional divisions. The club relegated to Liga Gimel after bottom finish in Liga Bet South B division in the 1964–65 season.

The club made a return to Liga Bet in the 1969–70 season, and after another relegation in the 1970–71 season, the club made an immediate return to Liga Bet, and started their best period to date, after fourth-place finish in the 1972–73 season, and third-place finish in the 1974–75 season, six points short from promotion to the second tier of Israeli football. The club also made an upset in the 1972–73 Israel State Cup, after they eliminated Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv by a result of 3–2 in away match.^[1]

Following the creation of Liga Artzit in 1976, Merhavim became a fourth tier club, and played most of their seasons in Liga Bet. The club returned to the third tier, this time to Liga Alef, after they achieved promotion in the 1993–94 season.^[2] they were relegated back to Liga Bet at the end of the 1995–96 season.

The club relegated to Liga Gimel, the fifth and lowest tier of Israeli football in the 2012–13 season, after losing in the relegation play-offs to F.C. Dimona and Tzeirei Rahat. However, they made an immediate return to Liga Bet, after winning Liga Gimel South division in the 2013–14 season.^[3]

Honours

League

Honour	No.	Years
Fourth Tier	3	1968–69, 1971–72, 1993–94
Fifth tier	2	1988–89, 2013–14

External links

Hapoel Merhavim Archived 2014-08-18 at the Wayback Machine The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)

References

^ Two own goals caused Bnei Yehuda's elimination Maariv, 10.12.72, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
^ Moshav Gilat – To Hapoel Merhavim 1994 players, a bit of nostalgia, the promotion to Liga Alef Youtube (in Hebrew)
^ Liga Gimel South 2013/2014 Archived 2014-08-19 at the Wayback Machine The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)

[Two_own_goals_caused_Bnei_Yehuda's_elimination-1] Two own goals caused Bnei Yehuda's elimination Maariv, 10.12.72, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)

[2] Moshav Gilat – To Hapoel Merhavim 1994 players, a bit of nostalgia, the promotion to Liga Alef Youtube (in Hebrew)

[3] Liga Gimel South 2013/2014 Archived 2014-08-19 at the Wayback Machine The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)

[1]

[2]

[3]

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