Zirka Kirovohrad

FC Zirka Kropyvnytskyi ( uk, ФК "Зірка Кропивницький") is a Ukrainian amateur football club from Kropyvnytskyi, Kirovohrad Oblast, with its team currently playing in the Ukrainian Amateur League.

The club traces its history of a football team that existed at the British factory of Elvorti (Elworthy) since 1911. After the occupation of Ukraine by Bolsheviks, the factory was "nationalized", its team was dissolved, and the factory was converted into Soviet factory "Chervona Zirka", hence the club's name. The Soviet football team Chervona Zirka was formed in 1922. The club's professional football history however started in 1958 when it was admitted to the Class B competitions.

History

The club traces its history back to the former Russian sports club Elvorti Yelizavetgrad that was founded in 1911 at the Elvorti Factory. The factory was later nationalized with establishment of the Soviet power and changed its name to "Chervona Zirka" (Red Star). After start of World War I and the Ukrainian-Soviet War, most sports events in the region were suspended and in 1917 the club dissolved. Sports competitions were resumed in Lyzavetghrad in 1921 that saw participation of a team.

In 1922, based on the former sports club Elvorti Yelizavetgrad were created two Soviet clubs Chervona Zirka and Chervony Profintern that participated in Soviet competition. Some of Zirka's club shields contain 1922 as the club's year of establishment. In 1928 Chervona Zirka changed its name to Metallist Zinovyevsk (Metalist Zinovyivsk) and in 1934 – Selmash Kirovo (Silmash Kirove). During the World War II the team was dissolved once again.

It was not revived until 1948 when by being a member of the former Volunteer Sports Society Selmash, it was reorganised as Traktor Kirovograd (Traktor Kirovohrad) and after 1953 – Torpedo.

In first post-War years 1946–47 Kirovograd (Kirovohrad) was represented in football competitions by a law enforcement team "Dynamo".

In 1958, the club was renamed into Zvezda Kirovograd (Zirka Kirovohrad) when it advanced to the professional level of Soviet competitions, the B Class. As Zirka the club existed until 2006 when it went bankrupt. In 1962 the club temporarily did not participate in Soviet competitions and Kirovohrad was once again represented by Dynamo. From 1993 to 1997 the club carried a name of its title sponsor NIBAS as Zirka-NIBAS. In 2007 the club was revived in amateur regional competitions. On July 15, 2008 the Professional Football League of Ukraine approved exchange names between Zirka and another club from Kirovohrad, FC Olimpik Kirovohrad, that competed at professional level to yield its place in the Ukrainian Second League.

Previously, Zirka debuted at a top level for the 1994–95 season, where they finished 6th. In the 1999–2000 season they finished in last place and were relegated to the Ukrainian First League. They were promoted immediately as champions once again for the 2003–04 season, but finished in last place and were demoted again.

In July 2016, the name of Zirka's hometown was renamed to Kropyvnytskyi. The next day the club announced it had changed its name to ''FC Zirka Kropyvnytskyi'' and its logo accordingly.

Team names and crest

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Crest

Current club's crest (logo) was adopted in 2012. In 2016 as part of decommunisation process, the club changed its city's name and year of establishment claiming its heritage of the previously existing team of British factory "Elvorti".

In 2008-2011 the club's crest contained the Red Star (the club's former name and the name of factory which owned the club) and most of elements of coat of arms of the city of Kropyvnytskyi.

Owners (sponsors)

* 1911–1993: Elvorti factory (Chervona Zirka), Kirovohrad
* 1993–1998: Agrarian company Nibas, Petropavlivka (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast)
* 1998–2011: City authorities, KirovohradZirka and other stars of the Kirovohrad region
FFU website.
* 2011–present: Creative Industrial Group, Kropyvnytskyi

Current squad

Out on loan

Coaches and administration

Honors

* Cup of the Ukrainian SSR
**Winner (3): 1953, 1973, 1975
* Ukrainian First League
**Winner (3): 1995, 2003, 2016
* Ukrainian Second League
**Winner (1): 2009

Football kits and sponsors

League and cup history

Soviet competitions

The republican football competitions in Ukraine during the Soviet period is poorly documented, so there is little information available about the Zirka's competition record before 1958.

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from:01/07/1958 till:01/07/1959 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/07/1959 till:01/07/1960 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/07/1960 till:01/07/1961 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/07/1961 till:01/07/1962 shift:(0,-4) text:23
from:01/07/1962 till:01/07/1963 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1964 shift:(0,-4) text:12
from:01/07/1964 till:01/07/1965 shift:(0,-4) text:7
from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1966 shift:(0,-4) text:18
from:01/07/1966 till:01/07/1967 shift:(0,-4) text:8
from:01/07/1967 till:01/07/1968 shift:(0,-4) text:4
from:01/07/1968 till:01/07/1969 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/07/1969 till:01/07/1970 shift:(0,-4) text:7

from:01/07/1957 till:01/07/1962 color:bl2 shift:(0,13) text:"Class B"
from:01/07/1962 till:01/07/1965 color:bl3 shift:(0,13) text:"Class B"
from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1970 color:bl2 shift:(0,13) text:"Class A"


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from:01/07/1971 till:01/07/1972 shift:(0,-4) text:14
from:01/07/1972 till:01/07/1973 shift:(0,-4) text:12
from:01/07/1973 till:01/07/1974 shift:(0,-4) text:17
from:01/07/1974 till:01/07/1975 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/07/1975 till:01/07/1976 shift:(0,-4) text:7
from:01/07/1976 till:01/07/1977 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/07/1977 till:01/07/1978 shift:(0,-4) text:7
from:01/07/1978 till:01/07/1979 shift:(0,-4) text:9
from:01/07/1979 till:01/07/1980 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1981 shift:(0,-4) text:17
from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1982 shift:(0,-4) text:15
from:01/07/1982 till:01/07/1983 shift:(0,-4) text:17
from:01/07/1983 till:01/07/1984 shift:(0,-4) text:18
from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1985 shift:(0,-4) text:10
from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1986 shift:(0,-4) text:21
from:01/07/1986 till:01/07/1987 shift:(0,-4) text:23
from:01/07/1987 till:01/07/1988 shift:(0,-4) text:23
from:01/07/1988 till:01/07/1989 shift:(0,-4) text:14
from:01/07/1989 till:01/07/1990 shift:(0,-4) text:19
from:01/07/1990 till:01/07/1991 shift:(0,-4) text:25

from:01/07/1970 till:01/07/1989 color:bl3 shift:(0,13) text:"Vtoraya Liga"
from:01/07/1989 till:01/07/1991 color:bl4 shift:(0,13) text:"Vtoraya nizshaya Liga"


Ukrainian competitions

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from:01/07/1993 till:01/07/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:3
from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:1
from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/07/1996 till:01/07/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:10
from:01/07/1997 till:01/07/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:11
from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:11
from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:16
from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:15
from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:9
from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:1
from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:16
from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:12
from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:9
from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 shift:(0,-4) text:1
from:01/07/2009 till:01/07/2010 shift:(0,-4) text:12
from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2011 shift:(0,-4) text:12
from:01/07/2011 till:01/07/2012 shift:(0,-4) text:11
from:01/07/2012 till:01/07/2013 shift:(0,-4) text:8
from:01/07/2013 till:01/07/2014 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/07/2014 till:01/07/2015 shift:(0,-4) text:4
from:01/07/2015 till:01/07/2016 shift:(0,-4) text:1
from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 shift:(0,-4) text:9

from:01/01/1992 till:01/07/1992 color:bl3 shift:(0,13) text: "TL"
from:01/07/1992 till:01/07/1994 color:bl3 shift:(0,13) text: "2L"
from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 color:bl2 shift:(0,13) text: "1L"
from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/2000 color:bl1 shift:(0,13) text: "Vyshcha Liha"
from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2003 color:bl2 shift:(0,13) text: "Persha Liha"
from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 color:bl1 shift:(0,13) text: "VL"
from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2006 color:bl3 shift:(0,13) text: "2L"
from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2008 color:bl5 shift:(0,13) text: "Amateurs"
from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 color:bl3 shift:(0,13) text: "2L"
from:01/07/2009 till:01/07/2016 color:bl2 shift:(0,13) text: "Persha Liha"
from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2018 color:bl1 shift:(0,13) text: "Premier Liha"

Soviet Union

:

Ukraine (1992-2007)

:

After 2008

:

Notes

External links

Official Club website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zirka Kirovohrad, FC

Amateur football clubs in Ukraine
Association football clubs established in 1911
1911 establishments in Ukraine
Sport in Kropyvnytskyi
Football clubs in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Football clubs in Kirovohrad Oblast
Manufacturing association football clubs in Ukraine