USSR next, almost by default. 1978 was miserable year – the national team once again failed to qualify for the World Cup finals, the clubs participating in the European club tournaments were eliminated early and ingloriously – this applies largely for the 1977-78 cups, for the one-year season USSR had by necessity included the next year European cups in the evaluation of their own season. Domestic football was not all that lively and was criticized on every level. Special wrath was reserved for Lobanovsky and his whining: he was once again immuned from sense of guilt. Dinamo Kiev was eliminated by Malmo FF (Sweden), an easy opponent in theory, after the ‘guru of attacking football’ fielded 6 defenders! Nothing wrong with his tactics, said Lobanovsky – what was wrong was a long list of guilty parties in the Federation. Wrong calendar, reluctant to permit his team to train abroad in the spring administrators, bad climate, too many domestic games, the list was wrong – and Lobanovsky wright, but getting no understanding and help. Observers did not agree with him at all and accused him of nepotism. Third division clubs were accused of scheming and ignoring the rules – Soviet Federation never stopped changing the rules in the 1970s and now third league had an age limit: their squads had to be mainly made of young products of their youth systems and only a few players over 25 years were allowed in the squads. The clubs bitterly opposed that – on one hand, if going up to second division they had to start entirely new team, for the youths would be too weak among older players; on the other , those were smaller provincial clubs and hardly had enough talent at hand for competitive football. The clubs schemed, asked for ‘incidental’ permissions to use more players of older age – critics found the practices corrupt, irresponsible, and sabotaging the rules. Second division was found not only of low quality, but almost entirely disinterested in more than just playing there, a chronic problem, which in tern affected negatively first division football – few talents were to be found in the lower league. First division was not great either, scoring low as ever, most clubs hardly improving, concerned only with keeping their place among the top 16 clubs. Most of all that was not new at all, but there were positive changes too, almost for the first time since 1970.
The new rule, limiting draws seemingly worked – for the first time ties were not the dominant result. The new rule gave points only for 8 ties – above that nothing. The clubs quickly found a way to avoid the rule, but still the number of ties diminished: only 5 clubs ended with more than 8 ties and measly 3 clubs finished with 10 or more. One club fell victim of the rule and was relegated, but as a whole the limit of ties benefited more attacking football and the old mentality of securing a point cracked a bit. A bunch of young talents appeared, largely in Dinamo (Kiev), and they were different, modern players. Lastly, the country ended with new champion and it was the most attractive team – another crack at the dominant dullness. The positive changes were present, not overwhelmingly, but present nevertheless and they promised better future. The wind was turning.
The mammoth third division contributed in its own, however small, way to the positive changes. 135 clubs divided in 6 Zones, the smallest of 21 teams and the Zones with 24 each. By far, these were the championships with most matches per season, but so far they hardly helped the development of Soviet football – the three promoted clubs most often came back to third level in short time. And nothing really promising in this year winners – Fakel (Voronezh), Metalist (Kharkov), Spartak (Nalchik), Zvezda (Perm), Alga (Frunze), and Traktor (Pavlodar). All played a bit – and unsuccessfully – in the second division before. Looked like familiar fodder, only in bigger quantity, for the second division was enlarged to 24 clubs for 1979 and all 6 were promoted. But it was not so – Fakel and Metalist were at the beginning of their ascent. Both clubs soon reached First Division. Metalist not only was to stay firmly in top flight, but was to become one the best Soviet clubs in the 1980s. Did not look like that in 1978, but it was fine news for many that one old clubs was climbing up a bit.
Metalist (Kharkov), champions of Ukraine and Third Division – Zone II. First row, from left: Vladimir Zhuravchak, Nodar Bachiashvili, Victor Shalenko, Leonid Tkachenko, Stanislav Bernikov, Genady Likhachev, Valentin Kryachko, Nikolay Aleshin, Vladimir Linke.
Standing: Robert Mkrtchan – team director, Roman Shpodarunok – administrator, Vladimir Bulgakov – assistant coach, Mikhail Tzybrivsky, Sergey Malko, Sergey Sapeshko, Rostislav Potochnyak, Aleksandr Nikishin, Vyacheslav Dvurechensky, Genady Degtyarev, Evgeny Lemeshko – coach, Aleksandr Kossolapov, Mark Pisarenko – team doctor.
Metalist won perhaps the toughest Third Division Zone, where most of the club were Ukrainian easily – the second best, Kolos (Nikopol), lagged 8 points behind. The winners won 29 matches, tied 12, and lost 3. Scoring was not their strongest side – 66 goals in 44 matches – but their defense was excellent – they received only 20 goals. Of course, third division teams never attract much interest, but the seeds of the future were planted: the coach Lemeshko and Sergey Malko were to become very well known in a few years time. In 1978 their aim was still going to Second Division – and they succeeded.