Club History
1925-1934
History of one of the greatest Ukrainian clubs – «Metalist»
Kharkiv began in December 1925, when football team on «Kharkiv
steam-locomotive building plant» (present «Malyshev Plant») was created.
Those years in team there were brought up such good players as USSR
national team goalkeeper Alexandr Babkin, Ukrainian national team
players Petr Semenov and his brother Pavel, in this team there also
played USSR national team players Nikolay Krotov and Ivan Natarov.
1935
Team "KhPZ” becomes champion in Kharkiv for the first time, and next year makes its debut in the USSR championship
1947
After successful performance in republican tournaments, in 1947 team named "Dzherzinets” makes its debut in USSR "B” Class Tournament, where they played for three seasons
1956-1961
In 1956 under the name "Avangard”(substituting another
Kharkiv team "Lokomotiv” in "B” Class Tournament) team makes another
debut in Soviet tournament and since that time becomes permanent
participant of the USSR Championship and the USSR Cup and since 1992 –
participant of Ukrainian Cup and Championship. During four seasons (1956
– 1959 ) "Avangard” players were playing in "B” Class Tournament, but
in 1960 after reorganization of USSR football system, they received a
place in the main tournament. Next year Kharkiv players coached by
Alexandr Ponomarev from Moscow and his assistant Vitaliy Zub took the
6th place – team best achievement in the USSR Championships.
Such players as Ugraitskiy, Vlasenko, Marienko, Sokolov, Todorov, Rigvava, Ozheredov, Maslennikov, Panfilov, Korolev, Kostyuk, Nesterov, Voronov, Hachaturov, Bespaliy, Kroshchenko, Mangasarov, Chernyshev, Shyshkov played in that famous team.
1962
Before the beginning of season 1962 Ponomarev surprisingly left the team and became head coach of Dinamo Moscow. Vlasenko, Kroshchenko, Mangasarov and Hachaturov followed him, that weakened attacking line of the team. Disbalanced and dispirited team was dropping in league table. And only vigorous play in second part of the season with new head coach Zhilin, former Dynamo Kiev player, helped Kharkiv players to avoid relegation.
1963
When Maryenko, Sokolov, Nesterov, Kashtanov, Todorov and Rigvava left "Metalist” it rolled down to the second-category teams. All-Union Central Council of Trade-Unions recommended to Novikov – the Honored Master of Sports – became the head coach of the club, but it didn`t help. The only achievement for the club was the third place in country Championship earned by Reserves. Matviyenko, G. Orlov, Y. Nemirovskiy, E. Panychev have showed good results in this Championship
1964
Novikov has left in charge of «Avangard» in 1964. And in the zonal tournament between 27 «A» class second-category teams Kharkiv team took the first place with 30 points. In the final they tried to get to the first group, but they became only 6 among 14 teams. That became the reason for Novikov to hand in resignation
1965
Before the season of 1965 «Avangard» was headed by one of the most authoritative experts of football, Honored Master of Sports Yeliseyev, who worked in Leningrad in «Zenit» before. Following the 1965 season results Kharkiv team was awarded with small bronze medals in the tournament between teams of second group of «A» class.
1967-1968
In 1967 the team was renamed in «Metalist» in connection with the transition in the All-Union sports society «Zenit» (one version is that the name of the team was given by their coach Victor Kanevsky, but the other – by the management of Malisheva Plant) and this name has left till nowadays. This time the team`s aim was to have 27 points and they had even more – 28, but "Sudostroitel” from Mykolayiv had 55 points by the end of the season, which was on 6 points more (45:18). Symbolically, that then the team was trained by Eugene Lemeshko - the same coach that headed the Kharkiv club soon after that.
In these years the team played:
Savchenko, Nesmeyan, Timoshenko, Poskotin, Koltsov, Panychev, Panfilov,
Koroliov, Kostiuk, Nesmeyan, Kozlov, Orlov, Koltun, Nosov, Hotkevich,
Pestrikov, Miles, Aristov, Onysko, Gunko, Maliavkin, Matviyenko, Panov,
Kashtanov, Kafadzhi, Jushka, Polyakov, Borysenko, Nemirovsky and others.
1969
This year "Metalist” has finally got into the First group. When the season ended, Koroliov, Kashtanov, Panfilov, Maliavkin and Yushka left the team. This year was the year of beginning of construction of training base in village Vysokiy and the club Sport School began its work. Oleksandr Azarov, Mykola Maslennikov, Arkadiy Rabinovich, Viktor Aristov, Robert Mkrtchan and Volodymyr Chaplygin became coaches in this school
1970
The First group consisted of 22 football teams and this year "Metalist” won 15 matches and played 19 in a draw. Kanevskiy`s team scored 49 points and became the fifth in the Championship.
1971-1977
From 1971 till 1973 «Metalist» played in USSR Championship
among teams of the first league (the former second group of a class
"A"), but unsuccessfully, and the season of 1974 began in the second
league. After its end «Metalist» came back to the first league, but only
for one year. Vitaly Zub was substituted by the Honored Master of
sports Oleg Oshenkov from Kiev in the middle of season of 1975. His
tactics in coaching was successful, but he suddenly died and in May,
1976 Adolf Poskotin was appointed to train «Metalist». Poskotin
continued Oshenkov`s tactics and "Metalist" won the second prize in that
year`s Championship. But Poskotin has been also substituted in autumn
of 1976 – by 46-year-old Honored Coach of USSR, Honored Master of Sports
– Yevgeniy Lemeshk
1978
The first success for the new coach was the year of 1978
when Kharkiv team have won the golden medals of the Republic
Championship and got to the first league of the Championship of the USSR
again.
1980-1981
Two years after "Metalist" won small bronze medals and next season – small golden ones. The year of 1980 became very successful for Kharkiv team – they had their peak performance: 1.65 goals per match, 10 victories with high score, 58 goals and 10 goals were scored to them
The line-up of the team back then: the team captain –
Potochniak, Sivukha, Kosolapov, Kriachko, Degtiariov, Kamarzayev,
Ledney, Malko, Tkachenko, Bernikov, Saakov, Gorbik, Sapeshko, Linke,
Bachiashvili, Tsymbaliuk, Dovbiy, Shalenko, Zhuravchak, Dvurechenskiy,
Tukhovskiy and others.
1982-1987
During 10 seasons from 1982 "Metalist” played in High League with variable success. We should separately mention the year of 1984, the hero of which became 24 years old forward Yuri Tarasov from Kharkiv suburbs. He managed to do that his partners couldn’t do – to score goals regularly. And on 29th of September when "Metalist” played against "Neftchi” from Baku at home, Yuri, who didn’t even train in a sport school, managed to score 4 goals. In that season he scored 17 goals in total and this record became a club record for a long time. In top scorers table Tarasov became the 3rd along with Protasov from "Dnepr” and Zheludkov from "Zenit”, though he played only 29 games and the others – all 34. Tarasov’s "contribution” helped "Metalist” to score 42 goals in that season.
1988
This year
was special for "Metalist" – they have finally won the biggest
Championship in the country - USSR Cup!
Along with a victory "Metalist" deserved the right to perform
internationally and the team won the first match – with the Yugoslav
"Borac", but has lost in the match with Dutch "Rode".
1989-1991
These years were hard for the country, for the plant and, of course, for the team. Leonid Buriak left the team along with Sivukha. Yevgeniy Lemeshko, who has been coaching the team for 12 seasons has also left the team and Leonid Tkachenko substituted him
Ukrainian Cup– 1992
The highest progress in Ukrainian cups ‘Metalist’ achieved in 1992 under the leadership of Leonid Tkachenko, becoming the finalist of the tournament, but in extra time they lost the honorary prize to ‘Chernomorets’ Odessa. In that team there played:
Pomazun, Kastornyi, Yalovskiy, Panchishin – captain, Pets, Mykolaenko, Khomukha, Kandaurov, Adzhoev, Prizetko, Kolesnik, Borovik, Lantsfer, Shinkarev, Nazarov, Nichenko, Chuprin, Karabuta, Pushkutsa and other. Next season Kharkiv players reached semifinals of the Ukrainian Cup
1992-2001
Since 1992 ‘Metalist’ takes part in national tournaments. In
Ukrainian High League Kharkiv players made their debut in 1992, and in
the second Ukrainian championship they took the high fifth place. In
that season the team was headed: in the first part by Leonid Tkachenko,
then by Victor Aristov, and at last by Sergey Dotsenko. After three
seasons in High League the team left the group of the national strongest
ones and joined it only after four years, having become a second-best
in the tournament of the First League in 1998. In the 9th and 11th
national championships ‘Metalist’ coached by Mikhail Fomenko again
showed its best result – the 5th place in the High League
2002-2004
After leaving the High League following the results of 12 Championship, "Metalist" has returned to the first country football competition in 13 Championship.
2005-2006
Since these years "Metalist" became one if the greatest football clubs in Ukraine – all thanks to the new president of the club – Aleksandr Yaroslavskiy – one of the most influential and successful businessmen in the country.
In the 15th Championship "Metalist”
coached by one of the best specialists Miron Markevich, repeated its
best achievement – 5th place and its best players received invitations
to national teams (Ganzarchyk – Poland, Kucher – Ukraine, Jakobia –
Georgia, Bordian – Moldova)
2007
In season
2006/07 "Metalist”, financed by general sponsor DCH, group of companies
owned by Alexander Yaroslavskiy, managed to win bronze medals – best
result in its history and received a right to represent Ukraine in the
UEFA Cup. Also this year team set a lot of other club records – 3rd
place after first part of the season, 1st place in second part of the
season, 11 games in a row without a loss (10 wins and one draw), and its
goalkeeper Alexander Goryainov had 18 "cleen sheets”. In first main
round of the UEFA Cup "Metalist” played against strong team "Everton”
from England. Inexperienced Kharkiv footballers played well and lost
only by one goal (1:1, 2:3)
2008
Next season the result, earned by Myron
Markevych`s team was repeated. Bronze medals were awarded to next
players: Goryainov, Lazarevski, Babic, Gancarzhyk, Valiayev, Edmar,
Sliusar, Trishovic, Madufi, Obradovic, Fomin, Rykun, Zeze, Papa Gueye,
Devic, Bordian, Coelho, Postupalenko, Davydov, Barilko, Rebenok,
Didenko.
Marko Devic became the best forward not only in the team, but in the
whole country – he scored 19 goals. Aleksandr Rykun became the best
assistant and Aleksandr Goryainov became the recordsman – he kept his
goal area goalless most of all.
2009
Season of
2008/09 became the most successful in the club`s history. "Metalist"
won the bronze medals for the third time, which is the record of
Ukrainian Championships. Besides, Myron Markevych`s team showed a great
game in European Championship. In the first round of UEFA Cup "Metalist"
won in a match with Turkish "Besiktas" (0:1 and 4:1). They became the
first in their group and in the next rounds they`ve met
"Gertha"(Germany), "Galatasaray"(Turkey), "Olimpiakos"(Greese) and
"Benfika"(Portugal). In 1/16 of UEFA Cup "Metalist" won the match with
Italian "Sampdoria" (1:0, 2:0) and in 1/8 of the final Kharkiv team had
all chances to won the match with "Dynamo"(Kyiv), but it didn`t happen,
unfortunately.
