F.C. Shikun HaMizrah

F.C. Shikun HaMizrah (Hebrew: מועדון ספורט שיכון המזרח), Moadon Sport Shikun HaMizrah, lit. Shikun HaMizrah Sport Club (or in short מ.ס. שיכון המזרח‎ Mem Samekh Shikun HaMizrah, lit. F.C. Shikun HaMizrah) is an Israeli football club which representing Shikun HaMizrah neighborhood in Rishon LeZion. The club currently plays in Liga Alef South division.

F.C. Shikun HaMizrah

Full name	Moadon Sport Shikun HaMizrah מועדון ספורט שיכון המזרח‎
Nickname(s)	Shikuniya
Founded	1958 as Hapoel Shikun HaMizrah 1977 as Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah 2004 as F.C. Shikun HaMizrah
Ground	Shikun HaMizrah Stadium, Rishon LeZion
Owner	Issachar Buri
Manager	Shimon Vaknin
League	Liga Bet South B
2021–22	Liga Alef South B, 4th
Home colours Away colours

History

The club was founded in 1958 as Hapoel Shikun HaMizrah, and reached Liga Bet, (the third tier of Israeli football at the time), for the first time in the 1963–64 season.

For the 1977–78 season, the club became Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah, following a merger with Maccabi Rishon LeZion, which have previously established several sport clubs, including athletics, basketball, and also refounded the football club (the original club was dissolved during the 1953–54 season, and the refounded club played in the 1976–77 season in Liga Gimel).^[1] In the first season of the merged club, while playing in Liga Gimel, the club was close to make a big upset in the Israel State Cup, after they took top flight club, Hapoel Haifa to penalties, where they lost 1–4, after 2–2 draw in 120 minutes. The club was mentioned in the press by both Maccabi Rishon LeZion and Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah names.^[2] The merger with Maccabi Rishon LeZion lasted until 1981, when a dispute concerning the use of facilities, arose between the football club and Maccabi Rishon LeZion athletics club.^[3] The club continued to play as Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah.

Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah reached Liga Alef (now as third tier) for the first time in the 1988–89 season. The club relegated to Liga Bet at the end of the 1990–91 season and bounced back to Liga Alef four seasons later, and a season later, in 1996–97, relegated again to Liga Bet, where they remained until they were dissolved prior to the 1999–2000 season.^[4] The club refounded in 2004 as F.C. Shikun HaMizrah^[5]

As F.C. Shikun HaMizrah, the club was promoted from Liga Gimel to Liga Bet, after they finished runners-up in Liga Gimel Central division in the 2007–08 season.^[6] in the 2013–14 season, the club won Liga Bet South B division,^[7] and were promoted back to Liga Alef after 19 years.^[5]

Honours

• Liga Bet:
  • 1987–88, 1994–95, 2013–14
• Liga Gimel:
  • 1971–72, 1977–78, 1982–83

References

1. Zeidenberg was sent off and the match abandoned Maariv, 17.10.1976, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
2. Cinderalla from Liga Gimel beaten only after penalties Maariv, 12.2.1978, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
3. About 2015-02-05 at the Wayback Machine Maccabi Rishon-Lezion Athletic Club (in Hebrew)
4. Israel Fifth Level 1999/2000 RSSSF
5. Shikun HaMizrah back in Liga Alef Doublepass, 12.4.2014 (in Hebrew)
6. Liga Gimel Central 2007/2008 2014-12-28 at the Wayback Machine The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)
7. Liga Bet South B 2013/2014 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)

External links

• F.C. Shikun HaMizrah The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)