And more climbing up the scale – the Soviet Second Division winners. Both Chernomoretz (Odessa) and Nistru (Kishinev) played previously among the best, but without making any waves. Now they returned, finishing first and second in the Second Division, thus continuing the Southern dominance. The Moldovian club – Nistru – was not anything special and were somewhat of a surprise: even the club acknowledged that, for normally they dwelled in the bottom half of the Second Division. Chernomoretz stirred another problem – which would be the second important Ukrainian club? Voroshilovgrad (the champions of 1972), Donetzk (the first provincial Cup-winners), Lvov (the first and only Second Division Cup-winners), or Odessa? Dnepropetrovsk nobody counted, except for confirming the Ukrainian dominance: 6 First division teams! Unlike the Moldovians, the Odessites were not to be a punching bag for others – unknown yet at the end of 1973. Just moving up and happy about it:
Chernomoretz (Odessa), champions of Second Division:
Top, left to right: Yu. Zabolotny – team’s director, Yu. Romanov – director of the ‘Vodnik’ Voluntary Sport Organization, A. Nefedov, V. Zubkov, A. Degtyarev, V. Leshtuk, A. Aleskerov – coach, V. Tomashevsky, V. Feydman, S. Shmerlin – assistant coach, S. Krulikovsky, V. Korostynsky – doctor, V. Sokolov – masseur, V. Gayantzky – administrator.
Bottom: V. Borovsky, L. Baranovsky, G. Sapozhnikov, A. Shepel, V. Kuzmin, N. Ivanenko, V. Butenko, V. Moskvichev, V. Nechaev – captain.
A. Shepel was the emerging star – he was the top scorer of the 2nd Division with 38 goals. However, he never materialized the promise.
Nistru (Kishinev) finished 2nd and returned to top football, where they played briefly before under different name.
Top, left to right: V. Korolkov – coach, V. Kirichenko – assistant coach, V. Folomeev – assistant coach, G. Tegletzov, V. Pavlov, I. Nadein, V. Karev, V. Gaspersky, R. Atamalyan, A. Rybak, V. Volostnykh, V. Zadnepranov – administrator, E. Losenko – doctor, V. Dryzhenko, P. Burd – team’s director.
Bottom: V. Zhuravlyov, V. Katkov, I. Tabachuk, V. Kutzev, N. Mikhailov, P. Chebanu, A. Afanasenko – boots’ caretaker, A. Teslev, N. Karas.
Not a single memorable player… unless one is a fan.
Chernomoretz (Odessa), champions of Second Division:
Top, left to right: Yu. Zabolotny – team’s director, Yu. Romanov – director of the ‘Vodnik’ Voluntary Sport Organization, A. Nefedov, V. Zubkov, A. Degtyarev, V. Leshtuk, A. Aleskerov – coach, V. Tomashevsky, V. Feydman, S. Shmerlin – assistant coach, S. Krulikovsky, V. Korostynsky – doctor, V. Sokolov – masseur, V. Gayantzky – administrator.
Bottom: V. Borovsky, L. Baranovsky, G. Sapozhnikov, A. Shepel, V. Kuzmin, N. Ivanenko, V. Butenko, V. Moskvichev, V. Nechaev – captain.
A. Shepel was the emerging star – he was the top scorer of the 2nd Division with 38 goals. However, he never materialized the promise.
Nistru (Kishinev) finished 2nd and returned to top football, where they played briefly before under different name.
Top, left to right: V. Korolkov – coach, V. Kirichenko – assistant coach, V. Folomeev – assistant coach, G. Tegletzov, V. Pavlov, I. Nadein, V. Karev, V. Gaspersky, R. Atamalyan, A. Rybak, V. Volostnykh, V. Zadnepranov – administrator, E. Losenko – doctor, V. Dryzhenko, P. Burd – team’s director.
Bottom: V. Zhuravlyov, V. Katkov, I. Tabachuk, V. Kutzev, N. Mikhailov, P. Chebanu, A. Afanasenko – boots’ caretaker, A. Teslev, N. Karas.
Not a single memorable player… unless one is a fan.
