Guria Lanchkhuti

FC Guria is a Georgian Association football club from Lanchkhuti, currently competing in Liga 3, the third division of Georgian football league.

History

Early period

Formed in 1924 as FC Kimi, the team ceased to exist after the start of World War 2 and resumed functioning in 1952 under the name "Kolmeurne".

In 1960 the club was renamed as Guria. The next year they gained a first title by becoming champions of the republican league. During the subsequent decade the team won the Georgian Cup three times and the domestic league two more times, in 1966 and 1971, which enabled them to advance to the Soviet Association football.

1972-79, the Soviet second league

Starting from 1972 Guria played in the Second League, the third tier of the Soviet football league, for seven years.

*Note: Lost promotion play-offs to Uralmash Sverdlovsk

Overall results shown by Guria in II League are the following:

Guria's remarkable progress was largely attributed to Shalva Kakabadze, who worked as head coach for record twenty years continuously from 1959 until 1980, and local government chairman Evgrapi Shevardnadze, brother of the Soviet Communist Party leader in Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze.

1980-1986, road to the top-flight

After the winning season in 1979 Guria were promoted to the First League, where they played for another seven consecutive years. 

The very fact of promotion to the Soviet Top League for the team representing a provincial town seemed amazing. Football fervour around Guria grew so high that in most cases not a single seat was available during their matches and some youngsters would climb up trees around the stadium to watch their favourite team. The pitch invasion during the 2-1 win over fierce rivals FC Daugava Riga resulted in disqualification of the stadium for three matches. For this reason the final home game of the season against Yuri Semin's L

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