FC ROTOR VOLGOGRAD HISTORY

Many sources define 1933 as the year when Traktor soccer team was founded. However, thorough inspection of numerous archives and veterans’ reminiscences shows that, in actual fact, the team was started in 1929. Then, it was a member of Traktorostroitel sport society and took part in the city “friendlies” only. The first official tournament for the team occurred in 1930 — this was the city’s championship. As for the soccer in the city, they had played it for 20 years already by that time: we know of two amateur soccer teams Shturm and Shtandart.

Soon after Traktor or Stalingrad was entitled to play among the best teams of the state: in 1937, the team won the group G tournament. It’s debut season in top-class league Traktor has accomplished as the 12-th team of 26. In 1939 it was the fourth, behind Spartak Moscow, Dinamo Tbilisi and CDKA. In the 1941 the Stalingrad team advanced to the second line of the championship table when the season was interrupted by the war, thus depriving the fans of their favourite game for a long while. However, on May 2, 1943 the friendly match took place in the devastated city of Stalingrad: Traktor, hastily summoned, beat Spartak Moscow 1:0.

In 1945 the team advanced as far as to the National Cup semi-final. There it lost to Dinamo Moscow, which won the championship. In 1948 Traktor’s name was changed to Torpedo. The 1950 appeared unfortunate for the team: next-to-last, it had to leave national soccer elite. This happened in the match with the last-year champion Dinamo Moscow: in case the game ended in a draw, Traktor would continue playing in the first division. However, an absurd goal, missed by the keeper on the very last minute of the game, forced the Stalingrad team out of the top-class.

In 1958 the club received back its old name Traktor (however, this event unfortunately didn’t bring back the play that the team used to show in the former times). Later, in 1970, the team was taken over by a new owner — a company, steel ropes and wires manufacturer, which resulted in changing the name for the team once more. Nevertheless, the new name Steel and the new “steel managing” did not improve the way things were going. The long sequence of name-changing proceeded to Barrikady (the Barricade, 1972) and finally to Rotor (1975, which seemed to be good for the case).

1980 Rotor celebrated with the first position in it’s zone of the Second Division, yet they were unsuccessful attempting to make for the First Division through the extra tournament (which was intended for those teams that were first in their zones). However, the same year Rotor won the championship of the former RSFSR, one of the then Soviet Republics (the huge one). Still, next year Rotor breaks through and becomes a team of the state’s First Division (to remind, this is still not the top-class league, but next to it). The volgogradians’ performance is not much stable for the given period — taking a glance at the results, we would find them 14th in 1982; 4th — 1983, 15th — 1984, 8th — 1985 and 1986, 17th — 1987.

The new stage in the team’s making began in 1987 when a new coach Viktor Prokopenko took over — an acclaimed and experienced expert, fine psychologist, he arrived right at the time to escape collapsing back to the Second Division. Then Prokopenko, besides setting the team on the 17th position in the tournament table (which was enough to save the club) developed the exceptional style of the play. For that time, the team seems to be the strongest for the whole period until the very recent years. It was then, when the star and the idol of the all-time Volgograd soccer fans — Alexander Nikitin — showed his very best and was acclaimed across the entire state and past it’s boundary.

Next year Rotor performs masterfully and takes the second position in the tournament. 38 years after, the team is again entitled to play among the best in the top-class league. The last match of the season had to be decisive — it took place in Volgograd, where Rotor played with Pamir Dushanbe. The severe cold weather and hard snowy arena did not prevent the team from snatching a crucial victory. As the game passed, they were yielding 0:1. Finally, with the crazy support of 23,000 fans that were together with their team despite the frost and snow, Rotor won 3:2.

In its first season as the team of the top-class league, Rotor took the 10th place, which was quite an achievement, taking into consideration the high level of the Soviet Union championship. The very positive fact was that Rotor did not “take a back seat” in the company of Dinamo Kiev, Spartak Moscow, Torpedo Moscow etc. Rotor proved to be renitent and fought the acknowledged favourites in a way that merited best rewards. Playing against even the leaders of the championship, Rotor used three forwards, which eventually became the team’s “corporate style”.

It is very sad that the following 1990 found the team falling back to the First Division once more. Having taken the 13th position and been beaten by Lokomotiv Moscow (the total score after play-offs appeared unfavourable for volgogradians), Rotor had to start the following season among the lower class. Well, the parting with the top-class lasted not long. The very next year Rotor arrives to the finish with the breakaway of 5 scores, wins the small gold of the national Championship and makes it’s return to the Top League, now the Championship of Russia. Despite the little success to follow (12th position), this was the important period when the star trio Veretennikov-Nidergaus-Esipov entered the stage to become the cornerstone of the future achievements.

In 1993, coached by Vladimir Salkov, Rotor won the first medal in its history, the Silver. The battle for the Silver ended up with the stunning game against the main competitor Dinamo Moscow. Yielding 0:2 the second time, Rotor turned the scale within the few minutes and won. However, next year Dinamo revenged. Rotor qualifies for the National Cup final, where it loses through penalties 7:8. The most dramatic moment of the game seemed to be when Oleg Veretennikov kicked the penalty 2 minutes before the end of overtime — the bombardier hit the post. In 1997 and 1996 Rotor fully pretended to the Gold of the Championship and ought to win it, yet the last crucial games appeared to be very unfortunate.

Since 1994 to 1998 Rotor is the steady participant in the European Cups. The brightest impression still remains of the second game with Manchester United, which game was the 1/32 of UEFA Cup final. After the goalless draw in Volgograd, Rotor achieved a striking result of 2:2 and both all Russia and England (at least that part of it which didn’t support Manchester) applauded the goals by Veretennikov and Nidergaus. Albeit all the other Rotor’s competitors were very qualified and acclaimed, it still seems that some ill luck prevented Rotor from the better achievements. To tell the truth, sometimes it was rough and preconceived refereeing that halted the team at some stages. Nevertheless, there is no need in much wording to introduce Nantes, Bordeaux, Lacio and Crvena Zvezda.

The 1999 season is known to be the worst for the club. Oleg Veretennikov, the best bombardier in the all history of Russian championships, and Viktor Prokopenko, the coach, have left the team. (Perhaps the Volgograd soccer fandom would greet their coming back?) Georgy Yartsev, who in 1996 had lead Spartak Moscow through to the Gold, succeeded Prokopenko. Peaty, Yartsev couldnt repeat with Rotor his success which he achieved fo ur years ago and was sacked at middle the 2000 season. Evgeny Mefodievich Kucherevsky, who substituted Yarstev, forced players to believe at their pover and reserves and hold club at middle of table. But at December Kucherevsky decided to go from the club by economical reasons , so his decision was an unpleasant surprise.

Searching the new manager president Goryunov stoped his choice at Pavel Panteleevich Gusev , who played at Rotor 25 years ago and worked at Rotor as manager assistant 10 years ago. Gusev invited to Volgograd as assistants vellknown coaches Gennady Kostylev and Anatoly Isaev. Name of general manager of Rotor is unknown yet, but it is possible, that just Pavel Gusev will be confirmed at this post. The dream of president Vladimir Dmitrievich Goryunov to win the Russian premiership and to hear the League Champions hymn at Volgograd "The Central". But it is the story of new millennium.

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