FC Zestafoni

From the beginning of the 20th century football was given rise in Georgia. In 1906 the first football fan club was founded in Tbilisi. This happened by the patronage of Mr. Lgotac. He was the one who on 23 February 1907 established the first football club in Georgia. The Club, called "Comet", had its own regulations, funds, uniforms and a stadium.

Though it should be mentioned, that football was played far earlier in Georgia, mainly in the sea-side cities, first of all in Poti, where local groups competed in "passing/tossing a ball" with British mariners. That's why Poti is considered to be a cradle of Georgian football.

As to Zestafoni, in out city, football has been played since the beginning of the 20th century. First football players from Zestafoni were students of the local gymnasium (currently secondary school #1). According to our data, Zestafoni football team held its first match with one of the clubs of western Georgia (according to different sources Senaki or Ozurgeti) in 1918, during a celebration organized to commemorate Independence of Georgia. First international match held in Zestafoni was also during the independence period, in 1920. Zestafoni team competed with a group of British Occupational Forces and defeated it by 2–1.

In the 1920s Zestafoni football players held various matches with teams of neighboring cities. In 1927 first Football Championship in held in Georgia. First Champion of Georgia is Team of Batumi.

In the 1930s two football teams are established in Zestafoni – "Mertskhali" (Swallow) and "Locomotive", that often take part in local and regional tournaments.

A truly new era in the history of Zestafoni football starts form the second half of the 1930s, after a metallurgical giant, "Zestafoni Ferro-Alloy Plant", has been put into exploitation. It was by the initiative of professional committee of the plant, that a meeting of workers of the physical culture was held on 10 May 1937. A decision of establishing a football team was made on the meeting. The team was called "Metallurgi".

In August 1938, "Metallurgi" participates in the union tournament held by sport-society "Metallurgist" in Minsk, where the team defeats "Electrostal Moscow", "Krasni Oktiabr Staliningrad", "Metallurg Leningrad" and loses in final to "Serp i Molot". In 1938 FC Metallurgi Zestafoni is engaged in Georgian Championship, where it participates regularly until 1989.

In various years of Soviet era "Metallurgi" was:

Silver medalist of Georgian Championship – 1967, 1970, 1982;

Runners-Up of Georgian Cup – 1966, 1967, 1971 years;

Georgian Cup's Winner – 1962.

Various football players from "Metallurgi" played for leading Georgian Football Clubs on various degrees, for example: Lokomotivi Tbilisi – Guram Shavdia, Zaur Chubinidze; Torpedo Kutaisi – Guram Nishnianidze; Dinamo Tbilisi – Giorgi (Jora) Chumburidze, Guram Kochiashvili, Dodik Khundadze, Guram Petriashvili, Kartlos Tsintsadze, Nodar Kiknadze.

In 1990 Georgian Football Federation leaves the Soviet Union's Football Federation. An Independent Georgian Football Federation is formed, that shortly after becomes a member of FIFA and UEFA, leading Georgian Clubs are engaged in National Championships.

In 1990 a new Football Club is founded in Zestafoni – FC Margveti Zestafoni, that holds the position of "Metallurgi" in Pirveli League of the Georgian National Championship and from the very first year becomes a member of Umaglesi league.

In 1993 and 1996 years "Margveti" is the semi-finalist of the Georgian National Cup. In 1996 "Margveti" is the Vice-Champion of Georgia and participates in UEFA Cup Qualification Round. Unfortunately, due to financial problems, at the end of the 20th century the club broke up.

In total, in the years of 1991–1998 FC "Margveti" participated in Umaglesi League 8 National Championships, held 247 matches, won 98 of them, draw 43, lost – 106, difference in scores 397–443.

In 2006 "Margveti-2006" was founded in the lower division and recently in Meore Liga, but it is different (municipal) club.

Season	League	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GF	GA	P	Cup	Europe	Notes	Manager
1990	Pirveli Liga	2	38	28	3	7	102	44	87	Round of 32	N/A	Promoted
1991	Umaglesi Liga	8	19	8	3	8	32	32	27
1991–92	Umaglesi Liga	8	38	14	11	13	60	58	53	Round of 16
1992–93	Umaglesi Liga	6	32	15	5	12	49	54	50	Semi-finals
1993–94	Umaglesi Liga	8
1994–95	Umaglesi Liga	9	30	10	6	14	35	53	36	Round of 32
1995–96	Umaglesi Liga	2	30	22	2	6	85	37	68	Semi-finals
1996–97	Umaglesi Liga	7	30	12	2	16	44	66	38	Quarter-finals	UEFA Cup Preliminary round
1997–98	Umaglesi Liga	16	30	2	7	21	21	75	13	Round of 32		Relegated

As FC Margveti Zestafoni faced financial problem and relegated in 1998. A new club using the city legend team name Metallurgi Zestafoni was formed in 1999. The club promoted to Umaglesi Liga in 2001. But the club faced financial problem and relegated in 2003. In 2003–04, the club finished bottom in Pirveli Liga and disestablished .

Season	League	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GF	GA	P	Cup	Europe	Notes	Manager
2001–2002	Umaglesi Liga	9	32	9	10	13	33	44	37
2002–2003	Umaglesi Liga	12	32	6	1	25	17	79	19			Relegated

On 18 June 2004 FC Zestafoni was established. The club was invited to join Umaglesi Liga. Although, FC Metallurgi, FC Margveti and FC Zestafoni came from the same city, played on same stadium. They never met in the Umaglesi league and all clubs came from the succession of Metallurg Zestafoni.

Season	League	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GF	GA	P	Cup	Europe	Notes	Manager
2004–05	Umaglesi Liga	5	36	16	5	15	38	48	53	Runner-up	–
2005–06	Umaglesi Liga	4	30	18	7	5	44	22	61	Runner-up	–
2006–07	Umaglesi Liga	4	26	16	9	1	55	11	57	Runner-up	–
2007–08	Umaglesi Liga	3	26	18	5	3	56	16	59	Winner	Intertoto 1st Round
2008–09	Umaglesi Liga	4	30	16	4	10	43	27	52	Quarter-finals	UEFA Cup 1st qualifying round
2009–10	Umaglesi Liga	3	36	19	10	7	58	33	67	Quarter-finals	UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round
2010–11	Umaglesi Liga	1	36	24	6	6	72	19	78	Semi-finals	UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round
2011–12	Umaglesi Liga	1	36	24	7	5	73	33	79	Runner-up	UEFA Champions League 2011–12 3rd qualifying round UEFA Europa League Play-offs
2012–13	Umaglesi Liga	5	32	12	6	14	35	38	42	Round of 16	UEFA Champions League 2012–13 2nd qualifying round
2013–14	Umaglesi Liga	2	32	19	5	8	48	23	62	Round of 16	–
2014–15	Umaglesi Liga									Round of 16	UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round