FC Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa explained

Clubname:	Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa
Fullname:	Football Club Lokomotiv - Gorna Oryahovitsa
Nickname:	Loko, The Irons
Ground:	Stadion Lokomotiv, Gorna Oryahovitsa
Capacity:	10,500
Chairman:	Ivo Dimitrov
Mgrtitle:	Head coach
Manager:	Lachezar Rusev
League:	Second League
Season:	2023-24
Position:	Northwest Third League, 1st (promoted)
Website:	https://lokomotivgo.bg/
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Pattern B1:	_loko_go_20_21_h
Pattern Ra1:	_loko_go_20_21
Leftarm1:	FFFFFF
Body1:	FFFFFF
Rightarm1:	FFFFFF
Shorts1:	000000
Socks1:	000000
Pattern La2:	_redborder
Pattern B2:	_redhoops
Pattern Ra2:	_redborder
Pattern Sh2:	_whitebottom
Leftarm2:	000000
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Socks2:	FF2020

Lokomotiv (Bulgarian: Локомотив) is a Bulgarian association football club based in Gorna Oryahovitsa, which currently competes in the Second League, the second level of Bulgarian football.

Established in 1932 as a sports association of the railway workers in the town, the football department of Lokomotiv have been playing at their current home ground, the Lokomotiv Stadium, since 1956. The club's main colours are black and white. Lokomotiv GO's longest spell in the top division was between 1987 and 1995. Lokomotiv's highest league finish in the top division is 8th, and was achieved three times during their 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1993–94 A Group campaigns.

History

The club was established in 1932 as RSC - Railway Sports Club (Bulgarian: ЖСК - Железничарски спортен клуб) by the railway workers at the Gorna Oryahovitsa railway station, a major railway junction in northern Bulgaria. In 1944 RSC merged with SC Borislav and was later renamed to RSC Borislav. The team finally became known by their current name Lokomotiv in 1945. Lokomotiv's best performance in the Bulgarian Cup came in 1947, when they lost to eventual winners Levski Sofia in the semi-final, a feat, which they would achieve again in 1987, but again losing to cup holders Levski Sofia. In the 1962–63 season, they won the B Group title, earning promotion to the A Group for the first time in their history. In their maiden top-tier season, Lokomotiv endured a difficult 1963–64 campaign. The team eventually finished the season last and was relegated back to the B Group after a single season.

In the 1986–87 season, Lokomotiv ranked second in the B Group and won promotion to the A Group after a 23-year absence. This began the golden age for Lokomotiv as the team spent eight consecutive seasons in the top division before being relegated in 1995. During the 1990–91 A Group season, Lokomotiv's forward Ivaylo Yordanov finished as the leading goalscorer of the A Group with a total of 21 goals and was later transferred to Portuguese club Sporting C.P..

After 21 years of absence from the top flight, in the 2015–16 B Group, Lokomotiv finished third in the final league table and was one of the clubs approved and promoted to the newly restructured Bulgarian First League, following the adoption of new licensing criteria by the Bulgarian Football Union. The long-awaited return to the elite for Lokomotiv proved to be challenging, as the team spent the majority of the season competing in the relegation zone. Lokomotiv was eventually relegated after one season spent in the top flight.

After four seasons in the Second League, Lokomotiv were then relegated to the Third League at the end of the 2020/2021 season. After three seasons in the third level, Lokomotiv earned promotion back to the Second League in 2024.

Seasons

Season by season

Season	Division	Place	Bulgarian Cup
1950	B PFG	6	DNQ
1951	V AFG	?	DNQ
1952	V AFG	3	DNQ
1953	B PFG	7	DNQ
1954	B PFG	3	DNQ
1955	B PFG	2	DNQ
1956	B PFG	5	DNQ
1957	B PFG	10	DNQ
1958	B PFG	12	DNQ
1958–59	B PFG	5	DNQ
1959–60	B PFG	10	DNQ
1960–61	B PFG	5	DNQ
1961–62	B PFG	8	DNQ
1962–63	B PFG	1	DNQ
1963–64	A PFG	16	1/8 finals
1964–65	B PFG	4	DNQ
1965–66	B PFG	3	DNQ
1966–67	B PFG	4	Round of 16
1967–68	B PFG	11	DNQ
1968–69	B PFG	15	DNQ
1969–70	B PFG	11	DNQ
1970–71	B PFG	15	DNQ
1971–72	B PFG	11	DNQ

Season	Division	Place	Bulgarian Cup
1972–73	B PFG	8	Round of 16
1973–74	B PFG	3	DNQ
1974–75	B PFG	12	DNQ
1975–76	B PFG	3	Round of 16
1976–77	B PFG	9	Round of 32
1977–78	B PFG	9	Round of 16
1978–79	B PFG	6	Round of 32
1979–80	B PFG	10	Round of 32
1980–81	B PFG	6	Groups
1981–82	B PFG	6	Second round
1982-83	B PFG	5	Third round
1983–84	B PFG	16	First round
1984–85	V AFG	1	First round
1985–86	B PFG	3	First round
1986–87	B PFG	1	Semi-finals
1987–88	A PFG	13	Second round
1988–89	A PFG	12	Third round
1989–90	A PFG	8	First round
1990–91	A PFG	8	Second round
1991–92	A PFG	11	First round
1992–93	A PFG	9	Quarter-finals
1993–94	A PFG	8	Quarter-finals
1994–95	A PFG	14	First round

Season	Division	Place	Bulgarian Cup
1995–96	B PFG	13	First round
1996–97	B PFG	15	Semi-finals
1997–98	V AFG	14	DNQ
1998–99	V AFG	13	DNQ
1999–00	V AFG	12	DNQ
2000–01	V AFG	5	DNQ
2001–02	V AFG	6	DNQ
2002–03	V AFG	13	DNQ
2003–04	V AFG	1	DNQ
2004–05	B PFG	16	First round
2005–06	V AFG	9	DNQ
2006–07	V AFG	11	DNQ
2007–08	V AFG	7	DNQ
2008–09	V AFG	5	DNQ
2009–10	V AFG	7	DNQ
2010–11	V AFG	12	DNQ
2011–12	V AFG	9	First round
2012–13	V AFG	6	DNQ
2013–14	V AFG	2	DNQ
2014–15	B PFG	3	Quarter-finals
2015–16	B PFG	3	Quarter-finals
2016–17	First League	14	First round
2017–18	Second League	8	First round

Season	Division	Place	Bulgarian Cup
2018–19	Second League	9	First round
2019–20	Second League	9	First round
2020–21	Second League	15	First round

League positions

ImageSize = width:1600 height:70PlotArea = left:10 right:10 bottom:30 top:10TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyDateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:01/07/1951 till:01/07/2025ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1952Colors = id:bl1 value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) id:bl2 value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.3) id:rs value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.6) id:rn value:rgb(0.9,0.1,0.1)

PlotData= bar:Position width:16 color:white align:center from:01/07/1951 till:01/07/1952 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1951 till:01/07/1952 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "V Group" from:01/07/1952 till:01/07/1953 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1953 till:01/07/1954 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1954 till:01/07/1955 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1955 till:01/07/1956 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1956 till:01/07/1957 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1957 till:01/07/1958 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1958 till:01/07/1959 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1959 till:01/07/1960 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1960 till:01/07/1961 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1961 till:01/07/1962 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1962 till:01/07/1963 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1952 till:01/07/1963 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1964 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1964 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "A Group from:01/07/1964 till:01/07/1965 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1966 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1966 till:01/07/1967 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1967 till:01/07/1968 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1968 till:01/07/1969 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1969 till:01/07/1970 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1970 till:01/07/1971 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1971 till:01/07/1972 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1972 till:01/07/1973 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1973 till:01/07/1974 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1974 till:01/07/1975 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1975 till:01/07/1976 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1976 till:01/07/1977 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1977 till:01/07/1978 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1978 till:01/07/1979 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1979 till:01/07/1980 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1981 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1982 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1982 till:01/07/1983 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1983 till:01/07/1984 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1964 till:01/07/1984 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1985 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1985 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "V Group" from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1986 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1986 till:01/07/1987 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1987 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/1987 till:01/07/1988 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/1988 till:01/07/1989 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1989 till:01/07/1990 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1990 till:01/07/1991 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1991 till:01/07/1992 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1992 till:01/07/1993 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1993 till:01/07/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1987 till:01/07/1995 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "A Group from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/1996 till:01/07/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1997 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/1997 till:01/07/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1997 till:01/07/2004 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "V Group" from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/2007 till:01/07/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/2009 till:01/07/2010 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2011 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/2011 till:01/07/2012 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/2012 till:01/07/2013 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/2013 till:01/07/2014 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2014 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "V Group" from:01/07/2014 till:01/07/2015 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2015 till:01/07/2016 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2014 till:01/07/2016 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "1st" from:01/07/2017 till:01/07/2018 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/2018 till:01/07/2019 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/2019 till:01/07/2020 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/2020 till:01/07/2021 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/2017 till:01/07/2021 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "2nd League" from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2022 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2022 till:01/07/2023 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2023 till:01/07/2024 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2024 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "3rd League" from:01/07/2024 till:01/07/2025 shift:(0,-4) text: from:01/07/2024 till:01/07/2025 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "2nd"

Recent seasons

Season	League	Place	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Bulgarian Cup
2011–12	V AFG (III)	9	10	7	13	34	31	37	First round
2012–13		6	9	4	9	40	26	31	DNQ
2013–14		2	23	4	3	119	26	73	DNQ
2014–15	B PFG (II)	3	18	5	7	60	34	56	Quarterfinals
2015–16		3	13	11	6	42	26	50	Quarterfinals
2016–17	First League (I)	14	7	9	16	32	51	30	First round
2017–18	Second League (II)	8	10	10	10	42	39	40	First round
Green marks a season followed by promotion, red a season followed by relegation.

Honours

Domestic

First League:
- 8th place (3): 1989–90, 1990–91, 1993–94
Bulgarian Cup:
- Semi-finals (2): 1947, 1987
Second League:
- Winners (1): 1962–63
Third League:
- Winners (3): 1984–85, 2004–05, 2023–24
Cup of Bulgarian Amateur Football League:
- Winners (1): 2023

International

Intertoto Cup:
- Group winner (1): 1992

European tournaments history

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1992	Intertoto Cup	Group 10	Lokomotiv Sofia	1–0	0–0	Group winners
			Argeș Pitești	2–0	0–5
			Gloria Bistrita	2–0	1–1

Current squad

As of 25 September 2020

For recent transfers, see Transfers summer 2024.

Managers

Dates	Name	Honours
1952	Kostadin Bogdanov
1954	Angel Bozev
1957–1961	Kiril Chipev
1961–1963	Yordan Tomov	1 B PFG title
1964	Atanas Konarov
1964–1965	Penyu Petsev
1965	Apostol Sokolov
1966–1968	Hristo Hadzhiev
1968	Zhelyazko Panev
1969–1970	Angel Petrov
1970	Marin Marinov
1970–1971	Kiril Chipev
1971–1973	Petar Patev
1973–1975	Todor Velev
1975–1978	Ivan Varbanov
1978–1982	Petar Shatrov
1982–1984	Georgi Velinov
1984–1985	Ivan Varbanov	1 V AFG title
1985–1988	Dobromir Zhechev
1988–1989	Todor Velev
1989–1990	Kiril Rabchev

Dates	Name	Honours
1990–1991	Petar Kirilov
1991–1993	Nikola Velkov
1994	Georgi Velkov
1994	Tsenko Gavazov
1994	Nikola Velkov
1995	Georgi Velkov
1995	Plamen Nikolov
1995	Kiril Rabchev
1996–1997	Tsenko Gavazov
1997	Todor Todorov
1997–1998	Angel Minchev
2003–2005	Boyko Dimitrov	1 V AFG title
2006–2007	Valentin Ignatov
2007–2010	Dimitar Pechikamakov
2010–2011	Nasko Kostadinov
2011–2013
2014	Tsenko Gavazov
2014–2016	Sasho Angelov
2016	Aleksandar Tomash
2016	Angel Chervenkov
2016–2017	Ivan Kolev
2017	Milcho Sirmov
2017	Aleksandar Dimitrov
2018	Todor Kiselichkov
2018	Marin Baychev
2019	Krasimir Mechev
2019–2020	Milcho Sirmov
2020–	Georgi Ivanov

Notable stats

Most appearances for the club

	Name	Apps
1	Dimitar Pechikamakov	458
2	Asan Abishev	421
3	K.Todoranov	362
4	Iv.Vasilev	351
5	Tsenko Gavazov	349

Most goals for the club

	Name	Gls
1	Asan Abishev	94
2	Dimitar Pechikamakov	88
3	Iv.Vasilev	58
4	Tsenko Gavazov	56
5	K.Ushev	48

Most appearances in A group for the club

	Name	Apps
1	Dimitar Pechikamakov	189
2	Levent Gavazov	177
3	Nasko Kostadinov	124
4	Valeri Ganev	122
5	Sasho Angelov	114

Most goals in A group for the club

	Name	Gls
1	Valentin Ignatov	24
2	Ivaylo Yordanov	23
3	Dimitar Pechikamakov	20
4	Nasko Kostadinov	17
5	Valeri Ganev	15