P. Volov were surprise winners of the North Second Division – they never played in the First Division before and traditionally were not considered a likely candidate for promotion. Unlike Pernik, they had no noticeable players in the squad.

Panayot Volov (Shumen) proudly posing before their debute in the First Division. This is not an advertising on their jersyes, but the club’s name. The club is named after 19th Century revolutionary, but nobody used the official combination of first and last name – they were called simply ‘Volov’ and the abreaviated first name appeared only in print. Later the club was renamed Shumen – the name of the home town – and restored their original name in 2008 after some pressure from the fans. P. Volov, unlike Pernik, did not survived the trial of First Division football – they were unable to recruit decent squad. Only two players of the team are worth mentioning: young, rugged, fiary, and lethal defenseman Tzonyo Vasilev was the only impressive player Volov had. CSKA recruited him and he became the regular left full back of both CSKA and the national team during the 70s. Vasilev never played clean football and was somewhat a liability, for he often collected yellow and red cards, leading to suspencions. The other player is the goalie on the right – Kandilarov. It is not his skills worth mentioning, but freak statistical point: he was the only player of the above squad surviving to the next time Volov played in the First Division. In 1972 Kandilarov was young player, but he appeared only in few games, for he was severely suspended I don’t remember for what crime. Ten years the club, called Shumen and no longer playing in yellow and blue by then, reached promotion again – Kandilarov, a veteran by that time, was their regular keeper… and Shumen lasted only one season in the First Division, just like in 1972-73…