FC Gomel

FC Gomel (Belarusian: ФК Гомель), or FK Homel, is a Belarusian football club, playing in the city of Gomel. Their home stadium is Central Stadium.

History

Teams from Gomel (usually city or raion selection or railway-based team Lokomotiv, but not always) played in the Belarusian SSR championships since the early 1920s. In 1946, Belorusian SSR league for one season becomes one of the zones of the USSR 3rd level league, and Lokomotiv Gomel became the first city team to play in the Soviet league.

The modern Gomel team was founded in 1959 as Lokomotiv Gomel. They played at the 2nd level of Soviet football between 1959 and 1968. The results varied between seasons, as the team managed to finish 1st in their zone in 1962 as well as last in 1959 and 1963. However, because Soviet league system structure was changing almost every season in the 1950s and 1960s, Lokomotiv wasn't promoted or relegated until another league reorganisation in 1969.

Gomselmash played at the 3rd level of Soviet football between 1969 and 1989, until further league reorganisation in 1990, after which the team was relegated to the 4th level.

In 1992, Gomselmash joined the newly formed Belarusian Premier League. The first years were unsuccessful and the team relegated in 1995. They changed name to the current one, FC Gomel, the same year. In 1998, Gomel returned to Premier League and achieved much better results than before (champions title in 2003, 2nd place in 2007 and 3rd in 1999). The team also won the Belarusian Cup in 2002 and made it to the final in 2004.

In 2012, they played English club Liverpool in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. In the first leg they lost 0–1 and lost again away at Anfield in the second leg 3–0.

Name changes

• 1959: Lokomotiv Gomel
• 1965: Spartak Gomel
• 1969: Gomselmash Gomel
• 1976: Mashinostroitel Gomel
• 1978: Gomselmash Gomel
• 1995: Gomel

This page also has a version in other languages :  Гомель (russian)